Thousands of Nigerians travelling enroute Sapele-Warri federal highway have been left stranded following the poor state of the road.
correspondent trapped on the road has spent over three hours on a spot as at the time of filing this report. This reporter witnessed hundreds of vehicles stranded.
Majority of the vehicles are fuels tankers, trucks and commercial vehicles transporting passengers to Port-Harcourt, Bayelsa, Owerri, Onitsha and Enugu.
A tricycle rider conveying passengers trapped at Elume junction in Sapele Local Government Area told our correspondent that the road has been blocked for over five days following heavy rainfall.
“This thing don be like this for the past five days. People dey sleep there and them dey wake up for one spot,” he said in pidgin.
witnessed commuters fixing the road themselves. A passenger who slept on the road overnight narrated his ordeal to this newspaper.
“I have spent over 10 hours on this same spot. Shame on our government. People have been using bike to convey them to Sapele and Warri for them to continue their journey but I can’t leave my car and children here. The road is a federal road which has caused major problem.”
Another stranded traveller told that she already missed the programme she is going for in Port-Harcourt.
“There’s nothing to do than to return to Edo where I’m coming from. I already missed the programme I wanted to go and attend”, she said bitterly.
Commercial motorcyclists have taken advantage of the situation and are extorting stranded passengers. Our correspondent also witnessed different families who spread mats beside the road. Others have also turned the road to business avenue where all kinds of consumables are sold.
This is coming days after Nigerians knocked the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, over the comments that Nigerian roads are not as bad as reported by media. Efforts by to reach out to his office were not successful at the time of this report as the ministry’s known telephone number was not connecting.