ASO CHRONICLE
The deplorable condition of roads in satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been widely reported such that the similarly dilapidated state of roads in some highbrow areas has deflected attention.
Residents of Berger, 2nd Avenue in Gwarinpa village market, Lifecamp, EFAB and Kado village have been lamenting over the deplorable state of the road in their areas. Most of the residents described these roads as “unfortunate.”
Though the areas concerned are uptown and show the expensive lifestyles of the dwellers, the bad roads are like eczema on the skin of a beautiful woman.
The popular Lifecamp junction has become a nightmare to road users thereby causing traffic gridlock during rush hours every working day of the week. The situation becomes worst on Tuesday due to the weekly Karmo market.
Ene David, who resides in Kado village but work in the city centre said the situation of the road is getting worse by the day. “When the construction of this road started like three years back, we thought it would help us but suddenly, the work was abandoned and the road became bad,”she said.
She said in the morning the traffic is always very tight and you see some vehicles looking for shortcut so that they will not be held up in the jam.
“When we are returning from work it is another stress. Keke NAPEP driver that carries you from ARAB junction will drop you off by Lento Aluminium instead of Lifecamp junction due to the traffic,” she said.
One of the road users, Godwin Abu said the road has been like this for more than two years without anybody attending to it, adding that it becomes worse during the rainy season.
“The rain keeps digging the portion of the road that is bad. We learnt the contract was given to giant construction company but nothing has been done. Sometimes, you see young men sand filling some of the deep potholes and they use that to beg people for money, but the next day the state of the road becomes worst again,” he said.
Abu said that government should come to the aid of all road users and put the road in good shape so that people can drive well and the traffic issues will be solved.
Being the most patronised means of commercial transportation between ARAB and Lifecamp junction, Keke NAPEP operators also cry out over the dilapidated state of the road and the damaged it has caused to their business.
One of the operators who gave his name as Yahaya said, “The road is very bad. There is traffic jam here every time. My Keke has spoilt many times on account of plying this road.”
He also said many of them do not like to go beyond the good tarred road in the evening but rather drop off passengers and return back to ARAB.
Some of the residents of Gwarinpa village who spoke to our reporter also described the deplorable condition of the 2nd Avenue as worrisome.
Mrs. Ngozi Chukwu said that it is unfortunate that the government finds it difficult to put the road in order, saying the bad road is affecting their businesses and most importantly, customers no longer stop to patronize them.
She said, “Traders in this market have been suffering as a result of this bad road and drainage. It is crippling our businesses because customers do not come as they use to. They are complaining of the traffic they face whenever they come to the market.
“Each person pays N4000 annually and we gather it to clear the gutter so that water from other streets can pass through the road,” she added.
She called on the government to come to their aid and put the road in order so that the traders can have a sense of belonging and carry out their business activities well.