By Mark Mayah
Motorists plying Enugu/Onitsha, Enugu-Okigwe, and Onitsha-Owerri roads have lamented the deplorable condition of the roads while describing them as a death trap.
The roads are the major federal roads in the South-East but unfortunately are totally in bad shape begging for an urgent government’s attention, especially the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
Daily Topic reports that the all-important road that leads to Awka, the Anambra State capital, from Enugu, Onitsha the commercial nerve centre of the region, and other adjourning communities is near impassable.
Since October 2022 when the government approved the take-over of construction of the road by MTN at the cost of N202.8billion under the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, nothing seems to have changed as progress made so far is visibly slow. Coming from Enugu, the left lane of the Ugwu-Onyeama – 9th Mile axis of the road is still threatening and in horrible shape while the major part of the already constructed right lane is blocked.
No fewer than 20 lives had been lost, many injured with millions of property lost as a result of the deplorable state of the road. It is only by the special grace of God that the road has not witnessed major crashes during this ember month.
The 110km dilapidated road, which the government has continued to fund yearly without completion since 1999, has turned out to be a stop notorious extortion centre for all kinds of security operatives and state government task forces. One thing that stood out is the outrageous number of military, police, and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) checkpoints mounted almost less than a kilometer apart.
A first-time visitor to the South-east through that road will think the region is at war. The road is completely militarised. The militarisation of Southeast Nigeria has become a source of punishment to the people of the zone, although the security agencies will always justify it with the level of insecurity imposed on the people by both state and state actors.
Another group posing a threat to transport safety along that road is the Produce Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of both Enugu and Anambra states. These people are irrational and moronic. Complete touts whose jobs remain extortion of heavy-duty vehicles transporting agricultural goods.
The situation is not different from what is happening along the Enugu – Okigwe – Port-Harcourt road.
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) in a report released in July revealed that N2.8trillion or $3.5billion were estimated to have been extorted from hardworking, self-reliant and lawful citizens of Eastern Nigeria at gunpoint in three years of July 2020 to July 2023 by security agencies.
According to the report, the amount had risen from ‘blue-collar’ corruption and other corrupt practices perpetrated by armed state actors and armed non-state actors cutting across the eleven Eastern Nigerian States of Edo, Delta, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers covering a period of July 2020 to July 2023.
“The whopping N2.8trillion proceeds from a state actor and non-state actor criminal activities had come from police and military roadblocks N670b, Governors’ squandered security votes’ N400billion, extortions by militant Government agencies N700b, police security to VIPs/institutions N30b, military/police house burnings/lootings N150b, ransoms/robberies by armed non-state criminal entities N400b and other crime proceeds from armed non-state criminal entities N200B. Added to the estimated N660 billion police/military roadblock extortions is estimated N200 billion arising from ‘police custodial extortions (.i.e. ‘bail fees’ and ‘cash mobilization’ for arrests, investigations, and court arraignments).
“Estimated sum of N60billion was also linked to gunpoint seizure and conversion of “crime proceeds” by various police crack squads across the eleven Eastern States (.i.e. gunpoint money transfers and cash seizure and conversion of the seized automobiles, motorcycles, and other expensive personal belongings) especially those seized from the slain and the arrested citizens undergoing criminal investigations. The totality of the above is to say that criminal monies have taken over security and governance duties in Eastern Nigeria.”
So, as the world celebrates yuletide, the movement of people, goods, and services on roads in Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu Port-Harcourt, Onitsha – Owerri roads has increased. So will the audacity of the extortionists in line with the mood of the season.
Security men in uniforms in the full glare of the public have displayed an unreasonable level of avarice by compulsorily collecting bribes from both public and private vehicle drivers. The worst aspect of the corrupt tendency is that it has become a norm. Every driver understood the culture and no one dared not give up. Drivers are already prepared with cash to give out as refusal attracts unnecessary delay, punishment, or arrest which they abhor. Most often when you protest you are labeled an irredentist member of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or Eastern Security Network ESN. With that label anything done to you is justified.
Speaking with Daily Topic, a business mogul, Chief Ben Chuka said that the enormity of security challenges in the Southeast is quite understandable.
“We appreciate the presence of checkpoints and the security personnel on the routes, however, the crux remains turning the checkpoints into a punishment and embarrassing money-making venture. The mode of operation of security personnel on eastern roads should not be different from what is obtainable elsewhere in Nigeria.
“Although, no security situation is handled the same, illegal activities of those checkpoints which have metamorphosed into shameless extortionist conduit pipes must be curtailed,” he advised the authorities.
Conscious of the grave consequences of their actions as they flagrantly violate their own internal rules of engagement, Daily Topic reports that almost all the checkpoints enlist the services of civilian youths who now collect the cash from drivers on their behalf.
