Success Nwanedo
Youths of Asarama Kingdom in Andoni LGA, Rivers State have shut down the ongoing construction of the Bodo – Bonny road project being executed by Julius Berger Plc.
The aggrieved youths in a peaceful protest alleged that the ongoing construction was named wrongly as Bodo -Bonny Road, instead of Bodo- Asaramatoru-Bonny road, noting that their community, Asaramatoru, plays as major host of the road.
They also alleged the deliberate and wrong naming of the bridge crossing Asaramatoru River on the road project as Opobo Channel Bridge, when the river that hosts the bridge is Asaramatoru river.
They insisted that the name of the bridge must be changed to the original name of the river before the project would continue.
Other grievances mentioned by the youths include naming of the third bridge along the road as “Nanabie Bridge” instead of “Emenochan Bridge” ; employment and subcontract opportunities at the project area among others.
They further claimed that their community has not been consulted on the Environment Impact Assessment and other related issues since the commencement of the road project in 2018, insisting that Julius Berger Plc must enter into a community development agreement with them.
They lamented that the design and construction of a flat bridge to block big sea vessels from navigating their rivers for business activities in the 21st century was unacceptable to them, alleging a conspiracy between the construction company and neighboring communities, who they alleged wished to encroach and take over their ancestral heritage.
