Adonte Residents Protest Deplorable Access Road ~ Truth Reporters

 

Residents of Adonte community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the state government to the worsening condition of the Adonte access road.

The protest, led by the President General of the Adonte Development Union (ADU), Mr. Okofu Collins, alongside other community leaders, called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently intervene and rehabilitate the road, which they described as a major threat to socio-economic activities in the area.

Speaking during the protest, a community leader, Mr. Friday, said Adonte, with an estimated population of over 20,000 registered voters, has consistently supported successive governments since the return to democracy in 1999 but has remained neglected in terms of infrastructure, particularly road development.

He explained that Adonte is strategically located at the centre of about 15 communities in Aniocha South and serves as a major link to towns such as Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku, Nsukwa, Ejeme-Aniogor, Abah-Unor and Issele-Uku. Despite this strategic importance, he said access to the community becomes extremely difficult, especially during the rainy season, due to the deplorable state of the road.

According to him, the poor condition of the road has severely affected agricultural activities, noting that Adonte was once regarded as the food basket of the local government and Delta State. He added that farmers are now forced to sell their produce at very low prices because they are unable to transport their goods to major markets.

Also speaking, the President General of the ADU, Mr. Okofu Collins, and the union’s Secretary, Mr. Murray Okonta, lamented that the road becomes virtually impassable during the rainy season, making it difficult for indigenes residing in urban centres to visit their hometown. They added that security concerns along the route have further worsened the situation.

They disclosed that journeys which previously took a short time now last between five and seven hours, particularly when accessing the community through Abah-Unor.

The protesters appealed to the Delta State Government to respond to the plight of the community by reconstructing the Adonte road, stressing that improved road infrastructure would enhance economic activities, ease movement and improve the overall well-being of residents.

Addressing the protesters, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Johnson Erijo, said the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori remains committed to infrastructural development across the state. He assured the community that no part of Delta State would be neglected under the Governor’s MORE Agenda.

Hon. Erijo commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct and promised that their message would be duly conveyed to the governor.