The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), an environmental rights advocacy and public accountability watchdog, has raised a strong public alarm over what it described as the shameful, inhumane and indefensible state of the Bende–Abam–Ohafia Federal Road in Abia North Senatorial District.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FENRAD said the road, a critical lifeline for economic activities, social interaction, education, healthcare access and food distribution, has been deliberately abandoned to decay, turning it into a symbol of government failure and elite indifference.
According to the group, the current condition of the road poses serious dangers to users, exposing them to frequent accidents, loss of lives, destruction of vehicles, high transportation costs and worsening poverty across affected communities.
FENRAD stated that the prolonged abandonment of the Bende–Abam–Ohafia Federal Road amounts to “institutional violence” against the people, as communities are cut off, businesses collapse and basic human mobility is denied. It noted that the suffering of road users, particularly women, children, farmers, traders and students, has been tolerated for far too long.
While acknowledging the intervention of the Abia State Government in constructing a bridge along the abandoned federal road, the organization stressed that the effort, though commendable, only highlights the absence of federal responsibility. It described the situation as “a painful metaphor for governance without commitment,” noting that a bridge without a functional road cannot substitute for comprehensive reconstruction.
The group further condemned what it described as the negligence and failure of representation by elected officials of the area, particularly the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Okwara. FENRAD said their inability to secure the rehabilitation of the road represents a betrayal of public trust.
“It is unacceptable that year after year, the Bende–Abam–Ohafia Federal Road is captured in budgets, promised in speeches, and abandoned in reality,” the statement said, adding that repeated contract failures, lack of transparency and absence of accountability have turned the road into a monument of broken promises.
FENRAD called on the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, to urgently re-award the contract for the total reconstruction of the road to a competent and credible contractor. It also demanded adequate funding, strict supervision, transparency and clear completion timelines.
The organization urged residents of Abia North, civil society groups, traditional institutions, youth organizations and the media to speak out and demand action, stressing that silence in the face of such neglect is no longer an option.
“The people deserve roads that protect lives, support livelihoods and reflect the dignity of citizenship, not endless abandonment and cosmetic interventions,” FENRAD declared.
The statement was signed by Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD.
