By Steve Oko

Commuters and motorists plying the nightmarish Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway may soon heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Government had hinted of plans to fix the dual carriage highway.

Commissioner for Information, Abia State, Prince Okey Kanu who disclosed this during a press briefing in Umuahia, said that the Minister for Works, Senator David Umahi, gave the assurance during his recent visit to the state.

According to him, palliative work will begin on the highway in the next 14 days.

The Commissioner who decried the deplorable condition of the road, said efforts were on to make it passable pending the full rehabilitation work on it.

Recall that when former President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to contest for a second term in office in 2015, he hurriedly flagged off the Aba-Port Harcourt session of the Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway which has remained a nightmare for decades.

But regrettably, the project could not commence before his defeat at the poll leading to the complete abandonment of the project as the contractor disappeared.

Few months after taking over, the then President Muhammadu Buhari, ordered contractors handling federal projects back to site or face the anti-graft agencies.

Resultantly, work resumed in the Enugu- Okigwe -Umuahia end of the dual carriage highway which had almost also collapsed.

It took the end of Buhari’s second term in office for work to crawl up to Osisioma/ Aba end of the expressway where rehabilitation work so far ended.

From about a kilometer after Osisioma ‘flyover’ down to Obigbo, the border community with Rivers State, the dual carriage way is almost impassable.

Despite public outcry and the plights of motorists and commuters plying the expressway, it has been completely abandoned.

Passing through the highway now is akin to going through the valley of death.

Some of the horrible spots on the road include Enyimba Filling Station junction, Uratta junction , Alaoji, Obehie junction.

Our Correspondent enroute Obehie, passed through the highway with agonising experience.

One lane has completely failed while the remaining lane is replete with dangerous gullies in the middle of the road.

It is a tale of woes for those trying to access various towns between Aba and Obehie due to the deplorable condition of the expressway.

The entire Ukwa land which is the only oil-producing area of Abia State is almost cut off from the rest of the state as the highway has almost become impassable.

Few tricycles which ply the route do so at a very exorbitant fares

A drop from Alaoji to Obehie that hitherto cost N200, now costs N600; while Olaoji to Osisioma that was before now charged N200 goes for N500 according to Vanguard findings.

Most motorists going to Port Harcourt from Aba prefer passing through Imo State to to avoid being stranded on the highway.

A trip from Aba to Obigbo in Rivers State via the highway reveals the agony of motorists and commuters in South East who have been abandoned to their fate.