The Naze- Nekede-Ihiagwa -Obinze Road in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State has become a ticking time bomb.
Once envisioned as a vital lifeline connecting strategic communities, including Nekede, the host community of the Federal Polytechnic and Ihiagwa, the host to the Federal University of Technology, FUTO, the road is now a haunting symbol of abandonment, decay, and failed promises.
Sections of the road, particularly around the Number 12 bus stop near the gas plant, are literally splitting apart. Even worse, the bridge linking Umuoma with New Road is on the verge of total collapse, threatening to cut off thousands of residents and commuters.
What was once a smooth route buzzing with commercial activity now greets motorists and pedestrians with deep potholes, stagnant water, ruined drainage systems, and overgrown bushes.
“It’s a nightmare,” lamented a resident of Umuoma Nekede. “We thought the suffering would end, but the contractors vanished, and nothing has happened since.”
The despair deepens when residents recall the initial spark of hope. The Imo State Government, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, reportedly awarded the multi-million-naira contract to Leo 9 Construction Company.
Bulldozers arrived, stones were laid, and for a moment, it seemed the years of hardship would finally end. Then, suddenly, the work stopped, without explanation.
From the popular Nokia House to Maternity Junction and down to Ihiagwa Market, every stretch of this road tells a grim story of neglect.
The collapse of the bridge near the Nekede new road has left cars stranded and traders counting losses, especially during heavy rains that turn the road into a muddy trap.
A trader from Ihiagwa voiced her frustration: “The bridge collapsed, the road is gone, and the rain has washed everything away. We are suffering here every day.”
Now, the people of Naze, Nekede, Ihiagwa, and beyond, including students and staff of PolyNekede are demanding answers.
Where did the funds go? Why has the contractor abandoned the project? And why has the government remained silent while communities endure daily danger and economic hardship?
Residents and stakeholders across Imo State are making an urgent appeal to Governor Hope Uzodimma to intervene before tragedy strikes.
For them, this is no longer just about potholes and collapsed bridges, it is about safety, survival, and the government’s responsibility to its people.
If immediate action isn’t taken, the Naze-Nekede-FUTO-Obinze Road will remain an open wound on the face of Imo State, a stark reminder that abandoned promises can cost more than inconvenience; they can cost lives.
