The traders’ union at Akon market in Awan Chan county have welcomed the plan by the ministry of Physical Infrastructure to renovate 70 kilometers of road from Gogrial to Akon, which will end at Peth Lou bridge in Aweil East.

The traders expressed their happiness after an assessment on roads was carried out last week, and a plan to start new rennovations was discussed by a team that included two ministers of physical infrastructure, local government officials, and a group of engineers from an Adimdit Limited, a road construction company. 

Awan Chan county traders’ chairperson Lino Akuoc said that the repair of roads will solve difficulties regarding transportation of goods and people. The road repair will also give business people confidence to supply a variety of goods to the market.

“The market is okay here because we have some goods coming from Aweil East state through Majok Yithiou route. Some goods come from Uganda but our major problems are bad roads which the government is now trying to fix. I am not going to talk (about the) road between Wau and Kuajok, but roads between Gogrial and Akon are completely in bad shape” said Akuoc.

Another trader, Akech Bol, said that Akon market was demarcated, but internal roads are not level. Akech said he wants the government to level the roads so that big trucks can reach the market without fear of getting stuck.

“Our problem here in the market is the issue (of) floods, and this year I think we are not going to operate in this market due to water. Year ago when we moved here, water destroyed 40 sacks of wheat flours in the shop of Wek Aru and Madut Aluong’s shop also flooded and 60 sacks of wheat flours (were) destroyed inside” explained Akech.

The trader added that during the rainy season, it has become difficult to hire trucks to transport goods to Akon market because the owners say their tracks spend many days on the roads, and fear getting stuck.

“The repair of Akon road and other road networks in the county of Awan Pajook, Marial Apiir village and Ariang Awan will enable movement of people. This will boost business activities between counties of Gogrial including Aweil East state as well and will also allow farmers at Toc Chol, which is an agriculture land, to transport farm products to the markets easily” said Bona Atem Thuc, the minister of physical infrastructure for Gogrial state.

“We came here to assess roads after we were informed that road between Gogrial to Peth Lou is cut off and people walk on foot to cover long distances, and this has slowed down their business activities. Mayen Pajook is also another county with no good road and we are going to create (another) road there” added Atem.

Atem said the Adimdit road construction company will begin work this month, and payment will be arranged in the future. 

Due to the poor condition of road between Gogrial and Akon, the commercial buses traveling from Kuajok town must pass via Alek first, where they connect to another route and go to Akon. It means travelers journey is long and sometimes expensive.  

 File photo: Akon North village, Warrap State (Creative Commons License/Flickr/hypermobility)