Sir: Imeri-Aiyegunle road is a federal road and has long been abandoned by successive governments, thus cutting off Edo, Kogi, Delta and the Eastern region parents that would otherwise have used the road to get to the Nigerian Navy Secondary School (NNSS) Imeri.

To most Nigerians, Imeri is not a familiar name. However, it becomes a recurring name if you have a son or daughter that attends a Nigerian Navy Secondary School. Among the nine Navy Secondary Schools in Nigeria, NNSS Imeri is one of them. Today, Imeri proudly sits on the map as a navy secondary school town – even Chat GPT will show you its location, thanks to technology.

The Nigerian Navy Secondary School Imeri, among the nine Navy Secondary Schools in Nigeria can be described as the pride of Ondo State. Although there was effort to repair the road under former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, the job was poorly executed and never completed. And so, this resulted to gully erosion virtually in all sections of the road which has made it no longer motorable.

Until September 19, 1991, Imeri was a rural community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State being the only original Yoruba speaking community in Akoko Edo. Imeri was separated from Ondo State by the Ose River while Sobe an Edo speaking community across the Ose River was in Ondo State.

However, the community’s strong voice and leader, Dr Bode Olajumoke leveraged his relationship with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Sani Abacha, Chief Arthur Nbanefo (then Chairman, Creation of States and Local Governments) to get Imeri excised from Bendel State to join her kits and kins in Ondo State, while Sobe then in Ondo State also enjoyed the privilege of joining Edo State during the same exercise.

There are two main access roads to Imeri. Imeri-Idogun road and Aiyegunle-Imeri road; but only the Imeri-Idogun road is accessible. For decades the Aiyegunle-Imeri road has been inaccessible due to its deplorable condition. This means anyone coming from the south-western states and north central will necessarily come through the Imeri-Idogun-Idoani road that is accessible. Imeri is blocked from Edo, Kogi, Delta and the Eastern states because there is no thoroughfare. This should have been the Aiyegunle-Imeri road; but the road is a complete write-off. And so, all the states have to come through the Idoani-Idogun-Imeri road.

Imeri no doubt, a farm community had established links with Ibillo market, Igarra market and Jattu market in Uzuare Etsako, Edo State. This made Imeri popular especially on market days when traders with all farm products lined up Imeri for their merchandise.

Taiwo Adekanye wrote from Ondo State.

This is now a past story no thanks to the Aiyegunle-Imeri road; a distance of 14 kilometers.

The government of the late Col. Samuel Ogbemudia tarred Imeri road (first time ever) from Eti Ose (Uka) to Ago-Omoba in 1973/74 when he was governor of the Mid-Western Region during Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s regime. However, Chief J.O Oye an indigene of Imeri in government facilitated the completion of the road from Ago-Omoba to Aiyegunle with subsequent government of Edo State.

The road from Eti Ose to Aiyegunle was resurfaced by the government of Prof. Ambrose Ali in 1982. All these were executed at the time when Imeri was in Akoko Edo Local Government Area in Edo State.

After the transition of Imeri to Ondo State, Senator Bode Olajumoke influenced the administration of Dr Olusegun Agagu to revisit work on the road which has now become a federal road.

It is obvious that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu has constructed several roads across the country and this is very commendable. The good people of Imeri are appealing to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, to look into the plight of the community and reconstruct the Imeri-Aiyegunle road.

The benefits of the road don’t just lie on the accessibility to community markets. Rather it will boost both economic and social developments along the corridor. It will also attract investors to that region. Tourist sites, hotels, as well as industries can be set up along the corridor.

As a former member of the Senate, Olajumoke has pulled his weight once again on the issue by extending his appeal to Senator Jide Ipinsagba (Ondo North) and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, (Edo North) as well as Chairman, Senate Committee on Works to look into the Imeri-Aiyegunle road and give it a voice in the red chambers as this is a federal road and students from all over Nigeria attend NNSS Imeri and their parents visit them on a monthly basis.