By Ifeanyi Maduako
There is an Igbo adage that, “Morning shows the day”. It literally means that the brightness or otherwise of the dawn indicates how the rest of the day would be. When Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state, embarked on demolishing the poorly constructed roundabouts in major intersections in Owerri, the state capital, many Imo people including this writer had questioned the motive of the state government on demolishing existing structures when there were several competitive demands.
Of particular reference was the leitmotif in demolishing the roundabouts in Warehouse and Fire Service junctions constructed by the Governor Rochas Okorocha. I wondered why Uzodimma would demolish those roundabouts that gulped billions of naira from the state coffers.
The roundabouts didn’t solve the traffic congestion experienced by motorists. Since Imo people had been accustomed to hardship, we expected the government to leave the roundabouts at those intersections as they were for our sufferings to continue.
However, the governor, being a man with greater vision and foresight knew that such roundabouts shouldn’t be a solution to traffic gridlocks. If you were a motorist in Owerri in the past years, you will agree with me that these junctions were a nightmare to commuters, particularly when it rained. When the demolition of the roundabouts and the concomitant reconstruction of those intersections were ongoing, there was little discomfort by motorists. Many were cursing the governor for subjecting them to hardship of being held down in traffic gridlock for a few minutes. The reconstruction unfortunately coincided with the time Imo was thrown into chaos by the nefarious activities of “unknown gunmen”. Therefore, a portion of the roads was barricaded or blocked for usage by motorists to guard against government facilities being attacked or set ablaze.
A particular radio presenter who hates the present government with passion was continuously lambasting the government on his radio programmes morning and night. He was inciting the masses against the government. He was mischievously telling the people to always leave their homes with cooking utensils whenever they were going to their various places of work or businesses so that whenever they were held in gridlock, they would prepare their meal there and then.
However, what do we see today? Many places, where ubiquitous roundabouts were hitherto erected, had given way to modern intersections controlled by digitalised traffic control mechanisms with wider roads. A confirmatory visit to Warehouse and Fire Service junctions today will convince the naysayers that the governor meant and still means well for Imo people. He had a greater foresight when he removed those decrepit roundabouts. There is no more traffic gridlock in these places. The MCC junction is still ongoing, among many others in the state capital and the entire Imo state.
If you board a public transport, you would notice that sincere and altruistic commuters have been applauding the governor for replacing those roundabouts thereby solving the gridlocks hitherto experienced in these places once and for all. No motorist stays more than one minute without driving out of these junctions nowadays unlike yesteryears when they spent several hours on those trouble spots.
The unprofessional radio presenter who gloats and boasts that he is the best in Imo state has not deemed it fit to recant his condemnation since the perennial traffic gridlocks were solved by this government. He has not deemed it fit to also commend the governor for that feat. Responsible journalism demands that he should have also commended the governor for fixing the problem, having used his radio platform to de-market and lambast the governor continually. He turns deaf, dumb and blind whenever the governor does well, but becomes garrulous and unprofessional whenever the state government makes a mistake. He and his ilk that excoriate the governor on daily basis out of sheer hatred should demonstrate the spirit of good sportsmanship in their destructive criticism of the Uzodimma government.
By Ifeanyi Maduako
Owerri, Imo State
