Youths protest at Ikpoba hill, Edo state, on bad roads yields dividend

The protest by youths of Ikpoba Hill in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state as a result of the deplorable situation of the road which started Tuesday last week may have started attracting government attention as the trucks of hard core the government was said to have promised the protesting youths have started arriving.

The protesting youths have started dismantling the barricades to pave the way for the remedial work expected to be done on the road for which catapillers have been deployed several days before now.

According to the Chairman of Ikpoba Hill Youths Forum, Comrade Kingsley Osemwigie, who spoke with the Champion Newspaper correspondent said that the expected palliative measure they have been clamouring for has begun with the deployment of several trucks of hard core by the Edo state government.

According to him,” his Excellency has really shown that he is a leader with a listening ear and we appreciate his response and we urge him to continue to be a listening leader because he has shown by the deployment of repair materials to fix the failed portions of the federal road and that shows he has his people at heart.

“I appreciate our amiable governor for his concern for the suffering people of Ikpoba Hill who have suffered so much because of the deplorable condition of the road which has made life very unbearable. I also want to appreciate our indefatigable leader, the Secretary to the State government, Barr Osarodion Ogie for his understanding in this matter.

” As you can see, we are gradually dismantling the barricades to pave way for the trailers to go so as to free up the place so that the remedial work on the failed portions can start in earnest. Actually, I will like to inform you that the repair work has started since yesterday and I am waiting for the engineer this morning so that they can continue with the work and I would like to inform everyone that I am so delighted because this is what we have always wanted, for the road to be repaired so that it can be in motorable condition for the use of all.

” Our right to have our governor listen to us has been given and we are so delighted and we appreciate our governor for his understanding in this matter because he deployed

20 trucks of hard core yesterday with a construction engineer to site where repair work are required and our Ikpoba Hill Youths are elated by the development and are fully on ground working with the repair team.

“We are also expecting the federal government to reciprocate this gesture by coming to complement the Edo state government efforts to fix the bad road.

” As long as the Edo state government has responded to our only request which is to help us fix the road, we have also responded by dismantling the barricades so as to allow the trucks to go so as to free up the space to allow the repair work to continue in earnest”.

A long queue of trailers starting from around Guiness in Ramat park axis up to Okhuaihe could be seen moving slowly on both sides of the road with a bid to gradually move out of what seems like detention since last Tuesday.