By Olufade Aregbesola
Roads make a crucial contribution to economic development and growth and bring important social benefits. Good road networks stimulate economic and social development.
According to a recent report by KPMG, road infrastructure has an enabler effect, either directly or indirectly on most sectors of the economy particularly the manufacturing sector.
Currently, about 90% of passenger and freight movement across Nigeria is done by road. This implies that road transportation is quite integral to the growth and development of Nigeria’s ailing economy.
Despite the huge benefits that come with good road networks, Nigerian leaders do not place priority on this all important infrastructure.
Most roads in Nigeria today are in extremely bad condition and have now become death traps. No thanks to the negligence of corrupt Nigerian leaders, who often divert huge amounts of money allocated for road repairs to private pockets.
These corrupt politicians only talk about quality road infrastructure during electioneering campaigns. It is fast becoming a slogan when they are canvassing for votes but they often renege on the promises soon after they are voted to power.
In Ogun state for instance, almost all the roads are in very deplorable states.
Currently, there is no motorable road from Ojodu to Olambe, Akute-Ijoko or Ajunwo to Akute-Olambe, Olambe-Agbado or Alagbole down to the link bridge. Even the pedestrian walkways have been destroyed by gully erosion. What a pity!
Owners of businesses in that axis have continued to count losses, as according to them, the poor states of the roads have paralysed their businesses and impoverished them.
The Akute – Olambe -Ijoko road, at the moment, is perhaps one of the worst roads currently in the Southwest. In fact, a recent visit to Olambe area was a very unpleasant and frightening experience.
The construction of Akute-Ijoko – Olambe- Agbado road 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, Dapo Abiodun would complete the all important road that leads to Sango Abeokuta and parts of Ogun and links the state to neighbouring Nigerian border.
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.
The governor had made a solemn promise 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-Ijoko- Olambe road project because the residents of those areas voted his opponent during the 2019 election or because Amosun did not back his candidacy and preferred another Ogun state indigene as his successor.
They argue that despite the political wrangling, Governor Abiodun ought to have completed the Akute-Ijoko Olambe project taking into consideration the huge amount of money expended already on the project by the state. That way, he would have written his name in gold.
ABIODUN’S ROAD PROJECTS ONLY SEEN IN THE MEDIA
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 Sola who built his house in Olambe area, but has abandoned the house due to the worsening state of the access roads.
RESIDENTS SEND SOS TO BUHARI
Like Sola, most other residents are lamenting the sorry states of AKUTE – IJOKO- OLAMBE ROAD and are calling on President Buhari to come to their rescue.
“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 and other violent crimes because those whose businesses are affected might have resorted to crime to survive.
We need President Buhari’s urgent intervention.”, said one Ibukun Ashiru.
With the deplorable state of Akute-Ijoko- Olambe – Agbado- Ifo, Abeokuta road among others, life has become very unbearable and miserable for residents and business owners.
From the governor’s body language, it does appear that these abandoned road projects, particularly the Akute – Ijoko – Olambe road might not be recommenced and completed under Dapo Abiodun’s watch unless miracle happens.
Also, it appears that the administration of Governor Abiodun is prioritizing the road projects it wants done and completed maybe because of political interest. This is in sharp contradiction to his campaign promises and his speech during his inauguration.
His words: “For Akute road, there are two roads in that corridor. Those two roads, one of them was originally awarded for over N30 billion, the other one was awarded for over N40 billion. It’s beyond me how the administration had planned to fund the construction of those roads with so many bridges, some of them were meant to be six-lane roads.”
With the above declaration made by the governor, hope that these road projects might be completed during his tenure might have been dashed.
Already, he has spent two years in office and there is nothing on ground to suggest that the governor will deliver on his promises.
However, as bad as the situation is, let’s not lose faith. Miracles still happen. A bad beginning, they say, makes a good ending. You never can tell. This might be the case with Ogun under Dapo Abiodun.
The governor can prove these residents who have given up on him wrong by doing the needful.
* Olufade Aregbesola wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State