Drivers, Passengers Urge FG to Fix Obajana Junction–Irepeni Stretch of Lokoja–Okene Highway

By Dada Ahmed.

Drivers and passengers plying the Lokoja–Okene Highway in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria,have called on the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate the Obajana Junction–Irepeni stretch, lamenting the deplorable condition of the axis and its impact on safe and smooth travel.

They made the appeal while reacting to the deplorable stretch of the highway in separate interviews with our correspondent during a transit visit along the route on Sunday.
Malam Sadiku Abdullahi,a commercial driver travelling from Okene to Lokoja, described his experience on the troubled portion as “terrible.”
According to him, the one-and-a-half-kilometre stretch has inflicted significant wear and tear on his vehicle, far beyond normal expectations.

“Most of the money I make plying this route goes into constant vehicle repairs, leaving me with little or nothing to remit to the vehicle owner, let alone make any personal gain,” he lamented.

The driver alleged that thieves and other criminal elements cashed on the situation of the portion of axis to rob passengers of their valuable property and money in the night.

Co-passengers in a commercial vehicle conveying our correspondent from Lokoja to Okene,Hajia Amina Okino, Mr. Stephen Olanrewaju, and Miss Agnes Johnson, a member of the NYSC,also voiced their displeasure over the deplorable state of the affected stretch.

Miss Johnson lamented the discomfort and anxiety the bad portion causes commuters.

“Anytime I travel from Lokoja to Okene and our vehicle approaches this terrible stretch, I become uneasy.

“The choking dust and the violent jerks of the vehicle make the journey distressing, with implications for my health and general comfort,” she said.

They joined other Nigerians in calling on the government to do the needful by completing the rehabilitation of the highway way with particular reference to the portion concerned to make journey safe for passengers on the road.

They joined other concerned Nigerians in urging the government to take decisive action by completing the rehabilitation of the 70-kilometre highway,particularly the affected stretch,to restore safety and ensure a smoother, more secure journey for commuters.