The 23-kilometer (14.3 miles) Arochukwu-Ohafia Road is a Federal road which runs from Ebem in Ohafia to Amuvi Village in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State. Along this stretch of road lie two major towns of Ihechiowa and Ututu which form parts of the local government area, along with Abam and Isu communities with an estimated population of 169,000 people.

The road, first constructed during the First Republic era, was last rehabilitated during the Second Republic administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Since then, subsequent repairs by successive governments have been nothing more than grading during the dry season and filling of some potholes in the rainy season. During the Sani Abacha military regine, contract was awarded for reconstruction of the road from Ohafia to Arochukwu, under the Petroleum Trust Fund [PTF] programme headed by General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). The contractor chose to start from the Umuahia end and work towards Arochukwu; in 1999, when work had already reached parts of Ebem Ohafia, the Obasanjo administration decided to wind down PTF and reverted this and several other road projects back to the Federal Ministry of Works. That signaled the beginning of the sufferings of the communities along this road, and those who ply it on a daily basis.

The purpose of this essay is not to chronicle the story of failed political promises or abandoned road projects by contractors; rather it is to examine the health, social and economic impacts of the deplorable state of the 14.3 mile stretch of Federal road, which, under normal circumstances, should be a 30 minutes drive from Ebem Ohafia to Amuvi-Arochukwu, thus enhancing the businesses of residents of Ihechiowa, Ututu and Arochukwu communities; in fact those that use the infrastructure on a daily basis.

Health implications on the road users

The one hour journey from Arochukwu to Umuahia, where better health services are available, takes three hours. This results in major delays in accessing better healthcare facilities in Umuahia and Aba for emergency situations, leading to exacerbation of existing health situation and, eventually death.

There is increased frequency of accidents resulting in multiple deaths and dismemberments. Aside the accidents, plying the road in the worst of seasons, especially with public transportation, may have resulted in many pregnancy miscarriages. Lack of evidence to this claim may be attributed to two reasons: one, there are no existing records; because, two, commuters have not made a correlation between the loss of a pregnancy soon after plying the road and the condition of the road itself.

The dusty nature of the road in the dry season, especially immediately after grading, either results in onset of many respiratory illnesses in the most vulnerable – especially children and elderly, or compounds existing situations in many who are already suffering various kinds of respiratory ailments.

Also, for the weak and elderly, plying the Arochukwu – Ohafia Road could (and do) result in muscular-skeletal displacements, including hip, knee and ankle strains and dislocation. All of these strain not only the skeletal health services available to the rural communities, but their personal budgets too, since only a few of them could afford to pay for private healthcare.

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