•FRSC orders diversion of traffic
HUNDREDS of articulated vehicles and trucks have been left stranded for days along the Ifaki-Oye-Ilupeju-Kabba axis of Ekiti State, following the collapse of a section of the federal road at Ilupeju-Ekiti, leaving motorists and residents distressed and worried.
The Nigerian Tribune correspondent, who visited the area at the weekend, observed that the situation, which has created a massive gridlock on the busy route, has disrupted the movement of goods into and out of the state, with truck drivers lamenting that they have been trapped on the road for days.
The development has also heightened safety concerns in the affected community, as most of the stranded vehicles are tankers conveying petroleum products, creating fears that any accident or fire outbreak could have devastating consequences for residents and other road users.
One of the drivers, Akanda James, said he had been stranded for about 48 hours as the gridlock continued, describing the experience as a major hardship for drivers whose livelihoods depend on constant movement.
He appealed to government to consider immediate renovation of the road towards ensuring economic and social life of the people, adding that the road is critical to the survival of many businesses in the region.
Another truck driver, Muhammed Hammed, also lamented the poor state of the road, expressing frustration over the government’s tendency to remember truck drivers and other transport workers mainly when their support is needed during elections.
“You can see what we are facing now at the moment. We have been here for days and have no hope in sight. The government should consider this road as a priority and save the citizens from this avoidable suffering,” he said.
On his part, a former lawmaker who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ayo Arise, who visited the area, described the situation as alarming, and called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Works.
Arise said the extent of the gridlock was beyond what he had imagined, likening the traffic situation to the notorious congestion previously experienced around Apapa in Lagos State.
He said he personally experienced the hardship when he arrived in Ekiti from Akure, explaining that what ordinarily should have been a journey of only a few minutes from Ifaki to his destination, became a prolonged ordeal.
According to him, he had to remain in the area for several hours because vehicles could neither enter nor exit the affected communities.
He said: “I was monitoring activities on the road because my vehicle came to pick me up from Akure, where I landed and I saw that there was no way to go in or out of Oye-Ekiti, so I had to stay in Ado for some hours.
“I was surprised that we had so many articulated vehicles parked on the road. Some are on the lane going into here, and those coming in from the likes of Lokoja, they couldn’t pass, and those going towards the same direction in Lokoja direction, they too couldn’t pass because the portion of the road had become badly damaged.
“We’ve been going through this for over 15 years because, as a matter of fact,, it’s a total embarrassment. If we can reach the Honourable Minister, this needs immediate attention because the effect, the multiplier effect, is just unimaginable.
“The articulated vehicles, the trailers, the trucks, and they are carrying goods, they are carrying containers, they are carrying all manner of stuff that the people expecting would expect to use for this, you know, for whatever they ordered those containers for.
“If we can have some permission to work on a federal road, maybe this particular portion can quickly be fixed so that these people can continue to move.”
FRSC re-routes traffic over collapsed road
Motorists plying the Kabba-Oye-Ifaki highway should brace for delays and take alternative routes, following a major damage to the road that triggered the gridlock.
The Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) Ekiti State Command, announced the diversion, on Sunday, saying the damaged portion has slowed movement and built up traffic along the busy corridor linking Kogi, Ekiti and Osun states.
According to Sector Commander, Sanya Adeoye, the situation requires urgent rerouting to ease congestion and prevent accidents.
The statement reads, “Advised alternative routes: From Kabba through Oye-Ifaki: Motorists are urged to use alternative routes ahead of Oye Town.
“From Abuja en route Ibadan/Lagos: drivers should pass through Okene to avoid the hold-up on the Kabba-Oye axis and other road users: The Kabba-Ikare-Owo-Akure road has been recommended as an alternative.”
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The FRSC called on all road users to cooperate with personnel stationed at diversion points, obey traffic rules, drive with caution and exercise patience.
Adeoye added that relevant authorities have been notified for immediate repairs to restore normal flow on the highway.
“Motorists are advised to plan their journeys accordingly and monitor updates from the Corps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has moved to address the deplorable condition of the Ifaki-Oye-Ilupeju-Kabba federal highway, with the Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, directing the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to undertake immediate remedial works on the critical sections of the road.
The Federal Controller of Works in Ekiti State, Engineer Wasiu Owolabi, disclosed this to the Nigerian Tribune while reacting to concerns over the worsening condition of the highway.
Owolabi assured road users that the intervention by FERMA would provide temporary relief, while stressing that the Federal Government was already processing a comprehensive rehabilitation of the entire road.
According to him, the ministry was working on a long-term solution to the deteriorating highway, which has become a major source of concern to commuters and communities along the route.
“FERMA would do something on it. The headquarters is working on comprehensive work on the road. We are processing complete rehabilitation of the road,” Owolabi said.
He explained that FERMA was primarily responsible for routine and remedial maintenance, while the Ministry of Works had the mandate for major construction and full rehabilitation of federal highways.
“FERMA is the one in charge of small maintenance works, but the main construction and rehabilitation are our mandate,” he added.
Owolabi assured residents and other road users that the intervention would not be limited to temporary repairs, as the ministry was committed to finding a lasting solution to the challenges posed by the road.
He said the ministry was conscious of the hardship being experienced by road users and expressed confidence that the ongoing processes at the headquarters would culminate in the comprehensive rehabilitation of the road.
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