IN TODAY’S VIEWPOINT, A VETERAN JOURNALIST, DEACON FEMI OLADIPO WRITES ON POOR ROAD NETWORK AT OLORUNSOGO AWOTUNDE COMMUNITIES IN IBADAN, OYO STATE
When construction and reconstruction of roads are to be carried out in any community, the people of the benefitting communities usually get elated and are expected to exercise some patience while such projects are being carried out.
This was the experience of the people of Olorunsogo, Awotunde, Baba Rere, Olopometa, Oritamerin, Ogberetioya communities in Ona-ara local government area, Ibadan, Oyo state.
When the dualization of Olorunsogo-olunloyo-amuloko road began in 2022, diversion of traffic was made towards Awotunde, Olopometa, Ogbere-tio-ya axis for motorists on Akanran road and other adjoining communities.
The step became necessary since the construction of Ogbere bridge which was part of Oyo state and world bank project required adequate planning and patience to achieve the global standard the job deserved.
Within the period of about fifteen months that the bridge construction lasted, sympathetic minds need to see the horrible experience the people of Babarere Awotunde had over traffic jam in the neighbourhood of the already collapsed and narrow road which was tarred around 2004.
Intermittent complaints and protests by affected people led to official and private visitation by Governor Seyi Makinde to the area.
The visitation gave the communities the hope that the road being used as alternative and a link to other parts of Akanran road shall be given attention as soon as construction of Ogbere Bridge was completed.
Motorists often spend more than five hours and indeed waste days on this link road especially when haulage vehicles broke down on areas with terribly bad drainages.
Commercial vehicle operators and passengers who depend on crossing over to the other side using foot bridges from one side to the other in what they called “border” during the period would never wished to have such experience in life.
Today, Ogbere Bridge has been completed and the tarring of the dualization of the road is witnessing attention.
Sad enough, the people of Awotunde, Baba Rere, Olopometa, Oritamerin, Baba Nla and Ogbere-tio-ya have continued to suffer in silence over the abandonment of link road which served as the only diversion for motorists while the construction of Ogbere Bridge was going on.
One unfortunate action the people of the affected communities noted towards the tail end of 2024 was the tarring of only about one hundred metres from the main road towards their area in a susceptible way to make mere passers-by on the main road to believe that the centre Awotunde road has been tarred out.
Since Awotunde Babarere – Ogbere-tio-ya road continue to serve residents of Oremeji, Babanla, Oritamerin, Paara and the airport communities all within Ona-ara local government area, Oyo state government should come to the aid of residents of these communities to relieve them of immeasurable sufferings they have been experiencing in the last two years.
