FG Has Abandoned Federal Roads in Oke-Ogun – Group Laments …..Appreciates Makinde for Reconstructing Oyo-Iseyin Road

FG Has Abandoned Federal Roads in Oke-Ogun – Group Laments

…..Appreciates Makinde for Reconstructing Oyo-Iseyin Road

A socio-development mobilization group, Alliance for Oke-Ogun Development (A.O.D) has lamented the dilapidated states of all federal roads within the Oke-Ogun region, saying the last time any federal road was reconstructed was during the reign of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The group in a statement, made available to newsmen on Thursday, said many roads leading into Oke-Ogun areas have been abandoned, which has created difficulties for road users to ply the roads to transport people and products to the cities.

The statement, which was signed by the group’s Head of Planning, Comrade Ismail Alani, listed the Abeokuta-Igboora-Iseyin and Iseyin-Okeho roads as those in need of urgent attention, as Oyo State government, under the Seyi Makinde administration has taken up the reconstruction of Oyo-Iseyin road.

The statement indicated that the poor state of the abandoned Abeokuta-Igboora-Iseyin and Iseyin-Okeho roads has made them easy targets for armed robbers to rob travelers that ply the roads, while many have been kidnapped and killed.

“We noticed with dismay the state of all federal government roads in Oke-Ogun region of Nigeria, For many years, the Federal Government roads in and out of Oke-Ogun region of Oyo State had suffered serious neglect in the hand of successful government of Nigeria.

“History has it that the last time we witnessed FG presence in Oke-Ogun roads was during the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who constructed Iseyin-Igboora-Abeokuta express way, this so called Iseyin-Igboora-Abeokuta road is due for repair as most part of the road is no more convenient for motorists and other road users coupled with insecurity that has taken over the Ibarapa axis of the road and same is the situation of the Iseyin-Okeho road.

“It’s noteworthy that since the end of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, no single sign of construction, reconstruction or repair of any of federal roads by the federal government of Nigeria, the current sorry state of this federal government link roads in Oke-Ogun has become source of worries to all citizens and stakeholders in the development of Oke-Ogun region.

“We hereby called on Federal government of Nigeria to as a matter of national importance declare state of emergency on all Oke-Ogun road, this will enable the federal government to identify problems we are facing with our road and it will also help them to come out with quick and appropriate solutions that will stand the test of time.

“As bad road networks is hampering the economic activities of our region, if these roads are reconstructed, commercial activities will surge and it will also reduce the number of vehicular accidents occasioned by bad roads.

“Lastly, Oke-Ogun is an agrarian region of Oyo State where people rely on agricultural activities for sustenance, the implications of bad road to both social and economical life is too enormous and needed to be urgently fixed.

“We use this medium to appreciate the Oyo State government, under Governor Seyi Makinde, for taking up the reconstruction of Iseyin-Oyo road, which had also been abandoned for decades before his intervention,” Alani noted.