Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has urged the federal government to focus on completing old projects scattered across the country rather than launching new ones.
Obi made the call on Saturday while recounting his ordeal after he returned from Kogi State, a journey he said was by road.
He had made a similar call when the federal government awarded the Lagos-Calabar highway, arguing it would not only drain the resources needed in some critical areas but add to a list of abandoned projects across the country as it may not be completed.
True to the former Anambra State Governor, the Lagos-Calabar highway has been stopped after the release of funds despite the federal government saying no government fund would be invested in the project.
Obi said his experience points to the urgent need to face the sorry state of the roads across the country as they are impassable.
He said “On Tuesday the 15th, my journey from Onitsha in Anambra State to Anyigba in Kogi State by road once again underscored my consistent appeal for all tiers of government to prioritise the repair and completion of existing road infrastructure, rather than launching new projects that may not be completed anytime soon, further adding to the growing list of abandoned projects scattered all over the country.
“The journey, which should normally take around three and a half hours, took us over seven hours. The route through Obollo Afor, Otukpa Branch, Ejule, and Anyigba was exhausting.
“On the return trip, we took an alternate route via Ogugu and Enugu-Ezike, departing Kogi State around 2:00 p.m. and not arriving back until about 9:00 p.m. – all for a meeting that lasted just 30 minutes.”
He added that the experience is consistent with what he had experienced across the country whenever travelling by road.
He reminisced that in the first quarter, “I had to travel from Calabar to Uyo, a trip that should take about an hour, but it ended up taking four hours.
“I travelled from Port Harcourt to Bayelsa, thinking I would use the East-West Road to Warri, but it became a treacherous journey. Warri to Benin was a similar experience.
“In August, I travelled from Abuja to Kaduna, where I spent over two hours on the Kaduna bypass alone.
“The Onitsha to Benin route was no different,” he said.
He also bemoaned the Benin-Auchi road saying his recent trip through the road “was excruciating, and one cannot help but wonder.”
He emphasised that “I know these things cannot be fixed overnight, but my appeal is that there should be total commitment to alleviating the suffering of the Nigerian travelling public, rather than launching new projects.
“The resources should be directed toward improving the existing roads and easing the burden on commuters,” Obi said.