Bad roads threaten economic activities in Njaba.
3 min read
The 2022 rainy season has seriously affected the road networks in Umuaka Municipal Council and the entire Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State. The roads both tarred and untarred have dilapidated so badly that there are fears that big lorries may one day fall on any of the roads and cause human tragedies. From Umuaka Times investigations, there is no community in Umuaka Municipal Council that is not affected by the problem of bad road networks except Obinwanne Umuaka Autonomous Community. The reason for the exclusion of Obinwanne in the map is because all the roads in the community were tarred under the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC. The project was attracted by the royal father of the community HRM Eze Justin Ezeala a couple of years ago.
The road popularly known as Uba Road which leads from Uba to Amaigbo have several bad spots deep enough to sink any vehicle. The road has two major bad spots located in Uba at Ama Ojikeya and another one located at Ama Dire in Isiozi. There seems to be no help from anyone living alone the road for the rescue. Umuaka Times correspondent who visited the road confirmed that from Isiozi down to Isu Njaba part of the road, is more motorable than the Umuaka part. Already, vehicles have started to sink in front of the family house of the late Hon Vero Nnaji in Ekwe, a nearby town located in Isu LGA.
From the popular A-Line of Afor Umuaka to Umuele is also the same story. Sometime last year, an Akalite living overseas sent money across to Umuaka Times for the sand-filling of the road. It was done by the company handling the Orlu Owerri Road and people were hailing the donor and Umuaka Times. But one year later, the road has spoilt again and this time around, worst than before. Many motorists and motorcyclists now try their best to avoid using the A-Line side of the road known as Umuaka Ukwu Orji Road.
Amiyi Afara Road is also another “victim” of the road dilapidation in Umuaka. The road has two major bad spots between Holy Rosary Primary School and Umuaka Community Hospital. In comparable terms, the Amiyi Afara Road is better than the one leading from A-Line to Ukwu Orji. Road analysts have explained that the reason for the development is because the one leading from A-Line to Ukwu Orji is constantly in use than the Amiyi Afara Road.
Talking of road problems and their solutions, many of the roads Umuaka Times visited are all LG roads. It beats the imagination of many that for several years running, there is no positive presence the Njaba LG has recorded both in Umuaka and in other parts of the LGA in terms of road constructions and rehabilitations. Njaba LGA is not alone in this mess, other local government councils are also affected across the APC led Imo State.
The state of the roads in Njaba LGA has affected social and economic activities. There is a deep fear that if the development is not checked, it may one day lea to human tragedies.
