Okene-Lokoja highway: Mixed feelings as Community witness worst traffic congestion ever

By Ismail M. Kabir

There are mixed feelings from various quarters as Ebira people experience the worst traffic congestion on the highways running through Okene and Adavi local government areas of the towns.

The heavy traffic jam that started since the early hours of Friday 10th October has escalated to what is now considered the worst traffic Jam on Ebira roads.

The sorry state of the roads especially between Nagazi and FCE Okene is largely blamed for the traffic.

While hundreds of travelers are stranded on the stretching traffic, Okada riders and traffic hawkers are making quick money.

Cost of fast foods, related wares and transport fares have skyrocketed.

A commercial motorcycle rider who rode me from the popular Total filling station junction in Okene to Kaba junction in Adavi LGA charged N300, 100 percent hike above the normal N150 charge.

The unbearable gridlock has ushered windfall for the Okada men who are exploiting passengers who throw caution to the winds in their bid to maximise the opportunities provided by the hold up.

Earlier in the morning, a woman heading for a church service was crushed to death around the Okuchi area of Adavi LGA when the motorbike conveying her wrongly overtook a heavy laden Dangote Cement truck.

The cause of the accident was not immediately ascertained as none of the eye witness was willing to speak with newsmen. The accident further worsen the traffic and grounding it to standstill until soldiers and men of the Road safety corps came to the rescue.

At about sunset, the traffic has out-stretched beyond Ebira towns towards Check point (Esomi area) on Okene-Auchi highway, to Abobo area on Okene-Lokoja highway, to Obehira area of Okene-Lagos road and heavily congested the Okene-Eika township roads.

Hundreds of travelers are left with little choice as the traffic wardens have closed from the exhaustive job to retire for the day.

On the long traffic are hundreds of Dangote cement trucks, trucks conveying newly acquired locomotives for the ongoing light rail projects, trucks conveying cattle, trucks bearing new cars and hundreds of commercial buses and cabs all stranded on the unprecedented gridlock.

The adverse effect of the regrettable lockdown has triggered disaffection for Kogi state government, FERMA and proprietors of fuel stations within the community for their careless attitude to water drainages.

EbiraView is closely monitoring the situation for regular update to our readers and relevant authorities.