Commuter passing through various highways in Anambra state, particularly along the Onitsha/Owerri dual carriageway are groaning under heavy traffic gridlocks caused by police road blocks on the highways.

The areas mostly affected by these gridlocks are Obosi by-pass under the newly completed second Niger Bridge fly-over, the Ozubulu Police Area Command Headquarters, the Ekwusigo Local Government Area Headquarters also at Ozubulu and Okija junction all along the Onitsha-Owerri dual carriageway.

Speaking to newsmen over the ugly development, a concerned citizen and Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of Importers Association of Nigeria (IAN), Chief Gilbert Bravo Obi called on police authorities in Anambra state command to urgently monitor the activities of their subordinates at these road blocks.

Obi lamented that the negative consequences of the commando style of these policemen at the road blocks are gradually becoming too inexplicable that law abiding commuters are no longer comfortable with the presence of these policemen on the highways.

Obi insisted that the manner with which these policemen block both sides of the express roads with condemned motor tyres and drums and then leave only a small space where they would flag down every incoming vehicle.

He said by so doing, while the policemen would be demanding one thing or the other from each of the drivers passing through the road block, the gridlock would build up two miles or even more

He therefore suggested that if the policemen are suspecting any vehicle, they should order the driver to clear out of the road for searching while others continue with their journey instead of wasting commuter’s time.

“People are not against police check points or roadblocks on our highways because of the security challenges of our time but against the lackadaisical attitude of the policemen which usually causes the heavy gridlocks and put law abiding commuters into unnecessary hardships,” Bravo said.

Reacting to the development, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga told newsmen on phone that he would reach out to the command monitoring unit to intensify efforts towards arresting the situation. (Vanguard)

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