By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has raised a strong public alarm over the deteriorating condition of the Bende–Abam–Ohafia Federal Road, describing its state as dangerous, inhumane, and a clear case of criminal neglect affecting communities across Abia North Senatorial District.
In a press release issued on January 2, 2026, FENRAD said the road, which serves as a critical economic and social lifeline, has been abandoned for years despite repeated budgetary mentions and public assurances. According to the organization, the failure to rehabilitate the road has exposed residents to frequent accidents, loss of lives, vehicle damage, increased transportation costs, and worsening poverty.
FENRAD noted that the road should ordinarily support agriculture, trade, education, healthcare access, and food distribution across the region. Instead, it has become, in the group’s words, “a symbol of government failure and elite indifference,” with communities increasingly cut off and local businesses struggling to survive.
While acknowledging the intervention of the Abia State Government in constructing a bridge along the federal road, FENRAD stressed that the effort, though commendable, only highlights the absence of federal responsibility. The group described the situation as governance without commitment, arguing that a bridge without a functional road leading to and from it cannot address the broader crisis.
The advocacy group also criticised the performance of elected representatives from the area, specifically naming , the Senator representing Abia North, and , the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. FENRAD said their failure to secure the rehabilitation of the road reflects a disturbing abandonment of their mandate and a betrayal of public trust.
According to the statement, repeated contract failures, lack of transparency, and zero accountability have turned the Bende–Abam–Ohafia Federal Road into a permanent monument of broken promises.
FENRAD therefore 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. The group demanded that the project be backed by adequate funding, strict supervision, public transparency, and clear completion timelines.
The organization also urged residents of Abia North, civil society groups, traditional institutions, youth organisations, and the media to speak out and demand action, stressing that silence in the face of such neglect is no longer acceptable.
FENRAD concluded that Nigerians deserve roads that protect lives, support livelihoods, and reflect the dignity of citizenship, not endless abandonment and cosmetic interventions.
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