Three road transport organisations, yesterday in Abuja issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum within which it should commence the rehabilitation of major roads in the country or face an indefinite strike.

They are National Association of Road Transport Owners; Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union and National Union of Road Transport Workers.

The stakeholders warned that all types of commercial vehicles, tankers, trucks, trailers, lorries and commuters would withdraw their services to drive home their demands if the demand was not heeded.

Specifically, the associations listed the Mokwa-Jebba-Bode-Sa'adu Road and Eleme-Obigbo Road, as some of the roads the government must commence immediate rehabilitation or face an indefinite strike.

National President of NARTO, Dr. Kassim Bataiya; National Chairman of PTD, Salmon Oladiti; and National President of NURTW, Dr. Najim Yasin, made their position known in a joint press conference addressed at NARTO secretariat, Abuja. They listed other roads in deplorable condition as Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala and the Calabar-Ikot Ekpene-Aba roads.

Others are Aba-Umuahia, Onitsha-Enugu, 9 Mile-Otukpa, Owerri-Port Harcourt, and the Enugu-Port Harcourt road in the South-East.

For the North-West zone are Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos, Funtua-Birnin Gwari, Kano-Gwarzo-Daya, Yawuri-Kontagora and some parts of Kano-Katsina road. In the North-Central are Jebba-Bode-Sa'adu-Ilorin, Kontagora-pizzi(makera), Okene-Lokoja- Abaji.

In the South-West zone are Apapa-Tincan-Oshodi road; Lagos-Sango Otta-Abeokuta road; Shagamu-Ajebandele- Ore road and the Ikorodu-Sagamu road. In the North-East are Gombe-Biu-Gombe-Mubi road, Potiskum-Bajoja-Gombe, Maiduguri-Gamborin Gala, Ngorore-Mayabalwa Jada-ganye, Numan-Jalingo-Wukari-Katsina Ala road, and the Nguru-Gashua-Garin-Alkali roads.

Speaking on behalf of the unions, Bataiya said the need for government's prompt intervention became necessary as a result of frequent loss of lives and property, vehicle breakdown and crashes on the roads on daily basis.

He said, "NARTO, PTD and NURTW have therefore resolved that if by 14 days from the date of this press briefing, government neglects or refuses to commence rehabilitation of the Mokwa-Jebba-Bode-Sa'adu Road and the Eleme- Obigbo Road in particular, we would be left with no option than to withdraw our services of all types of commercial vehicles, tank trucks, trailers and lorries.

"If at the end of our ultimatum, the government does not react to our demands, you should wait until after 14 days, then you will see what we are going to do."