By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
The usual bustling town of Chokocho in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State was restless on Thursday, 4th November, 2021, as indigenes of the area protested over the decision of the Federal Emergency Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to commence the parching of their deplorable road.
The protesters complained that the road had been bad for a long time until the federal government sent FERMA to repair the road but that rather than carry out the task, the agency abandoned the road, only to suddenly return to begin the repair after the Rivers State Government recently promised to construct the road. The Chokocho protesters wondered why the agency would suddenly resurface after the state government promised to intervene.
“We don’t want FERMA again. They are not sincere. If they are sincere, they would have done this road since. But they abandoned it and left. Now that Rivers State Government wants to do it, they’re coming back to perch the road. We don’t want them again,” one of the protesters said.
Another protester accused FERMA of being used as a tool to achieve certain political interests.
He said: “FERMA is playing politics. We know it’s a federal government body, so some Abuja politicians are using it against us and the Rivers State Government. How come they have not done this road since? Is it not a federal road? This road is a federal road but they abandoned it. Even to perch it, no way. Now the state government has promised to construct it and they’re now coming to perch it. Maybe they don’t want the state government to take the glory. Is that not politics? Abuja politicians should leave us alone. FERMA please go.”
One of the protesters accused FERMA of trying to play on their brain, adding that their patience with the agency had long elapsed. “We’re not fools. The time we waited for them to perch the road, they didn’t come. Is it now that the state government wants to help us and construct the road properly that they now remembered to come and do the perching? We’re not fools and they cannot use our brain. That’s why we’re protesting. They should leave the road. We don’t their perching work. If they will not do proper construction of the road, let them go, simple.
“They know very well that this Chokocho Road is a federal road, because through this road, you can connect all the way to Aba. So, as a federal road, is it supposed to be like this? Why did federal government abandon the road since? See how bad the road is now because if the neglect. And now they want to start perching it. We no gree. Let them go,” he said.
TPCN’s effort to get FERMA’s reaction to the protest has not been fruitful yet. However, the effort continues.
