Students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, have staged a peaceful protest against the dilapidated condition of the Umuahia-Ikwuano Ikot Ekpene federal road barely one day, a trailer vehicle crushed and killed instantly a 500 level student of the institution on the said road.
The slain student was identified as Miss Chidinma Ogbonna of Fishery Department of the university.
The protesting students barricaded all the routes that lead to the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road, refusing road users access to the road.
The students lamented that the bad state of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene federal road has become a death trap to them, private and commercial vehicle owners plying the road.
The protesters also attributed the major deplorable road as major factor that caused the unfortunate death of the 500 level student on Sunday.
One of the protesting students, who spoke on anonymity during a chat with newsmen in Umuahia, lamented about some of the challenges students of the Institution go through before they get to school.
According to him, students are subjected to high transportation fares before they can get to school and most of the time, they are stuck on the road for hours due to heavy traffic.
He lamented that students of the university always get crushed by vehicles on the road, due to brake failure.
Meanwhile, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the immediate fixing of the failed portions of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene federal road.
In a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, and made available to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital, Governor Ikpeazu further directed PUMECO Construction Company to move in on Wednesday, 6th day of October, 2021, to fix all the failed portion of the federal road.
Kalu reiterated the state government’s readiness to fix the failed portions of the road, so as to ease road users, particularly the students of the two tertiary institutions in the area, of the challenges they encounter daily on the road.
He further appealed to the protesting students of Michael Okpara University, Umudike, to go home, as the Abia State Government has resolved to move into the failed portions of the Federal Road.
In the same vein, the management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike in Abia State has expressed displeasure over the dilapidated Umuahia/Ikot-Ekpene federal road.
The university management also regretted the crush of a 500 level female student of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management by trailer which led to her instant death, on Sunday afternoon, along the busy federal road.
In a release by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Adanma Odefa, quoted the vice Chancellor, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, and the entire management as expressing sadness by the great loss.
The Vice Chancellor asked the deceased’s family to accept their heartfelt condolences as he is aware of the challenges presented by the sorry state of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road, and have not been idle.
According to the release which partly stated, “For the past few weeks, the VC through his SA on Projects, Engr. Richard Onyeaso, invited the local FERMA on an inspection of the bad spots, took pictorial evidence and prepared a strong appeal letter to FERMA.
“The VC personally took these documents to FERMA headquarters in Abuja to make further physical appeals. His efforts were rewarded with an official approval for palliative work to begin on the road.”
