Ogun state has its share of the deplorable tales of bad roads across the length and breath of the three senatorial districts as OLUFEMI ADENIRAN in this report narrates what appears like its climax recently.
Residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital are currently counting their losses following the recent two-week long heavy rainfall in the state.
The rain left in its wake destruction, agony, portholes, gully erosions and painful tears.
Many of the residents, especially motorists, have expressed their frustration on the level of destruction the rain has caused them.
Investigation reveals that those mostly affected by the torrential rain are people living along river banks. As a result of this, many of them have since packed their belongings and left their houses.
It is no longer a doubt that Abeokuta, the state capital, is littered with bad roads and the rain had further exposed the deplorable condition of the roads to the users.
The issue of bad roads resonated recently throughout the town hall meetings, organised by the state government to seek the input of the people in the 2020 budget preparation.
All over the state, there was only one thing the people from the three senatorial districts of Ogun Central, Ogun East and Ogun West demanded for and that was road construction and rehabilitation of existing ones that are in total disrepair.
The people reminded the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, of the anguish, horror, pain and sufferings they pass through on the road on a daily basis in search of their daily bread.
Therefore, to state that the state is a theatre of bad roads is an understatement as many roads, both major and inner roads have been washed away by gully erosion and bridges are collapsing thereby frustrating economic and social activities all over the state.
To that extent, most communities in the state have the same take of woes as far as road infrastructures are concerned.
In Abeokuta, for instance, Brewery/Olomore/Ita-Oshin road, Lafenwa/Rounder road, Pansenke/Adigbe/Obada-Oko road, Ita-Oshin/Oke-Ata road, Asero/Obantoko road and Iberekodo/Elega road are just few that are begging to be fixed urgently.
Also on the list, Temidire/Abule-Oke road in Sabo area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area has totally collapsed, cutting off the communities in the area.
It can be recalled that members of the community through their communal labour and self-help project had constructed the bridge over 20 years ago which had served its purpose until now.
As it is presently, the river is now dangerous for the people, especially school children, to cross without a bridge over it.
To prevent being drowned, some youths in the community assist the school children by carrying them on their backs to cross the river every day.
Counting the losses
Although, residents of the community are glad that no life was lost in the flood, the flood however did not spare some of the houses built along the river bank.
Recounting her ordeal, Mrs Rashidat Adeyemo whose part of the house was swept away by the flood, lamented that she lost almost everything to the flood.
Adeyemo, a widow, said the flood washed away two rooms out of the house, leaving her and her four children only with a room and parlour.
According to her, Friday, October 11 would always be a very sad day in her life as the heavy rain that fell that day almost consumed the house which she said is the only thing she has apart from her children.
Speaking further, she lamented that nothing but a few clothes could be saved from the devastating flood.
The community leader, Moshood Olawale Gazali, while speaking to Blueprint, said the community had tried everything they could to repair the bridge before it eventual collapse.
He said although, the bridge had been in a poor state for a while, it was usable before the irreparable damage was done by the flood.
“We have written letters to the government and various people, including the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Community Development and the Ministry of Environment for assistance.
“We have also contributed a lot of money towards repairing the bridge but we can only do a little because of our limited resources.
“All our efforts to repair the bridge have not materialised, we have spent a lot of money to repair both the bridge and the road just to ensure that our community is not completely cut off because this bridge is the only one that connects nine other communities around.
“Earlier this year when the Community Development Association through the World Bank Community Development Programme, approached us and offered to reconstruct the bridge, our hope was rekindled.
“Their representatives visited our community and assessed the level of damage on the bridge. After the inspection, they told us that we must raise N1million as our counterpart fund. We have raised the money and lodged it into an account we opened for the purpose but up till now, we are still expecting them to come.
“Our hope is that maybe when the rainy season is over, they would commence work on the bridge,” Gazali said.
Gov’t is aware -Gov Abiodun
Meanwhile, the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said his administration is not insensitive to the plights of the people over the poor state of roads and other poor critical infrastructure in the state.
The governor said his administration would go ahead with its plans of massive rehabilitations of roads across the state, despite the heavy rain fall which is currently being experienced in the state.
Governor Abiodun in a statement by his chief press secretary, Mr Kunle Somorin, said his administration has marked some roads across the state for immediate rehabilitation.
The governor said he had issued a firm directive to the Public Works Agency (OGPWA) handling the palliative and reconstruction works on roads across the state to step up its game, insisting that he would not entertain any form of excuses from the agency.
Blueprint’s investigations revealed that the governor was becoming embarrassed by deplorable conditions of roads in the state for which he is mounting pressure on OGPWA to ensure that the people have access to good roads in order to go about their businesses as a matter of right.
The governor, it was learnt, had challenged the team handling rehabilitation of roads to reverse the public infrastructure deficits in the State within the next few months whether there is rain or not.
