The residents of Ada, a town under Boripe Local Government, Osun state have bemoaned over the bad roads that they have been battling with for over six years in some areas of the town without any attempt by the government to reconstruct.
In an interview with The Harbinger, the Ayedaade, Bolorunduro, Yaragbami residents explained that the bad road has been affecting their movements for the past six years, stating that it has caused many accidents and has been costing them additional money on transportation.
The residents mostly complained about the neglect of roads that lead to Ayedaade, Bolorunduro, Yaragbami area and the main road of the town.
This reporter visited different places in the town to know how the residents are faring about the bad roads, it is apparent that the road that leads to the town market has been in disrepair and which has been affecting the business and wellbeing of the residents.
PC : Boluwatife Adedokun
The residents bewailed that some places have been a death trap over the years, asserting that the road had been dilapidated years after it was constructed by the Olagunsoye-Oyinlola led Administration and also affirmed that the road has not been constructed since when APC has attained power in 2012 till the moment.
In an attempt to know the poor condition of the road, this reporter walked through some places that are considered deteriorated and in disrepair than others, and it was discovered that the road has potholes across the town.
Moreover, the residents noted that the bad state of the road has been an impediment to their businesses as customers that normally pass the road are no longer passing the place because of accidents and high charges of bikes.
Osun state budget on road construction
The governor of Osun State on the 5th of October, 2021 allocated the budget of N129, 756,450,790:00 to the Osun State Assembly as draft Appropriation Bill for 2022 fiscal year, in which infrastructure was among the sector that took the larger part of the budget.
The area allocated the budget to included; 18.1km Osogbo – Kelebe – Iragbiji Road (including Orita Idiodan – Araromi – Anaye Mkt.); Rehabilitation of 25.8km Ede (Army Barrack) – Ara – Ejigbo Township Road; Construction of 0.68km Flyover at Olaiya, Osogbo; Rehabilitation of 1.3km Kuta Palace junction – Isale Oba Road – Asamu Junction Road; Rehabilitation of 2.3km Iloro – Aganun – Division C Police Headquarter, Ile-Ife; Reconstruction and completion of 8.1km Moro-Yakoyo-Ipetumodu-Asipa Road; Rehabilitation of 2.6km Nike Gallery – Ido – Osun Township airport with palace spur; Rehabilitation of 2.5km Ikirun – Eko-Ende Road; as well as the construction of 0.31km access road to Fountain University, Osogbo.
While the aim of the governor while allocating the budget is to further cement and pursue the policy thrust of his administration, thorough scrutiny of the budget revealed that the budgets mainly center on the road of neighboring towns of Osogbo, and which Ada has been excluded from the budget despite the poor state of the road.
Though a report by the sun news on February 12, 2022 disclosed that the governor approved the reconstruction of some roads among which Ada-Igbajo road is included and it has sprung to life but there are some other roads in the town that need to be reconstruction but it has not being given attention.
This road has be in a bad state for more than 6 years, residents
Omoniyi Opeyemi, a trader with worry written on her face, explained a recent accident that occurred some days ago, where a bike man was rushed to the hospital after hitting another due to the bad roads of the Ayedaade community.
Opeyemi explained that bad roads in the town had caused a series of accidents, especially the three streets of the town, Yaragbami, Ayedaade, Bolorunduro which are worse than others.
She spoke extensively about the huge amount of money spent on transport fare due to the poor roads of the area.
“It has been like this for the past 6 or 7 years, the road is there and no one is doing anything to it, we have been having different accident here and the government have not hearkened and responded to our needs”
We need the government to intervene and help us find solution to it, this has been affecting me because I pay 2 times of the transport fare I take here when coming from the market” she said
PC: Boluwatife Adedokun
Also, a resident of Bolorunduro, Olasunkanmi Ramota noted that the bad road has been affecting her and her business as korope (Mini bus) rarely pass through the place let alone conveying her to the market and even take the goods back home, adding that she pays hugely to motorcyclist to carry her load.
She lamented, `We pay times 2 amount of transport fare to this place when coming from the market, because the motorcyclists might not want to pass the road sometimes and we’ll need to beg them with additional money.
While speaking aggressively and expressing her grievances towards the bad state of the road, Oyedokun Funke, a trader and black soap maker moaned that because of the bad road she pays 3 times of the money she normally pays for transport fare.
Funke explained that the main road of the town has also been dilapidated which is affecting everyone in the community.
Speaking about what she wants the Government to do, Funke beseeched the government to construct the road to avoid accidents that may lead to injury or death.
A 26 year old fashion designer of Yaragbami area of the town, Segun Oyelami, noted that right from when he started working in the area for the past six years, the road has been in a poor state.
“We can’t really ascertain why the road has not been constructed, motorcyclists and mini bus riders are not passing through this road like before and it is affecting us”
Segun pleaded with the government to reconstruct the road to avoid untimely death of passersby and to aid the promotion of the residents’ business.
PC: Boluwatife Adedokun
Moreso, a middle-aged man, Gbenga Ariyibi of Bolorunduro area who claimed to be a Farmer explained that an accident recently happened in the place where the motorcyclist nearly died.
Gbenga explained that the road has been there for about 6 years. He said, “The road has been there for more than five years, another road that is there, bikes cannot pass the place because the place is too bad, people only trek to their houses.
He therefore beseeched the government to help them in the area.
“The Government should help us in this Yaragbami area here. This road is a short route but they are not constructing it. I’m appealing to the government. They should take care of the gutter, the gutter has been blocked and it’s affecting the road”
Speaking further, Gbenga explained that evên when the counselors were there, they didn’t construct the road
“The chairman is passing here and he can’t do it, though I’m not blaming him but I’m saying the reality “
A resident of Ayedaade area, Bolagade iyabo, said “they should help us construct it because it is affecting our businesses as people are not passing here again”
Moreso, Samuel Ayodele who appealed to the Government to help them construct the road lamented that the poor road has been there for more than 7 years, adding that the last time it was constructed was during the regime of People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the state, which was about 16 years ago.
A trader, Oladokun Lydia, who lamented that the road has hindered the movement of motorcyclist and people in the area said, “this road has been last constructed since the tenure of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, it was constructed by okadigbo”
The 46 year old trader pleaded that the government should remember them and construct the road so their business can go smoothly.
“I hope they can help us to do it, we’ll be glad. There are some roads that they have forgotten, they ought to help us construct these roads”
Lydia explained that from her location to a filling station that leads to the main road, ABOTAP filling station there are different potholes causing accidents.
Olasunkanmi Gbenga, a mechanic in the town, narrated his experience with two bike men who nearly killed each other.
“The road has been affecting us, two vehicles cannot pass freely here, even motorcycles are always hitting each other here. Recently, I was here when an accident happened because of this bad road, it’s God that saved them.
“They have forgotten us here, different people have been injured, we urged the government to remember us so the accident here can be stopped”
A bricklayer, Adeleke Ayobami explained that the road has been a hindrance to their well being as he spends more than enough on Transport fare everyday because the motorcyclists will have to pass through a place which is far from his place.
Government Response.
PC: Boluwatife Adedokun
After putting a call through to the Head of Boripe Local Government Area, and an appointment was fixed, this reporter went there but unfortunately he claimed he couldn’t grant any interview as the road is meant for the State Government to intervene.
While convincing him that Local Government is the third tiers of government and being the grassroot is near to the people, he insisted that he can’t say anything.
However, an anonymous official in the Local Government secretariat in Iree explained that the road construction is the work of the State Government, re-affirming that it is not their responsibility to speak or Intervene in it.
While convincing him to make a remark, he said “the road from Ada to Iree is a State road and the Local Government does not have any power to intervene without the power from above.
“Without approval from above, there’s nothing the Local Government can do, the governor has been trying and has been intervening”
The budget has been allocated for roads across the state (State budget and Local Government budget), there is a Budget Preparation Committee that visits critical places all over the state, and anytime that there is available resources, the government will intervene and not at the Local Government level.
The project in the state is more than the resources at hand, the resources are so small that sometimes we need the government to intervene to get our dues.
Speaking further, he said “Anywhere the governor wishes to intervene, he will give the people the authority for intervention, the resources for the Local government is meager, our IGR is meager.
The Local Government can not intervene in inter-town and inter-city roads, it is an attachment to the state government. To construct a road now will be difficult, the government is aware, but has no resources to construct the road”.
An attempt to reach the Osun State Commissioner for works was futile as several phone calls were put through to him and he refused to pick.
