Residents of Obeagu, an agrarian community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have appealed to the government to urgently rehabilitate the only access road linking the area to neighboring communities, saying years of neglect have left them isolated.
According to community members, the road has deteriorated into a network of deep gullies, flooded sections, collapsed culverts and thick mud, making transportation extremely difficult, especially during the rainy season. They said the situation has affected healthcare, education, farming and economic activities.
Farmers lamented that large quantities of produce often spoil because buyers and transporters cannot reach the community. They also said pregnant women, sick residents and emergency patients struggle to access hospitals, with motorcycles serving as the only reliable means of transport.
Residents further claimed that vehicles are unable to enter the community during heavy rains, forcing families to transport deceased relatives on motorcycles or postpone burials until the dry season when the road becomes passable.
The Secretary-General of the Obeagu Town Union, Okechukwu Stanley Alu, said the community has repeatedly appealed to both the Ebonyi State Government and the Ishielu Local Government Council to reconstruct the road but little progress has been made.
He also noted that the poor road network has disrupted education, alleging that some teachers posted to the community’s secondary school fail to report for duty because of the difficult terrain.
Assistant Secretary of the town union, Austin Odo, said the road has crippled local commerce, adding that farmers are unable to transport produce to larger markets while healthcare services remain inadequate because many medical personnel are unwilling to accept postings to the area.
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A former councillor representing the ward, Eze Casmir Odo, described the situation as heartbreaking, saying repeated requests for road construction and culverts over the years had yielded no results. He said the condition of the road has left residents feeling abandoned despite their contributions as citizens.
Traditional ruler of Obeagu, Ezeogo Ephraim Okwor, also called for urgent government intervention, stressing that although the community has a health centre, it requires more personnel, equipment and better road access to effectively serve residents.
Community leaders urged authorities to undertake permanent reconstruction of the road, arguing that improved infrastructure would enhance healthcare, education, agriculture and overall economic development while reconnecting the community with the rest of the state.
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