By Chikezie Ogbonna
Road users and residents of Enugu have pleaded with the state government to as a matter of urgency fix Agbani road as the road is fast becoming a shadow of its old self.
The deplorable state of the road currently has raised concern amongst stake holders who has continued to wonder why it has remained abandoned and never attended to when other major roads were patched across the state metropolis.
The key role the road plays in the lives of road users has made the road a very important route for many residents living in Uwani, Achara Layout, Meniru, Mount, One Day, Garriki and Amechi as well.
With many deep potholes and sometimes traffic gridlock caused by the damages it inflicts on vehicles, the need to fix the road has arisen and the state government is called upon once again to fix it.
Heightened fear as insecurity spreads in Enugu
The insecurity in Enugu has taken a precarious stage as it stands now. There are rising cases of kidnapping in streets, suspected cult shootings, petty theft and armed robbery inside commercial tricycles as well as raiding of POS centers.
In May, unknown gunmen killed ex-Enugu high court Judge Stanley Nnaji. According to The Police in Enugu, they launched efforts to arrest the killers of a retired Judge of Enugu State, Justice Stanley Nnaji. Nnaji was killed by unidentified gunmen in Enugu while driving in a black Mercedes Benz SUV.
As the state is still recovering from that gruesome murder, the Chief Executive Officer, AutoEase services in Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Okeke was gunned down by suspected assassins.
The victim, according to the spokesman of the Police in the State, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, was gunned down by yet to be identified persons on the night of 4th July while on his way to his house located at Brick Estate, by Ekweremadu Drive, Independence Layout Enugu.
He was said to have been murdered in the presence of his 7-year-old son whom he had gone to pick from a barbing salon.
The source said the assailants hit his car from the back and when he came out to find out who hit his car, he was marched to lie down on the floor, shot on the leg and stomach.
Less than 72hours afterwards, The Director General, Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI), Enugu, Samuel Ndubuisi, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in a possible assassination hit on him.
With this level of insecurity in the state, close observers have decried the fast return of the state to the dark days of insecurity and indiscriminate killings. With the level of insecurity in the state, night life is fast eroding in the state, a situation that has heightened fear amongst residents.
A security expert who spoke to Inside Coal City but pleaded anonymity urged the state government to rise to the occasion and restore the peace and serenity Enugu has always been known for. He further advised the state government to also apply intelligence gathering in the fight of crime in the state, especially with the increase in cult clashes and incessant raids on POS centers in many part of the state.
Traffic light and traffic congestion in Enugu: What could be done?
One question that has remained unanswered in the minds of many residents in Enugu is why traffic congestion increases whenever traffic lights become operational in our roads in the state.
Recently, it was observed that many traffic lights in major roads in the state have been restored back to operation after a relative long period of being out of use. However, since its operation was restored, heavy traffic congestions have returned and people keep asking why it almost seem like the traffic light is doing the very opposite of what it should do.
Traffic lights play a vital and crucial role in the flow of traffic every day. It prevents or at least reduces the cases of car crash and collisions on the roads especially in intersections. It provides a safe and orderly flow of cars on the roads and highways
However, in our case, many factors have been blamed for the seeming poor effect traffic light should have on our roads. Factors such as impatience among drivers, disobedience to the traffic rules, total shutting down of the car engine at the red stop light and struggling to start immediately when it goes green, there by leading to further delay of others are some of the many cases experienced on our roads.
However, experts have blamed the timing of some of the traffic lights in the state. According to them, they are poorly timed and sometimes do not reflect the narrowness and poorly structured roads we have.
The most common traffic lights work on simple timers. Depending upon traffic levels at a particular intersection, the traffic light will cycle through green, yellow, and red at regular intervals to ensure a consistent flow of traffic in all directions through the intersection.
For observers, it is high time those saddle with the responsibility for traffic light in the state to look for more innovative ways to make it reflect the level of traffic flow or better still apply advanced technology to help ease the flow of traffic in the state.
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