Residents of Cele Phase 2 community in Aseese, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, are asking the state and local governments to repair their road. They say the bad condition of the road makes movement hard and makes flooding worse during the rainy season.
The residents spoke with PUNCH Metro on Saturday. They explained that the road becomes muddy, slippery, and hard to drive on when it rains. This situation causes problems for motorists, commercial motorcyclists, and other commuters.
They claim that the poor road condition has led to motorcycle accidents, frequent vehicle repairs, and interruptions to business activities in the area.
Wale Elegbede, a resident, mentioned that many drivers avoid the road as soon as it starts to rain. "People are afraid of driving their cars here whenever rain starts. Everything about the road becomes an issue. I moved to Aseese five years ago, and since then, it has been a lot.
"Whenever it rains, people become worried about how they will move around, especially those who have cars. This is Ogun State; it is a blessed state. Our communities should not be like this. We need good roads," he said.
Kemi Adebisi, a trader in the community, said the bad road condition is especially tough on residents and businesses when it rains. "The road is really terrible when rain falls. See how sloppy it is. A lot of people here are not happy during the rainy season because the road becomes worse and movement becomes difficult.
"Okada riders sometimes fall, and it affects business too. People will not pass here like that when the road is bad. We need the local government to come and take a look at this road for us," she said.
Tosin Akinwale, another resident, shared that the road has caused him serious financial losses from constant vehicle repairs. "This road has cost me a lot during the rainy season. See the steep part of the road now that it is dry; now imagine when rain falls on this road.
"Firstly, everywhere will be so messy, then cars begin to feel it. Only mechanics benefit from this, but we, the commuters, suffer dearly because we will keep paying for repairs. It has been like three occasions now that I have had to deal with problems because of the condition of the road," he said.
Akinwale added that the road becomes very hard to navigate after it rains. Residents then have to deal with muddy and slippery sections. Adeoye Ogunwale, another community member, described the road as "very, very bad" and said it has affected social activities and caused flooding.
"This road is very, very bad. Take a look at it by yourself. I sometimes don’t invite my friends over to my house because of this bad road, and it’s not fair at all.
"This road causes flooding sometimes when the rain is heavy. Four to five days after the rainfall, you will still see the effect because the road will still be very messy. We really don’t like it here when rain falls," he said.
The residents are calling on the relevant authorities, especially the Obafemi Owode Local Government and the Ogun State Government, to check the road and start repair work. They believe fixing the road will help with access to the community, lower the risk of accidents and vehicle damage, boost business activities, and lessen the impact of rain on residents.
This appeal comes as concerns grow over the state of access roads in some developing communities in Ogun State. Rapid residential growth has put more pressure on the existing infrastructure. For the people of Cele Phase 2, the main concern is simple: they need a road that they can use throughout the rainy season.
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