In Ilogbo, Ife residents despair over dilapidated roads

Ilogbo Bridges As Deathtraps

Residents of Ilogbo in Ado-Odo Local Council of Ogun State have appealed to the state governor Dapo Abiodun to come to their aid, saying the only access road that connects them to Iju and Iyana Ilogbo is becoming increasingly unbearable to travel on. They are also calling on the governor to carry out a total rehabilitation of the road to help boost growth and development in the area. Aside from the deplorable condition of the road and the havoc it causes the people during raining season, the community also lamented the high cost of transportation from Oju-Oore bus stop to Ilogbo town and the constant collapse of bridges in the area.

Speaking to The Guardian, Deji Bankole noted that ordinarily, a journey from Oju-Oore to Ilogbo town shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes but because of the bad road dotted with terrible potholes, no drainage system and coupled with erosion, people now spend over an hour on the road before getting to their destination.

According to him, “the bad road has made driving so difficult and has damaged so many cars, vehicles, keke Napep including okada. Some people have also lost their lives during raining season. Again, the bridges we have on this road are always collapsing. Of course, they are old but it’s like the rains have helped to weaken them, making them to fall apart and when it happens, we experience traffic jam and long queues. For instance, the bridge at Atimo junction has been bad for over a year now, but we’re grateful that Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd is repairing the bridge just like Winners Chapel Church came to our help the other time when another bridge at the Sawmill fell.

“This is our predicament in this area and because of the condition we found ourselves in, we don’t have banks, no police station, no hospitals and Ota local government is far from us, they don’t care.”

Bankole, who is also not happy that okada riders and keke Napep drivers are exploiting them, said a journey that used to cost N100 per person now cost them between N200 and N250 simply because of the situation in the area.

Another concerned resident, who simply gave his name as Lateef, complained bitterly of how he took photographs and video of the area and sent them to Ado-Odo local government in Ota and till date nothing has been done to alleviate the community’s plight. He said once rain falls, the entire community is in trouble as a result of bad road and lack of drainage system. He also heaved a sign of relief that Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd has taken up the responsibility to repair Odun Atere bridge at Atimo bus stop, which collapsed over a year ago and has killed over five people any time it rains.

Lateef bemoaned the fact that Ogun State government is collecting road worthiness from car owners when roads are bad. “If you buy a new car here, you can hardly enjoy it for six months. Government knows how impassable the road is, but when it is time for election, you see them here with their banners, making promises they will never fulfill.”

Also, Prophet Asiwaju Oluwaseyi of Celestial Church of Christ, Ashiomole Global Parish, Ilogbo, is infuriated that the Odun Atere bridge now under construction has killed over five people. He said when the bridge was bad and the road terrible to pass, the community cried for help but help didn’t come from anywhere until over five people died at the bridge and even created more problems.

He said: “Apart from this, the entire road is also bad and we have a local government at Ota. People have been saying that this Ilogbo road has been awarded three times; it must be during the tenure of Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun administrations. I want the government to come to our aid but I know they cannot do it, because these politicians are all same, including the man who said he is fighting corruption.

Chairman of the Okada Riders Association at Atimo bus stop near the collapsed bridge, Sirk Kamoru pleaded with government to widen the Ilogbo road and make it double lane.

He, however, lamented that what might hinder this is that Governor Dapo Abiodun has tagged the road a federal road. “I don’t know how this Ilogbo road is a federal road. People here are suffering greatly, ” he said.

‘Ife Inner Roads Need Urgent Rehabilitation’
ILE-IFE is endowed with historical sites, no doubt. But away from the captivating welcome into the city, one is assaulted by sights of inner roads that have collapsed and become almost impassable. Approaching Mayfair and past the big round-about, the sight of the dilapidated road after the round-about en-route Lagere is an eyesore. The bad road almost always results in gridlock.

According to one of the indigenes, Oluwasegun Obisanya, “I have known this part of the road like this for years. If I am not mistaken, it has been like this for the past fifteen years. It is surprising that successive governments have ignored this spot. The frustrating aspect is that despite the condition of this section of the road, it is like a kind of garage is created here which compounds the problems of other vehicles moving on the road. This is the reason for the traffic jam experienced most often.”

While approaching Lagere, close to the Seventhday Adventist hospital, the portion of the road is also bad and gives motorists headache. Bemoaning the situation of the roads in Ife, the Anglican Bishop of Ife, Rt. Rev. Olubunmi Akinlade lamented the deplorable condition. He noted that many of the seemingly good roads were constructed during the government of governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, adding that the governments that took over from him scarcely did anything to improve their condition.

“We commend the government for the reconstruction of the road leading from Akinlalu junction through Asipa, Ipetumodu, Yakoyo to Moro-Eduabon intersection. We urge the government to extend the construction into Akinlalu town from Akinlalu junction. We also appeal to the government to reconstruct the road leading inside the Arubidi community,” he said.

The cleric said it was sad that the federal government raised the hope of many people in Ife when it gave the impression that the federal road passing through the city was to be rehabilitated and given a facelift.

He noted that some residents, whose houses were demolished when the government started the construction of the road, were even using their buildings to get their daily bread. He said those affected they had since been denied of their income, yet the federal government has abandoned the project. He called on the federal government to address whatever problems that led to the stoppage of the construction.

Alhaji Akeem Obisanya, who operates a block-making industry along Isala Alagbara along Modakeke road, also called on the government to rehabilitate the road that has remained bad for a long time.

“For quite a long time, this road has remained like this. It is gives us heartache because it is affecting our businesses as the only road that links us with the major road. It takes a lot of effort for vehicle owners to pass through this road because of its deplorable condition,” he said.

The road leading to Aserifa axis is also calling for attention because of the concentration of students of University of Ife there. A student, Kehinde Aremu, called on government to make the road to the axis more motorable because of the population of university students living there.