Residents knock Delta LG boss over deplorable road

Residents in Asaba, the Delta State capital, have berated the Oshimili South Local Government Chairman, Dr Kelvin Ezeyinli, over the deplorable council road.

When PUNCH Metro visited the area on Monday, he observed that the Onuorah Chukwurah Drive off DLA Road is less than a kilometre road leading to the council headquarters.

The road which has been in a sorry state over the years, never received attention either from local or state government as flood entered residents’ houses whenever it rained.

A resident of the area, Mr Emenike Okolo, told our correspondent that for over 16 years, the road had remained deplorable despite its entrance leading to the council’s secretariat.
He said, “Over 16 years, this road has remained deplorable without attention from local or state government.

“Just a small road from off DLA to council secretariat, each LG chairman comes and goes over the years without repair. Sometimes, they heap sand on the road, maybe it is individuals who are doing it, but when it rains, it will wash it away.

“Flood is entering some houses, it is very bad that the entrance to the local government secretariat has been deplorable over the years without the LG boss fixing it. If it rains, most of us can’t access our houses for some days.
“Last week, the Chairman of Ika South Local Government Area, Jerry Ehiwarior, launched the construction of the community road. Ezeyinli should do the same.”

He asked what the LG chairman was waiting for to fix a small road since he came on board.
“He has entered the seat for the next three years again. Is it to be sharing money to the leaders in the council in the name of servicing them?

Another resident, Mrs Carolina Omengi, knocked the council chairman for his inability to fix the less than a kilometre entrance to his office for the past four years in office.

“The chairman, Ezeyinli, finished his first tenure of three years. Now, he is starting his second tenure, he never gives attention to this small road especially now that the local government is receiving a huge amount of money from the Federal Government.

“They are passing the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway; that’s the other gate to access the secretariat and abandon this road. But now, the expressway is also deplorable, I will know whether they will fly to enter the council secretariat” she asserted.

Also, a tricycle operator, identified as Mr Andrew, decried the road as a nightmare, saying that they hardly dropped passengers at the council gate.
“We don’t usually drop passengers especially, the council staff at the gate because of the bad road. So, we drop them by DLA and they walk to the gate. It’s a short road, so I don’t know why the government turned a blind eye even the chairman of the LG,” he said.

They called on the LG chairman to as a matter of urgency fix the road and wake up to his responsibility for the betterment of residents.

When PUNCH Metro contacted the council chairman, Ezeyinli, on Monday, calls and messages to his phone were not responded to as of the time of filling this report.