CHIDI ASONYE in Aba, Abia State, writes that as auto crashes and death toll resulting from such accidents along the Ubakala axis of the Enugu –Aba expressway continue to rise astronomically, concerned citizens have cried out over the continued blocking of one lane of the dual carriageway by refuse dumps close to a year now.
Recall that in a recent multiple crash involving four vehicles on the
only lane used by motorists, four lives were lost while several others were seriously injured.
Road users have remained doubtful on why the refuse dump that seriously encroached on the road has been allowed to remain even as an eyesore to the general public.
The recent crash involved a Toyota Hilux van with registration number
CG 539RSH, a Peugeot J5 bus with registration No XA 874 AKW, and a
Mercedes Benz tipper with registration No EGG555 YG, and a commercial
bus which had been towed out of the scene before the arrival of our
correspondent.
In a chat with the Authority one of the injured victims at the hospital, indentified as Abdulhamid Abubakar alleged that over speeding on the side of the driver of the Hilux van along the only lane used by motorists led to the multiple auto crash.
The victim who disclosed that they were coming from Lafia, Nasarawa State on a J5 bus to market their fruits, stated that the “accident happened when the vehicle in front of our bus applied brake with force, as it was trying to dodge an oncoming Hilux van that was about to overtake a Tipper in front of it.“
According to him, the bus in front suddenly lost control and skidded off the road while the J5 bus rammed into it and instantly somersaulted, and later caught fire.
Passersby who witnessed the accident confirmed that the axis near the dump site located by the Abia State government along the expressway has remained a boiling point ever since the other lane was closed to motorists even as they expressed dismay over the less concern attitude by the relevant government agency leveled with the responsibility of managing the dump.
“This area has remained a death point, having recorded many crashes over the last one year. In fact more than fifty lives have been lost in this portion of the expressway. What baffles most of us is why the state government has remained adamant in relocating the refuse dump site” Mr. Chibuike Lekwa had told the Authority.
Our investigations reveal that the inability of the Environmental Protection Agency to effectively manage the refuse dump also stalled the road project by the Arab Contractors handling that portion of the expressway between Umuahia and Aba.
The contracting firm had to tactfully avoid the portion measuring close to three hundred metres because of increasing and unchecked incursion of refuse into the dual carriageway, thereby forcing motorists to use only one lane between Ubakala in Umuahia South council area and Ntigha in Isialangwa North council area of Abia State.
Concerned citizens are expressing worry over what will become of road users along that portion of the expressway during the rush hours of the forthcoming yuletide in few days time as it is evident that neither the Umuahia South council area nor ASEPA has solution over the dump site which has taken the lives of many citizens whose crime was plying that portion of the road.