Success Nwanedo
Residents and business owners around the Celestine Omehia Road popularly known as SARS Road in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area have expressed displeasure on the dilapidated nature of the road, which they said have caused an adverse effect on their businesses.
Some business owners in the area who spoke to TPCN on Saturday said the decayed infrastructure resulted from a poor drainage system, which allows water to flood the streets, thereby causing a breakdown.
According to them, the poor state of the road has led to poor patronage in business by customers.
A furniture maker, Emmanuel Effiong, who called on the government to salvage the situation, said: “When the road got bad, we went to Obio Akpor to make a complaint and since that time that we reported, nothing has been done. People who want to come and buy furniture from me do not have access to it because of the nature of the road. Let the government help us and put the road in order.”
Another business owner in the area, who operates a petrol station, said his business is not recording good patronage as it should because of the poor state of the road.
According to him, “This road is affecting us very badly because our business is not moving the way it is supposed to. We need the governor to come and help us and do the road for us, even if it is to extend it so that our business can move forward.”
Speaking further, he explained that some business owners in the area tried to fix some parts of the road but were asked by the Local government chairman of Obio Akpor council and other officers to get approval from the commissioner of works before carrying out any activity.
However, he noted that since the meeting, which took place over a month ago, nothing had been done by the ministry that promised to fix the road and clean out the drainage system.
A Keke rider, Eze Jude, who plies on the road, said the poor state of the road has led to an increase in the price of transportation for residents who move through the street.
Eze explained that passengers were complaining about the increase, while drivers always lament the damage caused to their vehicles by the potholes in the area.
He called on the government to intervene in the situation and save them from the untold hardship being experienced due to the road.
