The House of Representatives on Thursday, December 16, mandated security agencies to remove multiple checkpoints on the roads leading to the South East.
The mandate followed the adoption of a “Motion for the Disbandment on Multiple Security Checkpoints on Roads Leading to the South East Region” moved by Hon. Obinna Chidioka, member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency of Anambra State during plenary.
The call according to the Honorable member is to ease traffic congestion on major roads leading to the region this festive period.
Taking the floor, Chidioka said;
“Multiple checkpoints involving the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Federal Road Safety Corps etc, have dotted our roads, particularly the roads leading to the South East States from Lagos and Abuja with used tires, timber and metal barricades resulting in avoidable traffic buildup on the roads and untold hardship to motorists and other road users, especially during festive periods.
“At last count, the road blocks involving these security agencies between Lagos and Onitsha are an alarming 60 checkpoints, with 24 between llisan and Orilewo, 25 between Ore and Ugoneki and 11 between Abudu and Onitsha Bridge head.
“These checkpoints constitute themselves into tollgates extorting money from innocent motorists while the crimes they are meant to checkmate still go on without remedy.
“These multiple makeshift checkpoints, coupled with the terrible condition of roads in question cause unnecessary traffic buildup on the roads with untold hardship on road users and creating room for criminals to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
“These checkpoints set up with used tires, timber and metal barricades are often left on the roads and highways, when not in use, thereby creating hazards for unsuspecting motorists, especially at night thereby causing accidents, and in some cases, used by armed robbers who rob and terrorizes road users at odd hours.
“Issues of the hardship suffered by motorists and other road users as a result of multiple checkpoints on the roads have been recurring over the years with no visible remedy by the authorities concerned especially with the peculiarity of this to roads leading to the South East.
“The Christmas and New Year holidays are ahead of us and movement on these roads increase exponentially with citizens travelling to celebrate with their loved ones in their villages.
“Less than 10 days to Christmas the Asaba end of the Head Bridge is already blocked with check points constituting terror and nuisance to motorists causing motorists who flew one hour to Asaba or drove 5 to 6 hours from Lagos and Abuja to spend upwards of 7 hours just to cross the Niger Bridge.
“Address the plight of motorists and other road users on these roads who suffer daily from the avoidable and clearly unnecessary multiple checkpoints and which has caused untold hardship to all and to save lives.”
The House agreed with Chidoka and adopted the motion, calling on security agencies involved to call their operatives to order and the FRSC especially, to dispatch operatives and ambulances on the roads to ease traffic and help in cases of accidents.
