Traders Lament As Dualisation Of Enugu-Nsukka Road Begins

Traders whose shops were demolished at Opi in the ongoing dualisation of Enugu-Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka road have questioned the commencement of the exercise from the commercial settlement rather than the virgin parts where the road would pass. They however said they were not against the dualisation.

One of them, a provisions dealer, was heard saying he lost over N5m to the demolition. “I rented the shop late last year. I recently stocked it, and hoping to sell the products to make gains. But two days ago, the bulldozers came, and forced us out. I have no place to go again. It is terrible. We were pre-informed about the dualisation, but I had thought that the contractor would begin work from where nobody is occupying. But here we are: they started from the traders’ shops.”

A hard drink seller, Levi Ozioko, said he had packed his goods to his house. “I managed to evacuate everything to my house. I lost a lot. I am still considering what I am to do with my life. I relocated to Opi from Kaduna some years ago. I struggled since then, and was only getting stabilised. The road dualisation is very good, but they should have started from where no human activity is going on. Except this junction where businesses are ongoing, there is no part of the road that any other thing is happening except the Enugu end of the road. Why not start from such places and give us the grace of gradual relocation?”

THE WHISTLER reports that the contractor mobilised heavy-duty vehicles to the commercial settlement and was seen filling up some portions of the road hitherto occupied by the traders. Gov Peter Mbah had declared last year that he would dualise the over sixty-kilometre road to ease traffic and also eliminate criminal activities on the route.