Bad Roads in Rivers, Residents Seek Govt Intervention

Rivers, Nigeria — Some of the commuters at Mbano Camp junction in Oyigbo local government area of Rivers, on Thursday, have appealed for the state government’s intervention on the bad roads in the area.

The commuters, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Oyigbo, said that the Oyigbo to Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway junction was a death trap.

They urged relevant authorities to come to their aid and avert deaths on the roads.

Mr Sunday Ekene, a bus driver on Oyigbo to Mile One Park, in Port Harcourt said he always spend two hours at Mbano junction.

He identified waste of work hours, car depreciation as well as high level of fuel consumption as some of the problems faced by commuters on the bad road.

Mrs Uchechi Nwala, a fruit vendor, said in spite of the bad state of the roads, trucks and tanker drivers have continued to ply the route, putting other road users at risk.

“Severally, trucks laden with unlatched containers had fallen on this road, thank God there were no life loss.

“I urge the government to urgently intervene to avert fatal accidents. Those of us who trade by the roadside do so in fear,” she said.

Mr Sydney Uwem, Manager at Crunchies eatery at Mbano Camp junction, said the poor state of the road had contributed to slow businesses recently confronting shop owner in the area.

“Our businesses are suffering as customers barely patronise us due to regular gridlocks and flood on our entry points.

“This is also a basic eatery spot in Oyigbo; Chicken Republic, Crunchies, Kilimanjaro and the Promise are also located here.

“We plead with the state government under the leadership of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to urgently address our plight,” he said.

Some business owners further said that they were handicapped since it is unlawful to engage in repairs of critical government infrastructure like roads.

NAN reports that efforts to get the comment of the Oyigbo council officials on what was being done to ameliorate the plight of the people proved abortive.

Margret Oshinowo | May 22, 2025