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Maryam Babangida Way, Asaba.

By Chukwudi Abiandu

Like every new capital city, Asaba has its share of infrastructural deficiencies. One of the most pressing, are roads. The major road in the city, Nnebisi, was often choked by heavy traffic build-ups.
The best alternative to it was the untarred DLA road.

The James Ibori administration of 1999 to 2007 earmarked it for construction. And, for good measure, the contract was awarded to the biggest political “masquerade” from Delta North Senatorial District, at the time. Asaba is also in the district. Rather than deliver, the
masquerade abandoned the job and could not be tamed in any way all through the tenure of the administration that awarded the contract. It’s successor, the Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, was equally helpless.

Gutters were provided in some sides of the road but they emptied their water to nowhere, a situation that became the butt of derisive jokes of residents who referred to them as fish ponds. The economic impact was telling. Landlords even relocated as tenants followed suit.

The road became a nightmare as days went into months, several years and decades before Governor Ifeanyi Okowa came in as the chief executive of the State.

Said Mr. Ikechukwu Ajoh, a commercial tricycle operator: “We suffered a lot, because of the bad condition of DLA Road. Shop owners locked up their shops, tenants packed out as commercial activities dried up.”
Ajoh attributed the cause of the bad flooding situation to the drainage work before now, which was poorly done as no channel was created to get the flood water into the drainage.
The same was applicable to the Maryam Babangida Way, a road project birthed by the Uduaghan administration.

The initial dualization of the road was awarded to ULO Consultants Limited on December 16, 2009, but it was a shoddy job that was hastily inaugurated.

On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, told the Works Committee of the State House of Assembly on oversight assignment that the 1.882km Maryam Babangida Way had no design at the time the contract was awarded, stating that ULO moved to site and started work without an approved design of the government, and without the knowledge of the Ministry of Works.

Meanwhile, ULO in its hurried non-performance, had attained a substantial level on the road before the involvement of the ministry. But owing to the absence of an initial design for the project, the road quickly failed as a result of the closed- ended drainages which caused constant settling of water on it.
It is a road that harbours very remarkable and essential Federal and State establishments, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Asaba, a new Appeal Court Complex, the Olorogun Felix Ibru Secretariat, the new ultra modern Delta State Library; it provides links to West African Examination Council office, the State secretariat of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, the State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, five star hotels, event centres, fuel stations, among other vital economic ventures. Like the DLA Road, it became burdened by heavy rainfall and the attendant stagnant large pool of water. It collapsed.

Thus, Maryam Babangida dual carriage way, Asaba, sank and became deplorable, and impassable. It was supposed to provide a quick and diversion link for motorists and travelers living around the Government Reserved Area to the Benin-Asaba Expressway and other adjoining streets. And like their counterparts on DLA Road, the trauma of experiencing the harsh effect of an awful road began. Businesses suffered, hotels and offices became inaccessible.
One notable but common factor that affected both roads was the poor drainage system. Then enter the jinx breaker, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa as governor, with his policy to advance rural-urban integration including the urban centres, which should remain livable cities with good road networks.
It was this consideration to relieve Asaba of the menace of perennial and devastating flood problems that Okowa to embark on the humongous storm drainage work in the State capital. The DLA Road water drain project became one of the three major storm water projects in Asaba.
Indeed, the 2.44 kilometre length storm water control measure covered DLA-Jesus Saves Roads’ corridor, with the construction contract awarded on May 15, 2017 to CCECC, a construction company, at the cost of N1.7 billion.

Addressing a news conference, the Commissioner for Works, said the roads’ storm water project and the Maryam Babangida Way, Okpanam Road and other adjoining streets when completed, would effectively evacuate flood water from the areas. “As a responsive government, Delta State Government could not fold hands and watch the nightmare that residents and commuters undergo to continue unrestrained,” Augoye said, adding that the bad state of DLA Road had lingered for so long owing to the challenging topography of the road. He commended the people for their patience, reassuring that succour was bound to come when the Nnebisi Road section of the storm water project was connected with the DLA-Jesus Saves-Agric Roads’ projects.
Today in Asaba, the sewer project from Maryam Babangida Way has effectively addressed the flood menace on the DBS/Cabinet Office Roads, including the road leading to the West African Examinations Council and the secretariat of PDP in the capital. Residents and business operations have returned and started flourishing once again, while the dual carriage Maryam Babangida Way is now a narrative of a well-paved and beautifully tarred road devoid of flooding. Writing recently, Mr. Norbert Chiazor, an experienced journalist said: “But alas! The memory of the late Maryam came alive on the 19 March, 2020, in Asaba. It was a memorable morning for the residents of Delta State capital, as Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, accompanied by his bosom friend and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, commissioned the Maryam Babangida Way.

“Moved by the exemplary standing of the late Anioma foremost daughter, Okowa, saw the necessity of immortalizing Maryam. The Maryam Babangida Way is easily the most iconic road in Asaba today.”

Although yet to be inaugurated, DLA Road now wears a new look and bubbles again with life and the return of commercial activities. The jinx that held the road down from being done for a long time is broken. Ikechukwu Ajoh said: “All the drainages are working and there is no water logging anymore on DLA Road. It has become a smooth tarred road.”

Similar testimonials abound in several places around the State.