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Akute-Lambe-Agbado Road: Does Dapo Abiodun Deserve A Second Term?

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By Femi Seun Oluwa

Akute, Lambe, Ijoko, Agbado and Alagbole are in the outer areas of Ogun State. Currently, all the adjoining roads to these communities are in deplorable conditions just as there are no support infrastructure to show that there is presence of government in these areas.

Residents of these communities go through untold hardships particularly during the rainy season. 

The road construction, expansion and five flyovers had been initiated by the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Unfortunately, the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration could not complete the projects before the end of that government although massive works had been carried out by the contractor, identified as Central South Construction Company limited.

On assumption of office in 2019, Governor Dapo Abiodun had made a solemn promise that he would complete the projects and others commenced by his predecessors, but two years down the line, nothing has been done particularly on the Akute – Lambe- Agbado road. Going by the realities on ground, there is nothing to indicate that Dapo Abiodun’s administration will complete these projects before its tenure ends.

Abiodun had in April, 2020, while inspecting the ongoing construction of the Ishasi-Denro-Akute road in Ifo local government area of the state, reiterated his resolve to complete the projects and others abandoned by previous administrations in Ogun state.
In fact, the governor had acknowledged that the “deplorable state of Alagbole-Akute- Lambe- Agbado road is a major problem for his government.”
Currently, there is no motorable road from Giwa to Olambe – Ojodu – Alagbole  to Olambe and Agbado. Even the pedestrian walkways have been completely destroyed by gully erosion. 
 Residents and owners of businesses in these areas have continued to count losses as the poor states of the roads have paralysed their businesses and impoverished them.
The Giwa – Olambe-Akute road, at the moment, is perhaps one of the worst roads currently in the Southwest. A visit to Olambe area this week was a very unpleasant and frightening experience.
Given that the road construction was commenced by the immediate past governor, Ibikunle Amosun, who did a very massive job, including construction of the bridges and road expansion, the expectation was that his successor,  Abiodun would complete the all-important road that leads to Sango  Abeokuta and parts of Ogun and links Ogun to Lagos state and neighbouring Nigerian border to boost trade in the state.
Recall that during his inaugural speech on May, 29, 2019, Governor Abiodun emphatically stated that infrastructural projects, particularly roads, would be the core mandate of his administration.
He had promised that his administration would prioritise fixing the bad roads in Ogun to make lives better for his people. 
His words: “The establishment of Ogun State Public Works Agency (OGPWA) is part of our commitment to accelerate massive road rehabilitation towards enhancing job creation, poverty alleviation, and food security, for the individual prosperity of our people, including the commuters, and open up the locked areas to development, and generally ease commuting and movement of goods and materials; thereby ensuring the continued growth of our dear state’s economy.
“Opening up our rural roads, in particular, will boost agriculture and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). I must inform you that we have also identified areas where we need to direct our immediate attention. For example, our industrial hubs- Agbara-Atan-Ota Axis; Ewekoro-Ifo Axis; Sagamu-Ogijo Axis; Sagamu-interchange-Kobape Abeokuta Expressway Axis; Ilaro- Ibese Axis; etc among others.
He added: “We also recognise that to take full advantage of our proximity to Lagos, we have embarked on some key joint initiatives with Lagos State government. First, we have presented a joint request to the President to release two major expressways to the two states for rehabilitation and maintenance in collaboration with private sector partners. These roads are Lagos Otta – Abeokuta Expressway and Ikorodu-Sagamu road. This request is receiving attention and being vigorously pursued. The second and even broader collaborative initiative is the establishment of Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission. This commission will focus on a number of issues, particularly along our border towns.
“The focal areas include infrastructure, physical planning, security, transportation management and revenue. In fact On our own, the contracts for the 13.4 km Epe-Ijebu Ode Road and others would soon is being perfected and will soon be awarded. while we are currently perfecting the paper work with the Lagos State Government for a Joint Development Commission on road infrastructure towards fast-tracking the construction of Sagamu-Ikorodu Road; Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road and other roads linking our neighbouring States. This is not to forget our rural roads to boost agriculture and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).”
The governor said the “OGPWA is working round the clock to fix the following roads among other assignments: Ogun West:Sango-Ota-Lagos Road; Osi-Ota-Awolowo-Navy-AIT Road. Ogun East: Itokin-Ibefun-Ijebu-Ode Road; Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Sapade Road; Asafa-Oke-Degun Road; Iperu-Ilisan Road; Siun-Ogere-Iperu road; Balogun Kuku Road in Ijebu-Ode; Oba Erinwole Road, Sagamu. Ogun Central: Adigbe-Opako road; Abeokuta-Sango-Ota-Lagos road. There was no mention of Akute-Ijoko- Olambe – Agbado road, Agbado-Ijoko, Akute Alagbole roads, an indication that the governor did not recognise these areas as part of Ogun and therefore had no plans to complete the road projects commenced by his predecessor, Amosun despite the state’s huge sums of money already committed to the project.
Residents of these areas who expressed disappointment that the governor has not kept his campaign promises noted that it was wicked and unpatriotic to have abandoned the Akute-Ikoko- Olambe road project  because the residents of those areas voted his opponent during the 2019 election or because Amosun did not back his candidacy.
They argue that despite the political wrangling, Governor Abiodun ought to have completed the Akute-Ijoko Olambe projecs taking into consideration the huge amount of money expended already by the state and their strategic importance in the development of the rural communities. Had Dapo Abiodun done that, he would have written his name in gold.
Ironically, there is no passing day, the reading public are not fed with false information about Governor Dapo Abiodun’s massive road projects or how the governor has delivered on road projects.
 A visit to Ogun state will convince you that Abiodun does the massive road repairs only in the media.
Whereas virtually all the major roads in Ogun as well as other roads such as  Alagbole – Akute – Olambe – Agbado – Sango-Ifo- Ota- Abeokute roads etc are not motorable, the media is always awash with reports of massive road constructions or rehabilitation in Ogun state by Dapo Abiodun administration.
The question being asked is who is the governor and his press team deceiving- the reading public or his kinsmen?
Some of the business owners on Akute-Ijoko road, who spoke to this writer over the weekend, said they shut down their businesses owing to poor patronage as a result of the bad condition of the roads.
Recounting how he lost millions of naira he invested in the business and his inability to repay the loan, a resident declared: “This is wickedness of the highest order”. He vowed that “the people will not allow Abiodun to rule them Ogun again”.
“I have abandoned my house in Olambe simply because of bad road. I have become a tenant again. It was horrific living in Olambe particularly during the rainy season. My children don’t go to school when it rains. If there is any emergency, there will be no way to access the hospital or the banks in nearby Lagos or Ogun state due to bad roads.
“Dapo Abiodun deceived Ogun people. Our people believed he was god-fearing and upright, but what we are seeing is different. We learned that he abandoned Olambe road project despite the money expended already  because the people there didn’t vote for him. We also hear he vowed that he will not look that way throughout his tenure. God is seeing everything. Buhari’s government is trying on roads and bridges but this our governor is destroying that impression”, said One Mr Ola, who built his house in Olambe area, but has since abandoned it due to the worsening state of the access roads.
Clamour for second term
The governor is clamouring for a second term and his aides were busy pulling down bill boards of his political opponents in the state. The governor has however, secured the ticket to run for a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Abiodun is not bothered that residents of the affected communities are going through hell as the rainy season is here again.
Businesses are shutting down, people are abandoning their houses because there are no access roads to their areas. This is what is giving rise to kidnappings, robberies, ritual killings and other violent crimes in Ogun state.
Governor Abiodun’s Unfulfilled Promises
On assumption of office in 2019, Governor Abiodun emphatically stated that infrastructural projects, particularly roads would be his administration’s priority.
But the governor is about to finish his first tenure and there is no indication that these roads would be fixed any time soon as all appeals by residents to Gov Abiodun to come to their rescue have been ignored.
A visit to Ogun, the Gateway State will tell you whether or not the governor has fulfilled these his campaign promises.

In July 2020, precisely two years ago, the Governor announced that palliative works had commenced on the long abandoned Ojodu-Abiodun-Akute in the Ifo Local Government area of the state.

The government also promised to reconstruct and not just rehabilitate the 4.65-kilometre stretch of road at the end of the rainy season that year, according to  a report by The Punch.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, who spoke on government’s behalf, said the palliative work currently going on in the area was just a temporary measure to reduce the hardship being experienced by road users.

Akinsanya also disclosed that aside the 4.65-kilometre Ojodu Abiodun/Akute road,  the road coming from Sango to Akute would also be worked on.

 He said: “This road is a vital road. This road linking us (Ogun State) with Lagos State is part of the economic linkage this administration is trying to revitalise in this area. Two years down the line, no palliative work is ongoing  on the road.

Again Gov Abiodun Promises To Work On Roads In Akute, Sango

In a post on his Facebook page, on July 25, 2022, Governor Abiodun again promised to take actions on the road linking Akute-Oke Aro-Agbado-Ijoko-Sango Ota.

He also shared photos from his recent visit to the dilapidated road, saying the visit gave him the opportunity to chat with residents.

“It was indeed a valued, road project inspection visit yesterday (Sunday), as I had ample time to have heart-to-heart talks with the people. I have listened, first hand, to the plights of the people, and in three weeks at the maximum, there will be verifiable results, especially in Ojodu-Abiodun-Akute-Oke Aro-Agbado-Ijoko-Sango Ota Road and Lagos-Sango Ota-Abeokuta Road”, Abiodun was quoted as saying.

With this latest assurance by the governor, residents are hopeful that the Ojodu-Akute-Olambe- Oke Aro-Agbado-Ijoko-Sango Ota Road, currenrly in a sorry state, will soon become one of the best roads in Ogun state and Nigeria.

It is their fervent prayer that this will not turn out to be one of those unfulfilled promises.

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