Police, FRSC and Worsening Traffic Gridlock in Anambra State Capital By Polycarp Onwubiko

              

There is palpable fear about a possible suffocating traffic gridlock in Awka Capital territory as Christmas festivities are drawing near.

Given this scary scenario, it has become imperative for the state and adjoining local government councils to put heads together and find proactive and pragmatic solutions to minimize the impending drastic traffic conundrum in anambra state capital territory.

In public administration, apparently complex and problematic issues are envisaged and proactive steps and options weighed and taken to eliminate or minimize them. During Christmas and Easter periods, there are additional social and economic problems that crop up thus creating stressful pressures on available government facilities, infrastructures and even human capacity. It is therefore mandatory that government should go the extra mile and get its acts together so as to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people during the yuletide. Tackling the emerging social and economic challenges definitely call for additional insight, creativity and radical measures in order to justify the essence of good governance which has been the lofty expectations of the people. The takeover of the reconstruction of Amansea and Amawbia portion of Onitsha to Enugu express way by Anambra State Government has no doubt put great stress on its financial resources and expenditures. However, it is the expectation of people that the state government would be magnanimous enough and go the extra mile in finding ways to reduce the impending frustrating traffic gridlock in the coming weeks when people from all parts of the country will be on the road to various destinations.

Governor Willie Obiano should dialogue with the Commissioner of Police to remove the ill advised road block along the one lane in the Zik’ s Avenue dual carriage way at Amawbia so as to ease traffic congestion along the road leading to Nibo and neighbouring communities. Due to the location of government lodge nearby, the traffic to Nibo was restricted to a single lane which is not only very narrow but constitute danger to pedestrians and passengers  waiting to board vehicle bound to the adjoining communities. Furthermore, the narrow strip of the road along the headquarter of Awka South Local Government Council where the flow of traffic from Zik’s Avenue was unconscionably and callously diverted by the police has been posing great danger to lives, property and public offices. It is appalling that the past leadership of the state government maintained closed lips to the grossly irrational action of the police authority over fair-fetched Boko Haram attack. There is no justification for the continued closure of a lane in the Zik’s Avenue at Amawbia since the initial reason which was the expectation of Boko Haram unpredictable onslaught at the police headquarter is no longer tenable. The fact remains that there is nowhere in the southern part of the country where the dare-devil and blood-gorged religious fundamentalist attacked police formation.  The closure of the portion of the lane in the dual carriage road has been a source of agony to commercial motorists and there is no state in the south where such arbitrary action has been done or tolerated.

Tanker and trailer drivers are at pains to divert to the narrow road and rejoin the dual carriage way adjacent the state prison. These articulated vehicles subject the road to intense pressure and state of dilapidation due to their massive weight. Another notable cause of traffic stress and unnecessary agony of passengers in the state capital is the irrational checks of the operatives of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) along the Zik’s Avenue and streets where they unconscionably pitch their duty posts. Due to crass impurity and gross  abuse of official duties prevalent in the country, the operatives of the federal road safety commission have abandoned the ideal duty posts which is the express way and major roads like Amawbia to Ekwulobia and Amawbia to Ugwuoba roads and mount inspection near the Paul University and narrow the roads leading to the Ministry of works and Awka south local government headquarter.

The naive and thoughtless actions of the corps marshals have been a source of agony to the passengers of commercial buses, Keke Napep and cyclists. Granted that what they are doing is in line with the stipulations in the statute that established the commission but common sense expected and sympathy  for the passengers demand that they should know the havoc they are causing to the expected easy flow of traffic in the heart of the two towns-Awka and Amawbia. For instance, seat belt is ideal in high ways where drivers engage in speed but not in the heart of the metropolis where motorists drive slowly due to many vehicles on the roads and streets. Again, it is plain naivety and inconsiderate disposition to harass the operators of tri-cycle and commercial motor cyclists for flimsy excuses knowing full well that these people have relied on these low scale of economic activity as a last resort for meager income earning to cater for their aged parents and families. The fact remains that these Keke Napep and Okada riders do not constitute danger to then passengers due to slow movements on the congested roads and streets.

The present state government should not feign helpless like its predecessor to the unwarranted blockade of a federal road (Zik’s Avenue) and the great havoc being done to motorists and commuters. The rational thing is to dialogue with the police commissioner to remove the blockade and also get the state commander of the FRSC to direct the operatives to leave those improper places and pitch their duty posts on the Onitsha-Enugu express way and Amawbia-Ekwulobia road so as to stop constituting nuisance value on the heart of the two urban towns. The continued looking away by the State government on these monstrous abuse of office, impunity and aberrations is condemnable and unexpected of a government that has the interest and welfare of the people. The right step will reduce the impending heavy traffic and agony in the coming weeks in the capital territory.

Mr. Onwubiko is a topical issues analyst Awka Anambra State