Bad roads threaten 7,000 industries in Ogun

• Ota residents decry frequent accidents, economic downturn
About 7,000 industries in Ota, Ogun State, are currently being threatened by the dilapidated and poor roads network linking the commercial hubs of the gateway state.

Investigations showed that scores of the industries in Ota Industrial Estate, and at Agbara Industrial hub, are groaning under the poor environment that has stunted efforts at growing their businesses.

This is because movement on the bad roads are frustrating the transportation of raw materials and manufactured goods in and out of the factories and other states in the Federation.

The Guardian gathered that efforts to get the Ogun State Government to fix the roads have yielded no results, as transporters decry the wear and tear on their vehicles, as well as associated risks to human lives and properties, in view of the numerous accidents being experienced on the roads on daily basis.

Some of the firms operating in the areas include, Cway Food and Beverages, and Sewel Pharmaceuticals situated along the Ilogbo Road; Ligmus360 on the Obasanjo-Ijagba Road; De United Foods Industries Limited, and Indomie Seasoning Factory on Idiroko Road. Others are Euro Global Foods and Distilleries; Alumax Industries; Sun Metal Industries; Purechem Manufacturing Limited; and The Priority Aluminium all in Ota Industrial Estate; as well as Daraju Industries Limited; Aristocrat Industries Limited; Green Fuels Limited, and a host of many others.

Some officials of the industries, in a chat with The Guardian called for immediate action on the road infrastructure to sustain economic activities in the areas, noting that their businesses generate huge tax revenues for the State Government.

The companies decried the long neglect of the roads by successive governments of the state, urging the current Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to live up to his campaign promises by fixing them.

In particular, they urged the Abiodun-led government to construct a flyover across the Oju-Ore area of Ota, which has become a critical traffic congestion point, noting that an alternative route could be exploited through the Obasanjo-Ijagba Road, which would lead commuters to Lafenwa-Itele and onward to Ayobo area of Lagos State.Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, that shares a border with Lagos State, is the second largest in Ogun State, with its headquarters at Ota.

Residents in Ota got said they got a relief from the former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who constructed 22 roads linking the Ogun communities, and they expect a similar gesture from the present administration in Ogun.

Furthermore, other major rods begging for rehabilitation in the state include the Lafenwa-Ayobo Road; Ota-Itele Road; Ota-Ikola Road linking the new bridge constructed by Lagos; Odo Pako Road, Navy School of Music Road; and the Agbara-Atan Road, among others are doing no good to the survival of the industries among others.

In particular, they noted that the Obasanjo-Ijagba Road, connects over 50 communities in Iyesi, Dada-Asaila, Ijagba, Elejigbo, Eledi, Atan, Onibiku, Iju, and Winners, which residents argue would provide an alternative route and ease the heavy traffic congestion along the Toll Gate-Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, if rehabilitated.

Likewise, they believe that the expansion of the Iju River narrow bridge, which has claimed many lives in the past would travelling on these roads more comfortable. A community leader, Olushola Ajaara, warned that if the state government delayed further, more industries would close shop, thereby increasing the unemployment rate and depleting the fortunes of the state economy.