Pakuro and Ajumoni Community Development Committee (CDC) areas in Ofada ward, Obafemi Owode Local Council of Ogun State have called on the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, to urgently rehabilitate their access roads.
The roads connecting Magbon River, a renowned sand excavation site passing through 18 communities to the Deeper Life camp end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has over the years become a nightmare for residents.
Lamenting the poor state of the access road in a letter to the governor, the communities said the situation has greatly hindered business development and government opportunities in the area.
In the letter dated October 27, the communities comprising Pakuro, Ijere-Worugundu, Magbon, Tolotolo and others, lamented that about N35 million has been spent by the communities to rehabilitate the roads, in which services of graders, excavators, bulldozers and pay loaders were involved.
They also stated that despite the presence of three primary schools within the area, namely; Obafemi Owode Nursery and Primary school, Pakuro, Obafemi Owode Nursery and Primary school, Kara Nla, and Obafemi Owode Nursery and Primary school, Magbon, as well as a court in Pakuro, the roads have been abandoned for years.
“It is noteworthy that dredging and sand mining activities takes place at Magbon and its environs from where the state government generates revenue, but the road situation is a great limitation to maximizing this opportunity.
“A good road in this axis will quickly drive more development within the area and also boost productivity of government interests. Also, the agenda and the vision of your administration toward rural development will be achieved within our area and further consolidate on the newly constructed Melegun-Oke-Ipa-Pakuro link bridge,” they noted.
Expressing joy over the increased number of voters and additional polling units they were able to secure from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the previous election, the community called on the government for prompt response to the road rehabilitation request.
The letter received on October 30 by the office of the governor, was copied to the state Commissioner for Works, Adebowale Akinsanya, Speaker of the state House of Assembly , Olakunle Oluomo, and signed by chairmen of the CDCs, Jimoh Owolabi, Elder Samsom Omotoso, and secretaries, Olunaike Oludare and Coker Ola, respectively.
Confirming the receipt of the letter, a senior officer at the governor’s office, Oke Mosan Abeokuta, who would not want his name mentioned, said the governor as a listening and grass root person interested in development of the state looked at the situation with a view to rehabilitating the roads.
