[Exim] aliases

I have been using Exim neer 6 months now, and have just come to realize that some of my aliases are not working, well any alias associated with root is not working. Here is the router section of my exim.conf file that handles aliases.

system_aliases:
driver = redirect
allow_fail
allow_defer
data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch{/etc/aliases}}
# user = exim
file_transport = address_file
pipe_transport = address_pipe

here is /etc/aliases..... I dont see any reason that the aliases to and from root dont work but they dont, bin gets mail addresed to bin@myhost, root gets mail rejected because of the neverusers inculsion, but will get roots mail if that root is taken out of the neverusers in exim.conf, however all aliases for the user redog and other users on my system work correctly.... What is going on? Im out of ideas on where to troubleshoot next.

postmaster: root
mailer-daemon: postmaster
root: redog
bin: root
daemon: root
ftp: root
nobody: root
operator: root
uucp: root
ego: redog
eric: redog

Thanks for your time,
eric.ortego@???