Today, as it occurred last year, restive youth from host communities along Mfamasing-Idundun road turned back road users, mostly UniCem staff in the early hours of this morning. Their gross: UniCem should fix the road. This is angst misdirected.
For some years now, the Mfamasing-Idundun road like a festering sore in the scrotum has been a source of great pain to all stakeholders. From the farmer who takes his/her goods to Calabar, to the trader, from the artisan to the contractor/supplier rendering different services to the United Cement Company(UniCem), from UniCem staff to children, students, taxi drivers, soldiers at Akansuko e.t.c., everyone has scares to show.

For many years, this road like Ore-Ondo-Ife road, Akure-Ilesha road and many similar roads across Nigeria, was narrow, windy, pot-hole ridden but fairly motorable. It was not ideal but manageable as Nigerians have become adept managers. Then our former President, Jonathan Goodluck decided to ‘transform’ the road into a dual carriage way. According to the locals, the contract was awarded to an in-law of the former governor of Cross River State Liyel Imoke. As it common in our chime, the contractor subcontracted the job to a Chinese construction firm minus a big chunk of their mobilization fee.
So the Chinese construction company, promptly evacuated the best part of the road(from the by-pass to the bridge ), and would have gone beyond the bridge but for the youths in the community who insisted they complete work on the evacuated portion. So the Chinese departed leaving behind 3 feet deep graves across the stretch where there used to be coal tar
Today a trip from the bypass to the bridge, a distance of less than 10km would take about 45minites, that is if your vehicle survives it. The cost is mounting for all concerned. For the motorist, the cost of repair, turn around time per trip and physical toll. For passengers, exorbitant fares, wear and tear from bumps, time and emotional disorder. For UniCem as a corporate entity, safety and security issues(contractors have been attacked on this portion of the road at night), higher vechicle maintenance cost ,increasing cost of yearly palliative measures ,loss of production hours occasioned by unrest from youths of host communities. All these in a country with 80% unemployed youths and President Muhamad Buhari(PMB) affirming that “one of the focal points of this administration is job creation. Job creation will help in the achievement of other objectives of the government such as poverty reduction.”
Well said sir. UniCem is a tax-paying corporate citizen,providing jobs for hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths. The company deserves an enabling environment to thrive, the least of which is good road. Roads like this do not match the ‘change agenda.’

Government should support UniCem and all road users who depend on this road for their livelihood. Like PMB said, insecurity cannot be divorced from unemployment as an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
Here is calling on our super minister,Raji Babatunde Fashola, to please bring his midas touch to bear on this road and other similar roads across Nigeria.Sir, you changed Ijora, Oshodi,Mile 12-Ikorodu etc and made Lagos a first place of call for Nigerians and others. Mfamasing road require ‘change’ agenda where ‘transformation’ agenda has failed.

Source:http://www.hoch-zeitgericht.com/2016/03/22/mfamasing-idundun-road-awaiting-change-agenda/

Cc: seun, Mynd44, OAM4J, lalasticlala