Senator Umeh Warns of Rising Insecurity, Economic Losses in Okija Anambra Roads, Seeks Emergency Action
By Fatima Saka
Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, has warned that the continued neglect of the Okija Spur Road in Anambra State is fuelling insecurity, economic disruption and loss of lives, urging urgent federal intervention to rehabilitate the strategic corridor.
Speaking on the Senate floor while seconding a motion on the road, Umeh described the Okija Spur axis as a major carriageway linking several communities in Anambra North and Anambra South to the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway and onward routes to Owerri, Port Harcourt and other parts of the South-South.
According to him, the severe dilapidation of the road and the collapse of the Kulas Bridge have cut off communities including Ihe, Mbosi, Okbo and Ebenato from the dual carriageway, making movement difficult and unsafe for commuters.
Umeh noted that criminals have taken advantage of the impassable state of the road to trap and abduct travellers, recounting a tragic incident involving the abduction and killing of an estate surveyor who was travelling through the axis to connect to the expressway on his way to Port Harcourt.
He stressed that if the road were motorable, traffic would flow freely and commuters would not be forced to slow down or stop at vulnerable points where they become easy targets for criminals.
The motion, raised by the lawmaker representing Anambra South, Senator Nwachukwu Emmanuel, identified the Okija Spur Road as the epicentre of gully erosion in the zone and called for urgent government and Senate intervention to reconstruct the road and address the environmental threat.
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Umeh emphasised the economic importance of the route, describing it as a gateway that connects the commercial hubs of Anambra to neighbouring states, including Imo, and to key national corridors.
He urged his colleagues to support the motion, saying the rehabilitation of the road would ease the hardship faced by commuters across three local government areas, restore security, and turn the corridor into a valuable national asset for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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