Motorists, Residents in tears over deplorable Textile Mill road in Benin
Nosa Akenzua, Benin
Motorists and residents of textile mill road in Benin City, Edo state are currently in tears over the deplorable state of the road even at the present dry season.
While six houses have been submerged in deadly flood water along the road, the situation may be resulted in the abandonment of the road if urgent steps are not taken by Obaseki APC led administration to fix the road.
Although, blames have in the recent times been traded by All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state over the abysmal neglect of the road, but sources said that the seemingly abandoned road had remained the handiwork of the former Governor Adams Oshiomhole who for alleged hatred for one Tess Soare popular known as Tomline a strong member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly campaigning against him during his first tenure elections in the state.
A source who didn’t want his name in print said “Oshiomhole was visibly angry with Tomline for allegedly supporting PDP then, and being a civil engineer who could not do something on the road where he earn a living, infact he Oshiomhole deliberately said he will not do the road while others were rehabilitated across the state. Textile mill road is now a death traps and completely abandoned by motorists Residents even though motorists try to help people, they charge heavily and make lives unbearable for us because of the fare increased, it’s really a bad situation for us here in Textile mill road.”
Unconfirmed Sources said Tomline, a civil engineering firm allegedly moved against Oshiomhole for what he described “a talker who cannot rescue the people” and on his victory, he Oshiomhole specifically vowed to punish Tomeline for his alleged unguided statement as the road was neither awarded for rehabilitation nor for repairs even in the face of massive protest by residents of the area whose lives were in dangers of the deplorable state of the road, especially during the rainy season and whenever it rains.
Investigation revealed that dangerous potholes apart from the gutters already covered by over grown weeds have continued to litter the road which in the 70s was one of the best roads constructed by late Dr Samuel Ogbemudia as then Military Governor of the then Midwestern state.
During nigh fall, unsuspecting motorists often fall into the deep potholes and in the event, have their vehicles heavily damaged and if lucky sustained severe injuries as the road has no immediate solution in sight even when the residents claimed to have written several appeal letters to Governor Godwin Obaseki to come to their aid.
Further investigation revealed that the experience of the motorists have been horrible especially within the popular Saint Mary Hospital and before Ogidida Market where reptiles and frightening frogs frequently pose serious threats to them worse hit during the rainfall.
Virtually the long stretch of the road has been damaged as it has also heavily been silted and taken over by debris thereby adding to the difficulties motorists past through on the road as some of the structures in the area including filling stations had been blocked with the natural waterways thereby Compounding the problem of the road.
Further investigation revealed that manual labourers are currently making fortunes from the deplorable state of the road as they collect tolls from motorists and residents who struggle to pass to their various houses in tears and regrets between N100 and N200 on daily basis after allegedly smoking India hemps and soaked in alcohol during their charitable exercises.
Some of the residents, one of them who spoke to our reporter, Mr Richard Ihama said” textile mill road is now abandoned and no hope in sight that it will be repaired, we are suffering on this road and nobody is safe as houses have been destroyed and submerged with no hope instead of doing the road, they are packing sand into the gutters that will now cover everything on the road, reptiles and snakes have taken everywhere and during rainfall the road will completely been covered with water that is very deep and we are appealing to Governor Godwin Obaseki to help us because we cannot access our houses again.”
Before SMO AkA Joucntion, the deplorable state of the road portends hell for the motorists who have either lost their tyres or some parts of their vehicles to the situation of the road. But the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr Crusoe Osagie in a swift reaction said the road has been awarded for construction by the state government, adding that the contractors were waiting for the dry season before commencement of the road works and appealed to the Motorists and residents of the area to be patient as they shall soon be relieved of the deplorable burden of the road.
