2027: Shift attention to rehabilitation of roads, PDP Chieftain – Engr Ijebor, urges FG

• Says Nigerians needs rural roads

By David Odama

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party, and a front line politician, Engr Anselm Ijebor has called on the federal government to shift it’s attention from the present roads construction and infrastructure development policy.

Engr Ijebor also urged the governments to prioritise the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing roads to ease problems of rural roads network being experienced in most parts of the country.

According to Ijebor, the poor conditions of intra and inter road network was imposing huge economic costs on Nigerians through prolonged journeys, wasted fuel, damaged vehicles and delays in the movement of goods and people.

The PDP Chieftain, who made the call in Abuja, decried the huge financial investment in the transportation of goods and services as a result of neglect of road infrastructure over the years.

“The negative and the most worrisome thing facing Nigerians is that most inter state roads required urgent attention adding that once road infrastructure were good, insecurity would reduce, evacuation of goods and services would be enchanted and economic development would thrive.

“Construction of the present coastal highway is a long term project which requires a long term plan”, Ijebor stated.

“The experience of a traveller who spent more than two days on the road from Abuja to Onitsha, Kogi to Agbor, Benin amongst others is an illustration of the wider economic consequences of Nigeria’s deteriorating infrastructure”.

Ijebor, lamented that a journey that should ordinarily take not more than eight hours had stretched to almost two days because of the condition of the road.

The Chieftain of the major opposition People’s Democratic party, appealed to the federal government through the Minister of works, Dave Umahi to consider rehabilitation of roads network as a matter of urgency stressing that poor infrastructure was directly affects productivity, business operations and household incomes.

“Nigerians do not need much of the new projects, ” We need are functional roads that make life and economic activity possible,”

According to the astute politician, the federal government should place greater emphasis on reconstruction and regular maintenance of existing infrastructure, adding that the value of an infrastructure project should ultimately be determined by the number of lives and livelihoods it improves.

While appealing for restrain from the political gladiators following the commencement of the presidential and National Assembly campaigns, Ijebor stressed the imperative need for Nigerians to ensure that Nigerians with track records were elected.

” Peter Obi has paid his price for this country in such a manner that making a complimentary comments or addressing him in a borrowed rops has to be stopped.

Obi’s track records are there for all Nigerians to see and judge. Nigerians need leaders like Peter Obi to grow and make a positive impact on people”, Anselm Ijebor declared