A chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Dr Paul Bebenimibo, has urged the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently address infrastructure challenges, including dilapidated federal roads in the state.
Dr Bebenimibo, a former Commission of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, tasked Oborevwori to borrow a leaf from former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who built 12 bridges in two years.
He expressed displeasure at the deplorable state of roads in the state, especially the Eke-Obiaruku-Agbor road, which connects some eight local government areas in the state.
Dr. PE Bebenimibo urge Oberevwori to fix federal roads in citizens’ interest
The DELSU lecturer particularly lamented the state of the 70-kilometre strategic Sapele, Eku, Abraka, Ubiaruku, Abavo, Agbor road, stating that he had made several attempts to draw the attention of the governor to the road.
He said, “I know that the road is a federal road, which the Federal Government has purportedly worked on in the last 12 years or more. However, the road is in the middle of Delta State, cutting across eight local government areas, including your backyard, Okpe LGA”.
Bebenimibo, a prominent Niger Delta activist, noted that Governor Oberevwori used the road before he became governor, hinting that he should not hide under the guise of ‘Federal Road’ to neglect it.
“If truth be told, the deplorable condition of the road is a major contributor to the high cost of agricultural products in Delta and other parts of the country.”
He urged the governor to emulate other governors, including Ogun State’s Dapo Abiodun, who recently took over the reconstruction of the 70-km Lagos-Abeokuta road.
“If you can construct a flyover on a federal road in Warri and Effurun, there is no reason why you should not reconstruct the critical road for Delta, including yourself.”
“It is time to approach President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow you to work on the road. “
“I respectfully remind you that former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of FCT, constructed 12 flyovers on federal roads in Rivers State to ease traffic in the Southsouth state,” Bebenimibo added.
