By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Irate Ohaji/Egbema youths left several travellers stranded on Tuesday, when they embarked on a protest along the Owerri- Port Harcourt Road, over the deplorable state of Avu – Obosima Umunwaku road, Ada-palm- Etekwuru Road in Ohaji -Egbema Local Government Areas of Imo State.

As a result, many commuters and motorists were trapped for hours as the protesting youths blocked the highway for several hours against the deplorable condition of roads in the area,

The youths displayed placards of various inscriptions which read: ”SOS Avu – Obosima Umunwaku road, Ada-palm- Etekwuru road in Ohaji -Egbema Gov Hope Uzodinma, Attention: Avu – Obosima Umunwaku road, Ada-palm- Etekwuru road in Ohaji -Egbema has become dead zone and others,

The protesters who expressed anger, therefore, called for urgent intervention from relevant authorities.

The spokesperson for the protesters, Emmanuel Ugorji said, “the suffering is so much that our people are very much aggrieved right now. The thought of another rainy season this year without any form of work on the Avu- Adapalm road is making them enraged in so much anger induced by their experiences on the road. You will agree with us that “restiveness and agitation is always as a result of neglected plights/interest of a people

He said, “we have written a series of letters in the past informing the state government that Avu, Obosima, Umunwaku, Ohoba autonomous communities have been going through due to the deplorable condition of the Avu-Adapalm road.

“We have lost lives and we are losing work hours on a daily basis along Avu – Obosima Umunwaku road, Ada-palm- Etekwuru roads. The cost of car repair is much; transport fare is also on the rise; it has also increased the cost of goods as market women now add the cost of transporting goods to the cost of selling.

“We want the state government to fix these state roads and we have given him a list of roads we want him to fix. Our message is very clear: ”

Goodluck Nana Opiah, Commissioner for Petroleum Resources who is also from the Local Government, was on ground to appeal on behalf of the State government, he was, however, booed, as the angry youths refused to give him an audience.