Omiete Joseph
Hundreds of residents of Rumuekini Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State took to the street yesterday, protesting alleged variations on the construction of the ongoing ring-road by the state government.
The residents led by the Youth President of the Community, Amadi Jaycey, claimed that the contractors handling the road deviated from the original plans of the road at the Rumuekini section.
THISDAY observed that they marched from the community civic centre to the construction site and blocked the East-West Road, obstructing the traffic flow.
The protesters also ordered the workers on site to leave along with their equipment, an action which highlighted their frustration with the ongoing project.
Speaking at the scene of protest, Jaycey said the community is opposed to the government’s decision to narrow the ring road from four lanes to one lane at the Rumuekini section of the road.
He said: “Instead of bringing it the same four lanes from UTC, they are doing it one lane in Rumuekini. And we do not like it. Stopping the ring road in a sharp corner will cause a lot of accidents in our community.”
He alleged that the construction has caused flooding, with the newly constructed drainage being channeled into the community, adding that water has since entered the community whenever rain falls.
Jaycey claimed that the community had written several letters to the Ministry of Works, but their concerns have been ignored.
“Giving us water from the East-West Road to inside our community without providing where the water will go. How can we live in Rumuekini?
They insisted that the governor should come to the area and settled the problem if the construction would continue.
“If the government does not pay us a visit or no invitation, we will continue the protest. We will block the East-West Road, and there will be no vehicular movement.
“We are demanding that the government intervenes by dualising the road from the junction to Aluu community and providing tarred internal roads. We have more than 100 roads, but none is tarred.”
Speaking also, the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), Augustine Onyewusara said the community has not been neglected in the project, and that their concerns have not been ignored.
Onyewusara confirmed that the community had written to the Ministry of Works, stating that the commissioner of Works is aware of the development.
He also mentioned that the government has concluded plans to start another project to rechannel the water to Choba River, but lamented that the dualisation of the road, which started from UTC to Ogbogoro, Ozuoba down to Rumuosi/Rumuekini flyover and stopped after descending from the Rumuekini flyover, saying it would cause havoc to the people, especially at the sharp corner.
He said: “The government has never neglected the community. There are processes of doing things, if you watch the company, there is nothing the company can do with out the government. As soon as they get approval they will do. There is nothing Julius Berger can do as a company.
“The only thing I can not explain is about the dualisation which the community is also complaining about, dualisation of this road started from UTC to Ogbogoro, Ozuoba down to Rumuosi/Rumuekini flyover, after descending from the flyover about 200 metres they stopped the dualisation. And at the sharp corner, a lot of analysis have been made if this road happens to stop at this point it will cause havoc to the people.”
Meantime, the Commissioner for Work, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, when contacted at press time, confirmed that the state is aware of the compliant, but said everything was under control and that the issue will be addressed.