24th September, 2012
The recent overflow of the River Benue has blocked parts of the Makurdi-Gboko Highway, especially from Tyo-mu end, about 13 kilometres from Makurdi.
More than half of the road had been submerged, making most vehicular traffic to avoid the road, witnesses said.
Only heavy duty vehicles and some vehicles belonging to Tyo-mu residents still ply the road.
Apart from Gwer East, Gwer West, Makurdi and Guma, the road is the gateway to the remaining 19 local government area councils of the state.
The road also connects Benue with Taraba and Cross River.
Vehicles travelling to Gboko and the other parts of Tiv land, now opt to move through Aliade, which is about twice the trip from Makurdi to Gboko.
A senior official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said that the situation had become very tasking, resulting in the deployment of a large number of his colleagues to the road to control traffic.
A cross section of the drivers, especially, those travelling to Gboko, expressed concern over the situation and called on the government to take urgent steps to reduce the suffering of the people.
It was not only the road that the flood has affected. It has also washed away rice and soyabean farms along the Makurdi-Gboko road and submerged several houses.