Victor EzejaSecurity Forces Mount Minimum Of Two Checkpoints Per Kilometre On Southeast Roads
Cultural Credibility Development Initiative (CCDI), a socio-cultural/political civil society organisation, has urged the Nigerian security forces to reduce number of checkpoints mounted on roads in Southeast region.
In a letter signed by the group’s President, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, and Secretary, Pastor Steve Nwabuko, it specifically wrote Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor, and Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, complaining of how the agencies mount multiple checkpoints on Southeast roads, more than other areas where there are serious security challenges. The group pointed out how the unbearable roadblocks are ‘suffocating’ socio-economic activities in the Southeast region.
The CCDI noted that people spend long hours on Southeast roads, much more than in other areas in the country due to traffic gridlock caused by the roadblocks.
The call from the group comes in view of the Christmas Season when a lot of people travel from different places to the Southeast for celebration, which makes the roads become busier with traffic.
The letter reads: “We are writing to bring to your attention, the suffocation caused by the humongous number of checkpoints in Igbo land.
“For the avoidance of doubt, a traveller from Lagos to Igbo land sees checkpoints every one kilometre up to Benin City. The traveller from Abuja sees checkpoints every two kilometres until he reaches Delta North fringes. The two sets of travellers are then subjected to the horror of a checkpoint every half a kilometre.
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“The distance between checkpoints is reduced to 200 metres once a traveller crosses the Niger Bridge. This Niger Bridge obstruction with checkpoints causes Five kilometre backlog of cars in a traffic snarl.
“We are presenting the actual situation of things in Igbo land. Today, it takes about five hours to travel from Lagos to the outskirts of Asaba, Delta State. But it takes about six hours to travel the distance from the outskirts of Asaba to the Niger Bridge. The suffering is unbearable,” the group said.
The group called The security agencies to reduce the number of checkpoints by 75 percent to ease difficulties faced by road users on daily basis.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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