Abia communities protest deteriorated Okpu Umuobo-Umuchichi-Umueme road in Obingwa

 

The indigent people of Umuchichi and Umueme communities in Obingwa Local Government Areas of Abia state, have cried out over the current dilapidation of major roads within the areas, calling on the two companies doing business in the area to fix the road.

The call by the Abia communities comes on the backdrop of the dilapidated condition of Okpu Umuobo-Umuchichi-Umueme road in Obingwa local area of the state.

However, while staging a peaceful protest on Tuesday, against the bad road infrastructure, people of the local communities in Abia state also threatened that if the companies do not fix the ugly road after December, no haulage truck would be allowed to pass through the road.

DAILY POST reports that natives and residents of the two neighboring communities marched through the stretch of the dilapidated road from the Umuchichi Council Hall junction, to Glass Force Limited and GZ Industry.

The irate indigenes of the two communities who were brandishing placards, and sang solidarity songs as they waded through the muddy road to the gates of the two companies, expressed total displeasure on the current sorry state of the Okpu Umuobo-Umuchichi-Umueme road.

Their spokesman, Mr Chigoziem Okechuwu, said they were not protesting because they did not like the existence of the companies in the area, but were protesting because of the problem the firms are creating for them.

According to him, “The environmental impact of their existence here is negative and they are not responsive to it.

“It took us about N20 million to fix this road this year, but within six months, the company’s heavy trucks were destroyed,” he added.

However, while addressing the protesters from Umuchichi and Umueme communities in Obingwa LGA, the HR Manager of GZ Industry, Obi Nwankwor, said the company had held meetings with stakeholders in the area, appealing to them to exercise patience as the company gets approval from the state government.

He also assured that soon, the company would start the rehabilitation of the road to ensure easy movement of people and motorists plying the road.

He said: “We all part of the community, we need the road in good shape and immediately we get approval from the state government, we will start work on the bad road.”