From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Many commuters and motorists were stranded, yesterday, when a truck, laden with crates of beer fell and blocked the Awka-Onitsha Expressway, at Umunya axis of the road.
The federal road has been in deplorable condition for a long time, and has been a nightmare for motorists and commuters especially when it rains.
The accident caused commotion on the road as motorists travelling from Awka to Onitsha and beyond searched for alternative routes.
Youths also seized the opportunity to make brisk business out of the misery situation of motorists and constructed a makeshift road through the village.
They collected between N100 and N200 per motorist who used the link road.
A commercial bus driver, Mr. John Ozobi told Daily Sun that the lorry fell and blocked the better part of the lane of the road and left motorists stranded for hours before the youths of the community came up with the makeshift road.
“Some drivers had stayed here for hours. There was no road to continue or go back, but, the action of the youths of the community helped a lot even though they collected N100 from this end and collected N50 or more at the other end. It is better than to stay here because nobody knows when the truck will be removed from the road.
“We have been suffering on this road for years and now, it seems the federal government has abandoned the road. We suffer during the rainy and dry seasons on this road.
“This road has claimed many lives. The road is a gateway to South-South and South-West part of the country but it is being neglected.
“There is another alternative route at Nteje to Umunya which is also a death trap, it is only old Awka road to Onitsha but very busy and causes serious gridlocks. We are appealing to the federal government to rehabilitate the road to save lives” said Ozobi.