Residents frustrated as bad roads worsen life in Ogun communities

Residents of Agbado, Abule Ijoko, Itoki, Ope-Ilu, and nearby areas in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are complaining about the hardship caused by bad roads in their communities.

The residents told our reporter during a visit on Tuesday that this problem has lasted for over 15 years with little attention from the government.

While visiting, our correspondent saw that the road linking the communities from Agbado Oja to Abule Ijoko, which is about 13 kilometres long, has collapsed.

Some parts of the road were barely passable, while others were totally blocked and overgrown with weeds.

Waheed Sanyaolu, a resident, said the situation has caused many problems for the communities.

He said, "We are suffering, and we feel like we have been totally cut off from civilisation. We have made repeated calls to the government to come to our rescue, but we have not received any response. It was only during Ibikunle Amosun’s administration that we got a little attention, but it did not translate into anything meaningful."

While our correspondent moved along the road, it was clear that motorists and pedestrians struggled to avoid big holes and waterlogged areas.

Some vehicles and tricycles were seen breaking down at different spots because of the bad road condition.

Another resident shared that the rainy season has made life harder due to flooding from the rains.

He said, "You have come here at the right time. You can see what we are going through.

"Moving from Agbado Crossing to Abule Ijoko is just about a 10-minute drive, but the road is no longer motorable unless you use a motorcycle. Even the motorcycles have to pass through inner streets and areas such as Gasline, Oluasho, and Oyetedo before linking Sharp Bend and proceeding to Abule Ijoko."

The bad roads have also caused security issues for residents and transporters in the area.

People returning from work and transport workers often face attacks from criminals at night while trying to use the roads.

A resident named Olatunji said, "Just because of these bad roads, we have recorded a series of attacks by hoodlums in this area. Those affected the most are people returning from work and motorcycle riders. Ordinarily, by 8pm, you can barely find a motorcycle due to the condition of the road, so the few available are often exposed to attacks. While passengers are dispossessed of their belongings, the motorcycles are often seized from the riders."

Olatunji also showed our correspondent a picture of a victim from one of the attacks on his phone and said that the hoodlums hit him on the head with a hammer.

Residents believe the worsening road conditions are because of the construction of the Lateef Jakande train station at Agbado Crossing.

They said even though the roads were already bad, they were still manageable until construction started around 2017.

"The construction of the train station totally destroyed the roads. This was due to the presence of heavy-duty trucks plying the roads from the Sango-Ota area while supplying granite to the construction site. We were still managing the roads before they came, but the moment they started operations, everything worsened. And when they finished, they did not bother to fix the roads; they simply left them that way."

Transporters who spoke with our reporter said they spend a lot of money fixing their vehicles and motorcycles.

This has also raised transportation costs within the community.

"Today alone, I have spent N18,000 repairing my motorcycle. This has become a routine experience for us. We need the intervention of the government," said a rider named Taoreed.

A female resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, asked the government to clear the drainage channel by the footbridge at Bashy Bus Stop in the community.

She said the blockage is adding to flooding in the area, which is already prone to it.

"The drainage by the footbridge is blocked, and it is causing flooding. We need immediate intervention. If you had come here yesterday, you would not have been able to pass through because the area was completely flooded. Students returning from school were also wading through the water. It is extremely dangerous," she said.

The state Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, could not be reached for comments. Calls to her phone went unanswered, and a text message had not been replied to as of the time this report was filed.