Residents of Agbado, Abule Ijoko, Itoki, Ope-Ilu and other adjoining communities in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have lamented the untold hardship caused by dilapidated roads in the area.
The residents told NGBREAKINGNEWS Metro during a visit to the communities on Tuesday that the situation has persisted for over 15 years with little or no attention from the government.
During the visit, our correspondent observed that the stretch of road connecting the communities from Agbado Oja to Abule Ijoko, spanning about 13 kilometres, has collapsed.
While some parts were barely motorable, others remained completely impassable and overgrown with weeds.
Speaking with our correspondent, a resident, Waheed Sanyaolu, said the situation has brought different dimensions of suffering to the communities.
He said, “We are suffering, and we feel like we have been totally cut off from civilisation. We have made repeated calls to the government to come to our rescue, but we have not received any response. It was only during Ibikunle Amosun’s administration that we got a little attention, but it did not translate into anything meaningful.”
Our correspondent, while traversing the stretch of the road, observed how motorists and pedestrians struggled to navigate various craters and waterlogged gullies along the route.
Some vehicles and tricycles were also seen breaking down at different points due to the condition of the road.
Another resident said the rainy season has compounded the community’s suffering following frequent flooding occasioned by the rains.
He said, “You have come here at the right time. You can see what we are going through.
“Moving from Agbado Crossing to Abule Ijoko is just about a 10-minute drive, but the road is no longer motorable unless you use a motorcycle. Even the motorcycles have to pass through inner streets and areas such as Gasline, Oluasho and Oyetedo before linking Sharp Bend and proceeding to Abule Ijoko.”
The dilapidated state of the roads was also said to have posed security threats to residents and transporters in the communities.
Residents, especially those returning from work, as well as transport workers, are often attacked by hoodlums at night while trying to navigate the roads.
“Just because of these bad roads, we have recorded a series of attacks by hoodlums in this area. Those affected the most are people returning from work and motorcycle riders. Ordinarily, by 8pm, you can barely find a motorcycle due to the condition of the road, so the few available are often exposed to attacks. While passengers are dispossessed of their belongings, the motorcycles are often seized from the riders,” a resident who identified himself simply as Olatunji disclosed.
While showing our correspondent a picture of one of the victims of the attacks on his phone, Olatunji disclosed that the hoodlums hit him on the head with a hammer.
Meanwhile, the residents attributed the worsening condition of the roads to the construction of the Lateef Jakande train station situated at Agbado Crossing.
According to the residents, although the roads were already dilapidated, they were still manageable until the construction began around 2017.
“The construction of the train station totally destroyed the roads. This was due to the presence of heavy-duty trucks plying the roads from the Sango-Ota area while supplying granite to the construction site. We were still managing the roads before they came, but the moment they started operations, everything worsened. And when they finished, they did not bother to fix the roads; they simply left them that way.”
Transporters who spoke with NGBREAKINGNEWS Metro said they spend huge amounts repairing their vehicles and motorcycles.
It was gathered that this has also increased transportation costs within the community.
“Today alone, I have spent N18,000 repairing my motorcycle. This has become a routine experience for us. We need the intervention of the government,” a rider who identified himself simply as Taoreed told NGBREAKINGNEWS Metro.
A female resident who preferred anonymity appealed to the government to clear the drainage channel by the footbridge at Bashy Bus Stop in the community.
According to her, the blockage is also contributing to flooding in the already flood-prone area.
“The drainage by the footbridge is blocked, and it is causing flooding. We need immediate intervention. If you had come here yesterday, you would not have been able to pass through because the area was completely flooded. Students returning from school were also wading through the water. It is extremely dangerous,” she said.
The state Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, could not be reached for comments as calls made to her telephone line were not responded to. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
