Angry students of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (AKWAPOLY), Ikot Osurua in Ikot Ekpene local government area have condemned the frequent killing of their colleagues on the deplorable Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road.
Tension has been building up as another ghastly accident claimed one Miss Faith Asukwo, an HND I student of the Department of Biological Science, which her colleagues blamed on the collapsed section of the federal highway.
“Many of our students have lost their lives on this ever-busy one lane road from Ikot Ekpene to the neighbouring Abia State.
“The federal government has severally promised to fix the road, but complaints and agitations drawing the attention to this death trap have failed to yield any positive response,” Essien Atakpa, one of the aggrieved students said.
“These recurring accidents are direct consequences of government’s negligence,” he added
Checks revealed that for years, the road project, which was slated for full dualisation, has been abandoned with no compensation paid to affected communities.
But intermittent “maintenance” work, it was gathered, only worsened the situation, leaving the highway riddled with potholes, making it increasingly dangerous, particularly for truck users.
“Only a few days earlier, on August 7, a man and a woman were crushed in a truck accident on the same route, while another crash on August 18 near the market area almost led to the death of another student.
“In April this year, a female student and her unborn child died in a similar accident, and in January 2024, two Science Laboratory Technology students lost their lives in a fatal crash.
“The government has continued to ignore us because none of their children attend this school. They live in comfort at Ewet Housing and Shelter Afrique, while we face death daily,” Akan Effiong, a student activist said
Meanwhile, some community leaders and youths have called for immediate palliative measures, including the installation of speed bumps from the school gate through Ikot Inyang community, where many students live, to check recklessness by truck drivers.
“This should be the turning point. How many more lives must we lose before action is taken?” they queried.
