THE OLD URUM-ISUANIOCHA ROAD: A PATH OF ABANDONMENT LEADING TO JOHN BOSCO SEMINARY

By ODOGWU OGONNA I

There are roads that connect communities. Then there are roads that have been forgotten by time. The old road linking Urum to Isuaniocha Old Road, leading to John Bosco Seminary Catholic School, Isuaniocha belongs to the latter.

A look at the road today reveals a scene of total neglect. What should be a motorable route has been reduced to a narrow red-earth track, overgrown on both sides by tall grass. The surface is loose, sandy and deeply rutted. During the rains, it becomes a pool of mud. In the dry season, it turns to dust and potholes. No vehicle can ply it with ease.

This road is not just any path in Awka-North. It is an educational and spiritual artery. It leads directly to John Bosco Seminary Catholic School, Isuaniocha-an institution that has trained priests, scholars and leaders who serve across Nigeria and beyond. Yet the very road that should give easy access to the seminary has become a major obstacle.

THE HUMAN COST
1.Students suffer most.Young seminarians and their colleagues trek long distances through bush and erosion channels just to get to class. In rainy season, they arrive wet and tired.
2.Parents and visitors are cut off. Many parents cannot visit their children. Church groups, suppliers, and well-wishers find it difficult to reach the school.
3.ECONOMIC IMPACT.Farmers in Urum and Isuaniocha who use this route cannot evacuate produce to the market on time. Goods spoil. Transport fares double because drivers risk damage to their vehicles.
4.Security and emergencies.In case of illness or emergency, conveying a sick person to hospital in Awka is almost impossible.

👉THE BIGGER PICTURE
This Urum-Isuaniocha feeder road is part of the larger Akpuovu Road network that serves Amanuke, Urum, Mgbakwu, Ebenebe and Isuaniocha. When one section fails, the entire chain collapses. That is why communities across Awka-North are crying out.

👉We commend the efforts of our representative, Hon. Prof. Oby Lilian Orogbu, Ada Di Ebube, who has shown commitment to education through renovation of schools across Awka North and South. But roads are the foundation. Without access, the classrooms she has renovated will remain difficult to reach.

👉OUR APPEAL
We call on the administration of His Excellency, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo to, as a matter of urgency, direct the Ministry of Works to assess and reconstruct the Old Urum-Isuaniocha Road and link it properly to Akpuovu Road. We also urge that it be captured in the 2026 budget and work plan.

Education deserves good roads. Our seminarians deserve dignity. Our communities deserve access.

The people of Awka-North are hardworking and law-abiding. We only ask for what is due to us as citizens.