Roads: ‘When I Listen To Umahi, I Feel Like Breaking My TV’ – Ex-envoy

Former Nigerian Ambassador to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, Godknows Igali, has said the condition of roads in the Niger Delta does not reflect claims of improvement or repairs often made by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and he feels like breaking his television whenever he listens to him.

Naija News reports that Igali made the remarks in an interview with Africa Independent Television on Thursday.

Expressing concern over the poor state of major roads in the region, including the East-West Road and the Benin-Asaba corridor, Igali said his frequent travels had exposed him to the condition of the roads, arguing that it was difficult for him to reconcile what he saw on the road with claims that roads had been fixed.

He criticised the condition of the East-West Road, saying motorists now spend significantly longer periods travelling between communities in the region.

Igali also referred to recent protests by residents over the condition of the Asaba-Benin road, saying the demonstrations reflected the frustration of commuters affected by the highway’s poor condition.

According to him, the poor state of roads in the Niger Delta region was particularly troubling because of its economic contribution.

He said, “When I listen to the Minister of Works sometimes, I feel like breaking my television. Because I move around every time. I had to come in from Port Harcourt to be able to have this conversation with you. And the roads are not there.

“Even so-called East-West Road is not in order. You can’t go from Sapele to Warri. It used to take us 40, 45 minutes. Today it takes about three hours from Sapele to Benin. One hour now takes about three or four hours.

“And the other day, just last week, we saw people demonstrating that the road from Asaba to Benin is so bad. And people came out demonstrating.

“So the roads, and this is where the money comes from, it is the height of injustice.”

The former ambassador stressed that residents were not demanding preferential treatment but were asking the government to provide equitable infrastructure across the country.

Igali added that Nigerians were increasingly aware of their rights and more willing to participate in political affairs and demand accountability from those in government.

He added, “We are not asking for more than we should have. We are just saying be fair, be equitable, be just, be fair to all such people.

“Our people are watching. Our people are watching. So the roads, and this is where the money comes from, it is the height of injustice.”