In continuation of a fact finding mission on the state of infrastructure in Nigeria, I carried out a tour to the south eastern part of the country through Jos – Makurdi – Enugu – Onitsha expressway.
The intention was to report the real situation on ground to the general public. The Makurdi/Enugu expressway is one of the major roads linking the North and southern part of Nigeria.
The road is about 300 kilometres, and approximately three hours drive under normal circumstances.
The road has been in a bad state for a long time and I can say that it is the worst road in the country at the moment. I have travelled through major highways but this particular road has been neglected. Because of the poor state of the road, commuters cannot afford to speed and this gives robbers the opportunity to attack them. The presence of heavy duty trucks on the road is also making the situation worse.
From Ninth Mile to Obolo, one can hardly drive for 10 -15 minutes without sighting a broken down vehicle. The Obolo to Otukpa road records many accidents while the Otukpa to Otukpo axis is a little bit better. A vehicle can navigate through the potholes and one can drive for 100km/h without much fear and stress. Then from Otukpo to Makurdi which is just about 100 kilometres, is the most deteriorated part of the road.
The federal government should please come to the aid of motorists plying this route by addressing the situation.
Also, we cannot overlook the economic importance of this road. Efforts must be made to fix this road to safeguard lives and property and also boost the economy of people in the area.
Abu Maigoro wrote from Jos, and can be reached at :[email protected]
