Articulated vehicles stranded on Auchi-Benin highway

Hundreds of articulated vehicles have been stranded on the busy Auchi-Benin Highway for over four days due to the deplorable state of the road.

The long queue of stranded vehicles spans over 10km from Aviele to the Iyamoh area of the highway.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the Aviele section of the road, like several other parts of the over 140km highway, has collapsed.

The Benin-bound lane of the road that has been completely blocked has also created inconveniences for road users in Auchi and the environs.

When our correspondent visited the road on Monday, he met with some of the drivers, particularly those conveying perishable goods from the Northern part of the country to the South who lamented their losses.

A driver, Mallam Isa Adamu, said he had spent four days on the road and had to dispose of his perishable times cheaply in order not to incur complete loss.

“I have been on this road for four days now. As you can see, there is no hope I will even leave here anytime soon. I even had to sell off my perishable goods to reduce my loss,” he lamented.

Like, Adamu, Murtala Isiaku said several of his livestock had been damaged owing to the long stay without food and water.

He said, “I tried getting some edible grass for them here to survive. Of course, it’s like several persons pursuing fewer materials.

“I am not the only driver carrying goats and other animals, we all have to struggle for the little available to take care of our animals.

“While some have sold off their goods cheaply, I have also seen some discharging their cows here to enter into the bush with the help of herdsmen they hired here.”

Meanwhile, a motorist with a popular transport line in Auchi who identified himself as Lucky, said the blockage had made them start taking a longer route to Benin from Auchi.

He said, “For days now, we have not been able to go to Benin through Ekpoma because of the blockage.

“Several protests have been made to get the government’s attention to fix this road, yet, things seem to be going from bad to worse.

“This bad Aviele section is only an addition to several other bad portions of the highway from Auchi to Benin. We are in for a terrible time this season as the rain continues,” he stated.

It will be recalled that the highway that connects the North with the South was awarded for dualisation in 2012.

However, it was only on Monday that the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, terminated the contract of the three contractors handling the project for poor performance.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).