Edo residents block East-West road in protest

By BISI OLANIYI

Thousands of residents of Edo State and other road users on Thursday protested the deplorable nature of the strategic East-West Road, which they barricaded by the link to Benin Bypass on the Sapele-Warri axis.

The blockade led to gridlock, forcing motorists to take longer alternative routes, which are also bad and very dangerous, given the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and other criminals.

One of the protesters, Daniel Omorogbe, who is the Chairman of Sapele Road/By-pass axis of East-West road, expressed disappointment over the abandonment of the ever-busy expressway by Edo state and federal governments.

He noted that the Godwin Obaseki administration ought to have effected the repairs of the federal road and ask for reimbursement from the federal government, as being done by other states of Nigeria.

East-West road begins from Oron in Akwa Ibom State, passing through Ogoniland in RiversState, then linking Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun states, terminating in Lagos.

Omorogbe said: “We have written many petitions to Edo State and Federal Governments on the need to urgently repair the major East-West road, without any positive response.

“Some of our children can no longer go to school. Our cars are bad. We are finding it difficult to use the road, which connects the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta region to the rest of the country.” (The Nation)