Umuike-Ubahuekwem Road in Ihiala Now a Nightmare — Residents Cry Out

The deplorable Umuike-Ubahuekwem road in Ihiala

By Raymond Ozoji

Residents along the Umuike-Ubahuekwem Road in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State have issued a passionate appeal to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, urging immediate intervention over the road’s deplorable condition.

The vital road, which links communities including Umueze, Atamiri, Uzoigwe Market, Umudara, Ogboro, Okija, Uli, Owerri, and others, has been abandoned by successive administrations for decades. It has since deteriorated into a gully, leading to frequent accidents and severe hardship for road users. In response, local residents have resorted to makeshift palliatives in an attempt to keep the road barely passable.

During interviews with this reporter, some residents decried the adverse impact of the road’s poor condition, not just on Umuike-Ubahuekwem but across the broader Ihiala LGA. They appealed directly to Governor Soludo, who recently visited Ihiala to campaign for votes ahead of the August 16 bye-election and the November 8 governorship election.

Kingsley Anagwaonye, a native of Akwa-Ezikenyi, described the road as “a perennial death trap.” 

He said it has been in a terrible state for years, with no meaningful government intervention.

“I usually mobilize youths in the area to carry out minor repairs so that pedestrians, cyclists, and small vehicles can access the road,especially on market days,” he explained.

Anagwaonye further commended the Ihekamba Onuchukwu family of Umuchigbonu village for consistently undertaking palliative repairs during the dry season. 

However, he expressed concern that the road becomes impassable during the rainy season, plunging the community back into hardship.

“I have never seen any government or politician from Ihiala or Anambra do anything substantial about this road,”  “When it rains, I can’t even leave my house,it becomes that bad. Many accidents have occurred here. Tippers and other heavy-duty vehicles have crashed on these bad portions.”he stated.

He added that residents are desperate for help regardless of the political party it comes from.

A commercial motorcyclist, Mr. Bonaventure Ifeanyichukwu Ewulu of Umueze-Ogu village, echoed similar frustrations. 

He said the neglect of Ihiala has persisted for too long, dating back to the administration of former Governor Peter Obi and continuing under the present government.

“Ihiala has been suffering from insecurity, dilapidated roads, and general infrastructural decay,” Ewulu said.

He noted that the entire local government lacks any major motorable road and appealed to Governor Soludo to extend his road infrastructure program to Ihiala.

 According to him, bad roads have become a daily burden for residents, especially those whose livelihoods depend on transportation.

“There is no access road into Nkwo-Ogbe Market,” “The Umuike-Ubahuekwem road, which leads to Onitsha and Imo State, is a federal road, but we are pleading with the state government to step in. The suffering is too much.”he noted. 

Ewulu also identified other roads in poor condition, including the Ubahuekwem-Oseakwa Road, Ogboro Road, and the Umudimogo-Umunnamehi Road near Nkwo-Ogbe Market.

 He lamented that traders are forced to sell their goods in muddy, unsanitary conditions,an environmental and public health hazard.

He called on Governor Soludo to construct at least five major roads in Ihiala LGA before the end of his second term, starting with the Umuike-Ubahuekwem Road.

In response to these concerns, Deputy Governor Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who represented Governor Soludo at the APGA endorsement rally for the upcoming bye-election, assured residents that their infrastructural needs would be addressed.