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• Nwaoboshi, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, Hon. Elekeokwuri also told to act

There is a clarion call to Governor Ifeanyi  Okowa of Delta State, and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State for the reactivation of the Ekpon –Igbodo Road that had been in use by the people of the two communities but now overgrown with weeds and in a very impassable state of disrepair.

The initial call came from the people of Ekpon in an appeal made by them to in a channels’ television programme at 10 pm Sunday, 23/4/2017, when the community called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to see to the reactivation of the old road that was quite visible in the 1960s up to the 1970s.

Spurred on by the Ekpon call, the people of Igbodo who understand the strategic importance of that road to them economically are also pleading with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to liaise with his Edo State counterpart so that the road can be reactivated for mutual economic benefits to Delta and Edo States.

Mr. Ndubuisi Ugbede, a journalist and former Director of Times Journalism Institute, Iganmu, Lagos, who was greatly enthused by the call from the Ekpon end, wrote on his Facebook page: “We at Igbodo call it Iko Isaiah, (meaning Isaiah Road.) It was part of our lives in the 60s and 70s. Buses of the Ike Jehova brand used to pass there. It is a shorter course to Ewohimi, Uromi through Okene to Abuja. It has commercial values as it further encourages movement of agric products between Edo, Delta and even the North and the East Road menders used to work on the road enhancing employment.

“The road is now closed. Weeds have taken it over. Let us also appeal to Governor Okowa the way the Ekpon people had appealed to Edo State governor to pay attention to this abandoned road. Please Ika people, give this a voice. It is an important interstate route linking the hinterland.”

While Mr. Toba Iyeke wrote, also pleading with the Delta state Governor to “help us pay attention to this road,” Mr. Moses Egbo who applauded the call declared: “Please let something be done about this road by relevant authorities.”

Mr. Chukwudi  Abiandu, publisher of Banner Online News.com, who also hails from Igbodo said the call for the reactivation of the all important road has been long overdue because of the strategic economic value the road has for the people of both communities.

Mr. Abiandu called on Hon. Elekeokwuri, representing Ika North East in the Delta state House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, representing Ika Constituency in the Federal House of Representative, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North in the Senate, and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa should please set machinery in motion to help to reactivate this all important road, just the same way something was done to the Onicha-Ugbo road that links Abuja.

This Igbodo-Ekon Road is also a veritable link to Abuja. “Doing so, will help to open up the Igbodo community to progress and prosperity as envisaged by Governor Okowa of Delta state.