Ifo Initiative Calls On Ogun Govt To Intervene On Bad Roads
Residents of some communities in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, under the Ifo Greater Development Initiative have called on the state government to come to the aid of the communities within the Local Government over the deplorable state of roads.
According to them, roads in Alagbole, Akute, Alapara, Osaro, Lambe, Giwa, Oke –aro, AgbadoOja, Ope-ilu, Itoki, Ijoko and Ogba Ayo all in the area have been left as death traps and dilapidated state by successive governments.
They insisted that the area has not had it as bad as it had been in the past eight years under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. Community leaders, businessmen, traders and farmers, at a forum in Akute on Monday, called on Governor Dapo Abiodun, to factor Ifo into the key areas he would pay attention to early in his administration.
One of the leaders, Chief Adekunle Yusuf, said that the area had suffered untold hardship in the past eight years, owing to poor state of roads in the area, ranging from federal to local government roads. “The general environment has become an eyesore. Workers, traders, transporters and other motorists, commuting through the roads have been experiencing hell due to the heavy traffic jam, caused by the terrible condition of the roads. And the suffering is becoming more unbearable,” he said.
He lamented that residents of Akute have suffered so much as, “some of these inner roads were constructed several decades ago while others have suffered persistent neglect.”
Another leader, a businessman, Olaniyi Adeola, said that some of the roads were impassable just as others were repaired through community efforts. “Many accidents on motorcycles happen on the road during the rainy seasons and we have cried out but government has ignored us. Many car owners had opted to abandon their cars at home. And for those that are still motorable, one will have to master the potholes and others. If he doesn’t do that, he may have himself to blame.”
He said that despite the strong support of the area to the All Progressives Congress, most roads in the area, including the Ijoko – Berger road, which stretches from Sango-Ijoko through Akute, Alagbole up to Berger remained deplorable. Other leaders at the forum said that they were not happy with the treatment received from the Amosun administration. “Instead of granting this singular wish of thousands of residents living in these suburbs area, Governor Amosun made their situation worse. Work on the bridge (Adiyan river) Abule Osho linking Giwa – Oke aro with Olambe in Ifo Local Government Area have been abandoned.
“The residents of Olambe, Matogun, Akute, Abule Ekun, Abule Osho and Osere, who thought the governor would put smiles on their faces are now facing agonies in these areas due the abandoned road projects,” said a farmer, who did not disclose his name.
