His Majesty King Obukowho Monday Arthur Whiskey
King Whiskey warns of rising deaths, economic paralysis, and demands urgent government, corporate intervention.
The Paramount Ruler of the oil-rich Idjerhe Kingdom in Delta State, His Majesty King Obukowho Monday Arthur Whiskey (JP+), Ph.D, has issued a stark warning over the worsening condition of roads across Nigeria’s South-South region, describing them as “death traps” that claim lives daily and cripple economic activities.
Speaking from his palace in Idjerhe, Ethiope West Local Government Area, the monarch lamented that despite the region’s massive contribution to Nigeria’s wealth through oil and gas, successive governments have failed to provide safe, motorable roads. “We no longer have roads in South-South Nigeria. What we have now are graveyards. Truck drivers, traders, and even emergency services risk their lives every day. This is unacceptable,” the traditional ruler declared.
King Whiskey highlighted that critical federal and state roads linking Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, and Cross River are riddled with potholes, erosion gullies, and broken sections that have become hotspots for fatal accidents and loss of goods in transit.
He cited the Benin–Warri highway, particularly the Ologbo section, as an example of failed project execution. “For three years, contractors have been working in one spot. They finish one side, block the other, and force all trucks from the North and West to squeeze through. This is madness,” he fumed.
The monarch urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors in the region, and relevant agencies to urgently prioritise reconstruction, especially using the current short dry season in the Niger Delta to fix dangerous portions. “Some failed sections are just two to three kilometres long. What does it take for a responsible government or contractor to fix them?” he asked.
He further called on multinational oil companies to include road rehabilitation in their corporate social responsibility programmes, stressing that good roads are essential for boosting trade, improving healthcare access, and curbing insecurity and rural-urban migration.
While expressing optimism in President Tinubu’s leadership, King Whiskey warned that continued neglect of South-South roads would worsen poverty and economic stagnation. “We know President Tinubu means well, but in meaning well, we need special attention in the South-South,” he concluded.
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