Enugu/Onitsha Expressway is one major federal road in the south eastern Nigeria begging for urgent government attention. That road is totally in a bad shape. It is an understatement to say that the road is completely dilapidated. In an ideal situation, an all important road which leads to Awka, the state capital of Anambra from Enugu, Onitsha the commercial nerve centre of the region and other adjourning communities deserves to be totally asphalted. Untill 2022, government has not shown any reasonable courage to construct a new one or carry out major repairs of the road. It is a death trap always elevated to political point during electioneering campaigns. In fact, a state of emergency should be declared on the road by government. Since October, 2022 when government approved the take-over of construction of the road by MTN at the cost of N202.8bn under the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, nothing seems to have significantly changed as progress made so far is visibly slow. Coming from Enugu, the left lane of the Ugwu-Onyeama-9th Mile axis of the road is still threatening and in a horrible shape while major part of the already constructed right lane is blocked. It is surprising why the contractor chose to block the completed lane while heavy duty trucks, buses and cars struggle for space in one lane just a few inches away from the deep valley. Plying the road especially along Ugwu Onyeama is akin to passing through the biblical valley of the shadow of death. It is only by the special grace of God that the road has not witnessed major crashes recently.
The 110km dilapidated road which government has continued to fund yearly without completion since 1999, has turned out to be one stop notorious extortion centre for all kinds of security operatives and state government task forces. One thing that stood out is the outrageous number of military, police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) check points mounted almost less than a kilometre apart. A first time visitor to the South East through that road will think the region is at war. The road is completely militarised. The militarisation of south east Nigeria has become a source of worry, concern and punishment to the people of that region.
Another group posing threat to transport safety along that road is the Produce Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of both Enugu and Anambra States. These people are the most irrational and moronic. Complete touts whose jobs remain extortion of heavy duty vehicles transporting agricultural good. What could one say is the rationale behind blocking a moving truck supposedly carrying agricultural produce with a big log of wood in the name of enforcement? Why chase after trucks which refused to stop with sticks and dangerous weapons? Why engage in fighting? These touts can delay other vehicles behind a truck they are dealing with for close to quarter or half an hour without minding. As the yuletide approaches, movement of people, goods and services on that road will increase. So also will the audacity of the extortionists in line with the mood of the season.
Security men in uniforms in the full glare of the public have displayed unreasonable level of avarice by compulsorily collecting bribes from both public and private vehicle drivers. The worst aspect of the corrupt tendency is that it has become a norm. Every driver understood the culture and no one dares not give. In fact, drivers are already prepared with cash to give out as refusal attracts unnecessary delay, punishment or arrest which they abhor. The enormity of security challenges in the south east is quite understandable. Many well meaning Nigerians are aware that criminal elements and some daring non-state actors in the region have taken over some ungovernable spaces.
Therefore one could easily appreciate the presence of check points and the security personnel on that stretch of the road. However, the crux remains turning the check points into a punishment and embarrassing money making venture. The mode of operation of security personnel on eastern roads should not be different from what is obtainable elsewhere in Nigeria. Although, experts will posit that no security situation is handled the same, illegal activities of those check points which have metamorphosed into shameless extortionist conduit pipes must be curtailed.
Conscious of the grave consequences of their actions as they flagrantly violate their own internal rules of engagement, almost if not all these check points enlist the services of civilian youths who now collect the cash from drivers on their behalf. Some of these youths pretend to be hawkers of edible goods around the checkpoints while others are full-time employees of the checkpoints. A good number of these “Checkpoint Employees Association” are known community and societal nuisances who understood the enormous energy and power within the environment sustaining their crime, thus, they confidently carry out their nefarious acts without giving a hoot.
From the poor understanding of the rogue and extortionist security agencies, utilising civilians as bribe collectors from the public is a smart move to extricate themselves from any allegation or punishment that may arise if caught red handed in the act. The extorted general public is simply complying, hopeless, watching like a ram taken to the slaughter slab without any idea of how to address this menace.
This unprofessional conduct exhibited by men of the security agencies is certainly sanctioned by unit commanders of those checkpoints who are the major beneficiaries. If not; this culture of impunity will not thrive. It is possible someone above is also benefitting from this corrupt practice and punishment meted out to the people of south east. Is it not a shame that revered institutions like the security agencies have turned out cheap and extortionist corrupt outlets? The numbers of those unwanted and unwarranted check points have adversely affected movement of goods and services. Time, energy, and resources also being wasted to satisfy the corrupt appetite of these security men are enormous. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dauda Ali Biu, Commissioners of Agriculture in both Anambra and Enugu states are by this medium called upon to institute an investigation of their men in this road and specifically intervene to end without delay this ugly trend. The National Assembly should also ask questions why that road continued to feature in the budget year in year out without execution until 2022 when government had an arrangement with MTN to take over.
By Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Development Communication Specialist
