By Abel Johngold
For the people of Ebu, Illah and Ugbolu in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, every journey along the Ugbolu–Illah–Ebu Federal Road has become an exhausting battle against time, hardship and despair.
What should be a smooth thirty-minute drive from Asaba to Ebu has been transformed into a painful ordeal lasting between four and six hours, while on particularly bad days motorists spend close to ten hours navigating the collapsed sections of the highway. Long queues of vehicles now snake through the failed portions of the road, with traffic gridlocks sometimes stretching for more than twelve hours.
But beyond the damaged asphalt lies an even deeper tragedy.
Farmers watch helplessly as tonnes of cassava, yam, maize, vegetables and other produce perish on their farms because buyers and transporters can no longer access their communities with ease. The road that once carried prosperity into their villages has become the very obstacle keeping them in poverty.
Teachers who travel daily from Asaba to schools in Ebu, Illah and neighbouring communities leave home before dawn and often return after dark, exhausted from hours spent (as if they are in Lagos traffic) negotiating craters, flooded sections and endless traffic. Students, many of whom already face limited educational opportunities, are forced to endure late arrivals, interrupted learning and uncertainty simply because the only major access road has virtually collapsed.
For traders, transporters and business owners, every trip has become more expensive. Vehicle maintenance costs continue to rise, transport fares have increased, while commercial activities are slowing as customers avoid the route altogether.
The once-busy highway that links Delta State to Edo and Kogi States and serves as a major gateway connecting the South-East with the South-South has gradually become a symbol of neglect.
Residents say they are no longer asking for luxury, they are simply asking for a road they can travel without fear.
The Ugbolu–Illah–Ebu Federal Road remains one of the most strategic highways in southern Nigeria. Thousands of commuters, commercial vehicles and articulated trucks depend on the corridor daily for the movement of people, agricultural produce and other goods.
Despite its economic importance, years of neglect have left the road riddled with deep potholes, failed pavements and eroded sections that worsen with every rainfall.
Many residents now describe the highway as an economic disaster waiting to happen.
Speaking with emotion, Engr. Donald Ejido of Ebu said the suffering of road users has become unbearable.
“A journey that should take about twenty minutes now takes almost an entire day. If you don’t want to destroy your vehicle or spend all your earnings at the mechanic, you have to drive at a painfully slow pace. We are pleading with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to come to our rescue. We cannot continue like this.”
His frustration mirrors the feelings of thousands of commuters who use the highway daily.
Across the affected communities, residents lamented that businesses are shrinking while the local economy continues to weaken.
According to community members, transporters now charge significantly higher fares because of the terrible condition of the road, while many commercial drivers simply refuse to ply the route.
Farmers say the situation is particularly devastating.
“We cultivate food that feeds many parts of Delta State, but today our harvests are wasting because vehicles cannot reach our farms. We are losing income every planting season,” one farmer lamented.
An indigene of Ebu, Mr. Vincent Kanwe, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on deteriorating federal roads across Nigeria.
According to him, strategic highways should never be allowed to deteriorate to the point where they become a threat to economic growth and national unity.
“Roads remain the backbone of every economy. When roads fail, businesses fail, agriculture suffers and communities become isolated,” Vincent Kanwe said.
However, for Illah-born human rights activist, Comrade Enitan Corsica, the appeal should not end in Abuja.
While acknowledging that the Ugbolu–Illah–Ebu Road is a federal highway, he passionately appealed to Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to immediately provide emergency palliative intervention pending full reconstruction by the Federal Government.
“We know this is a Federal Government road, but our people are suffering today. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has repeatedly demonstrated compassion towards Deltans. We are appealing to him to rescue our communities because the suffering has become unbearable.
“This road is more than asphalt. It is an economic lifeline that connects Delta State with neighbouring states. Every day this road remains impassable, farmers lose money, traders lose customers, schools suffer and government also loses potential revenue.
“If the Governor intervenes with immediate palliative repairs, he will not only reduce the suffering of the people but also stimulate commerce, agriculture and economic activities that will ultimately improve the state’s internally generated revenue.”
Residents insist that every passing day without intervention compounds their hardship.
They are therefore urging both the Federal Government and the Delta State Government to treat the reconstruction of the Ugbolu–Illah–Ebu Federal Road as an emergency, beginning with immediate palliative repairs and followed by comprehensive rehabilitation with durable drainage infrastructure.
For the people of Ebu, Illah and Ugbolu, the appeal goes beyond politics.
It is a plea for survival.
It is a call to save farmers from watching another harvest rot away.
It is a cry from teachers determined to educate children despite overwhelming challenges.
It is the voice of traders struggling to keep their businesses alive.
And above all, it is the desperate appeal of ordinary citizens asking their government to restore a road that once connected communities, created opportunities and sustained livelihoods.
For them, rescuing the Ugbolu–Illah–Ebu Road means rescuing the people whose lives depend on it.