Passengers and commuters, who were stuck in gridlock at the Benin bypass in Edo for more 12 hours on Thursday expressed outrage over their fate and sought urgent intervention by the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The cause of the gridlock, according to some of the travellers, is dilapidated portions of the road that have caused trucks, buses and other vehicles to seek non-available outlets.
Some of the commuters said they had been in the gridlock since 1:50 am on Thursday, and had remained at the same spot as at Thursday evening.
According to residents of the area, the gridlock is daily occurrence as travelers are forced to sleep on the road.
The stranded passengers voiced their anger in a viral video shared on social media, criticising the Federal Government for allegedly prioritising projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway while existing roads across the country remain in poor condition.
They particularly criticised the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and questioned why the government had failed to address the deteriorating condition of the Benin City Bypass.
In the video, frustrated passengers could be seen stranded in a long stretch of traffic as vehicles crawled along the road.
One of the passengers, apparently referring to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, said: “Everyone is blaming Governor Monday.”
He subsequently directed his criticism at Umahi.
“David Umahi, Honourable Minister of Works, if you know that you cannot do the job given to you, resign! Resign!” he said.
The passenger then turned the camera towards the traffic and said: “Look at the people. Just look. Look at the people.”
He questioned the government’s decision to focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway while existing roads remained in poor condition.
“This is Edo State, Bypass. You are constructing coastal roads while existing roads are still bad,” he said.
According to him, some travellers had been trapped in the traffic for several hours.
“Some of us have been here for six hours, some four hours,” he said, describing the congestion as excessive.
The passenger also challenged political leaders, including Umahi and former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to experience the same conditions faced by ordinary Nigerians.
“David Umahi, can your children pass through this road? Wike and all of you, can your children pass through this road?” he asked.
He accused the government of being insensitive to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
“You are not sorry for the poor masses,” he said.
The passenger further alleged that Nigerians risk arrest or intimidation when they publicly criticise government policies.
“If we speak now, they will want to arrest us,” he said, adding, “Now we will petition.”
He described the situation on the road as unbearable.
“This suffering is too much,” he said.
