Auchi Residents Protest Ailing Road Repair, Block Abuja Highway

Residents of Auchi in Edo State have taken to the streets for the second day to protest the alleged abandonment of the reconstruction work on the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi highway, which began in 2013.

The group, known as Concerned Edo Citizens, blocked the Auchi axis of the highway and caused a long stretch of trailers to block one lane from Jattu junction to Okpella and Agbede, resulting in significant inconvenience for other road users.

The protest, which included cooking and making fires at the Jattu Junction, gained the sympathy of the truck drivers’ union within the Etsako West axis.

The blockage of the highway has also made it difficult for residents to move around the town, forcing them to rely on commercial vehicles.

Last year, similar protests led to assurances from officials of the federal ministry of works through two royal fathers from the area – the Otaru of Auchi and the Ogieneni of Uzairue – that the rehabilitation of the road would begin.

However, recent comments from Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, indicate that only N200 million was voted for the reconstruction of the road in the 2024 budget.

A lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic in Auchi expressed frustration with the situation, stating that “going around Auchi and its environs has been tough in the last two days because the blockade of the highway spiraled into adjoining roads and streets in the town.”

The ongoing protests and the inconvenience they cause highlight the importance of addressing the deteriorating condition of the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi highway and the need for immediate action by the federal government to ensure the safety and convenience of road users in the region.