Sapele Residents Call on Abeke to Fulfil Road Rehabilitation Promise As Roads Worsen

By Endurance Ikanone

Residents of Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Chairman, Hon. Bright Abeke, to fulfil his promise to rehabilitate major roads across the local government, warning that several roads are continuing to deteriorate.

The residents made the appeal barely two weeks after the council chairman inspected several roads and critical access routes across Sapele and expressed his administration’s readiness to commence targeted rehabilitation and maintenance works.

According to residents, while the inspection raised hopes that some of the town’s deteriorating roads would receive urgent attention, several roads remain in deplorable condition, with residents yet to see significant rehabilitation work in some of the affected areas.

Mrs Jennifer Akpekini, a resident of Sapele, appealed to the council chairman to ensure that the road rehabilitation promise translates into visible action, stressing that residents have continued to endure the difficulties caused by bad roads.

She also urged the council to look beyond the roads inspected during the chairman’s tour and consider other routes that have become increasingly difficult for motorists, commercial transport operators and residents to use.

Among the roads residents say require urgent attention are Shell Road by Goldstep Hotel, Shell Road by Our Saviour School, and Okirigbaga by Okirighwre, which they said were not among the locations specifically listed during the chairman’s inspection.

Barely two weeks ago, Abeke embarked on an extensive inspection of roads across the local government, assessing areas affected by potholes and other forms of road damage.

The locations inspected included Cemetery by Yoruba Road, Cemetery by UBA, Cemetery by Palm Avenue, Cemetery by Market, Market Road by the Main Market, Palm Avenue by the Mosque, Cemetery Road by Ayomanor, Cemetery by Crudas Road and Olympia by Oleh Road.

The chairman also inspected Adeola by Agbogoroma Road, Owumi Road by Forbes Hotel, Abeke Road by Rain Oil Gas Plant, Abeke Road by St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Gana by Rain Oil Filling Station, Gana before ABC, Dedewo Road by Gana-Sapele off Ayonuwe, Javel and New Road by Redeemed Church.

Other locations visited included New Road before Major Bowel Junction, Awolowo by New Road off MFM, Awolowo before Oleh Road, Abeke Road by Mercy Hospital, Abeke Road by Oriahki, Owumi Road before Assemblies of God Church and Owumi Road by Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, among other areas.

During the tour, the council chairman said his administration would intervene through pothole repairs, routine road maintenance, rehabilitation of severely damaged sections and general road facelift works, depending on the condition and priority of each location.

However, residents said the rehabilitation effort should cover a wider area, particularly roads that have also become seriously damaged but were not listed among the inspected locations.

A keke rider, Mr Francis Ejiroghene, said the poor condition of some roads was creating difficulties for commercial transport operators, who depend on the roads daily to earn their livelihood.

Ejiroghene called for urgent repairs, noting that bad roads increase the stress on tricycles and other vehicles while also making movement more difficult for passengers.

Also speaking, Mr Thomas Waire, a resident of Gana, urged the council to pay attention to roads within the area, stressing that improved road infrastructure would make movement easier for residents and support commercial activities.

The residents appealed to the council administration to move from assessment to actual intervention, saying that continued delay could worsen the condition of already damaged roads.

They also urged the chairman to make the rehabilitation programme broad enough to accommodate other badly affected roads across Sapele, including Shell Road and the Okirigbaga–Okirighwre axis.

For residents, the expectation now is that the road inspection and assurances given by the council chairman will be followed by visible rehabilitation works capable of improving movement and easing the burden created by deteriorating roads across Sapele Local Government Area.