From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The people of Dimneze community in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State are at the mercy of nature as they continue to live without any accessible road to their homes, markets, schools and other places.

The major roads, Isinweke, Lowa, Onicha Uboma-Imo River, which connect the community to its neighbours and also serve as links to other states are in a terrible condition, as indigenes continue to lament.

There have been efforts by the members of the communities to make sure the roads are passable for pedestrians and motorists but their efforts have yielded only temporary relief, especially in the dry season.

The 16.7 kilometre major road is a nightmare during the rainy season, as economic and social activities for these agrarian communities are shut down.

A traditional ruler from Onicha Uboma community, Eze Abel Osuji, told our correspondent that the suffering of his people within this period could be likened to the suffering of Job in the Bible. He said he could not count how many times he was messed up and embarrassed in the flooded and muddy road because using his vehicle was no longer a good option.

“The only manageable means is by motorcycle, I have long abandoned my vehicle. I pass the road with motorbikes and not that it will take you smoothly to your destination; you have to stop at very bad spots and trek through the muddy water, that’s how bad it is,” he said.

Osuji also lamented that most agricultural produce from their area ready for export have all spoilt because of the bad roads.

“We are the food basket of Imo State. All that we have produced last season and this season have become a waste. We cannot transport them outside our community due to the bad condition of the road,” he lamented.

Another indigene of the area, Mr. Thomas Elendu, the village head of Umueze, gave an account of how the road has affected his people. He said: “My people can no longer cross to the neighbouring communities to trade with them because of that road.

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“In fact, we are living in bondage. For us to go to Owerri town, we have to pass through that road and, if you don’t have good transport money, you cannot go. You have to remove your shoes and trek a while  before getting a motorcycle.”

Also, Chidiebere Obiajunwa, the youth president of the community, told our correspondent that the youths of the area have embarked on self-help to ameliorate the terrible condition of the road, all to no avail.

“As the youth president, we gather the youths on many occasions to dig or pour some sand on the road to make it motorable but once it rains, all our efforts are washed away by the rain,” Obiajunwa said.

As it stands, members of the communities affected are only clinging on to the state government and the Federal Government to come to their rescue, particularly the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who are the sponsors of the road contract awarded to a company in 2012.

According to one of the village heads, Elendu, the specification of the project is supposed to be a 16.7km asphalt road, with six culverts and four bridges to cross their river. The road is also expected to serve as a link for Imo, Abia and Enugu states.

Even though N5.2 billion has allegedly been paid for commencement of the project, Elendu said, only about 20 per cent of the effort can be noticed on the road, which is the gutter dug initially by the roadside, which has, unfortunately, been covered up by flood.

It was gathered that, although the community has made several efforts to get the contractors back to work, including writing a petition to NDDC for the the contractors involved to return to site, the effects of a petition written since 2019 are yet to be felt as the contractors would not budge.

The petition read in part: “It is very sad and regrettable to state herein that the construction firm refused and neglected to execute the project to any reasonable point without any explanation whatsoever to us.

” To put the facts straight, it is on record that the construction firm merely dug gutters along the road and disappeared into thin air.”