Rumuokparani, Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State – Youths in Rumuokparani community has staged a protest over the deplorable condition of their roads, attributing the damage to heavy-duty trucks and tipper operations by companies operating in the area.
The demonstration, held along major community routes, saw protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Federal Government Should Come to Our Rescue,” “Tipper Drivers Stop Operation Until Road is Fixed,” and “We Want Our Roads Repaired.”
The Former Secretary of the Rumuokparani Youth Movement (RYM), Moses Omah, lamented that three major roads connecting the community had been abandoned. According to him, the route from Rumuokpachi was left unattended after being used for the ongoing state ring-road project, while the Rumualogu road was blocked due to sand-filling activities. He added that traffic, including heavy-duty vehicles, has now been diverted to the Ozuoba axis, which has become impassable.
“Our major aim is that the different companies should come together and repair the road, so that the development we have been enjoying as a people will continue,” Omah said.
Also speaking the former Youth Leader Kelvin Chinedu Chinda and ex-Obio/Akpor Ward 15 Councilor Linda Wali decried the hardship faced by residents. They stressed that the road had deteriorated to the point that even pedestrians and workers could no longer pass.
“The whole community has come out to appeal to the companies and the state government to assist us. It’s really bad to the point that we cannot move about, the tippers have damaged all our roads,” Wali said.
Residents accuse tipper drivers and sand operators of worsening the already fragile road network. An anonymous protester explained that during rainfall, the roads becomes nearly impassable for smaller vehicles, leaving community members stranded.
The protesters are demanding that companies operating in the area should hold a roundtable discussion with community leaders and the Ministry of Works to agree on repairs.
