Ajadi Sodiq
Residents of Lemode Ijoko, Ifo local government in Ogun State have lamented over the poor condition of their community roads.
Residents who spoke to our correspondent said efforts to rehabilitate the road through the collective effort for years had yielded little result, adding that the road always deteriorated whenever it rained.
One of the residents, Mr. Afolabi said the roads have been abandoned for more than a decade now and that nothing has been done to them, adding that both the state and federal governments are aware but ignore the roads.
He said, “Lemode Ijoko is a major point through which people pass through to Lagos from Ifo to matogun, Agbado, crossing, and even Abeokuta. The government only remembers these areas whenever an election period is near, only when they need the people to vote and that’s not fair.
“There was a time the King of Lemode tried constructing the roads by asking trailers to put sands to the potholes around Lemode, but after several days on the project, we received some policemen who came to warn the King to stop the operation to avoid being sued.
” If you look at the areas you will see how silent the community is, almost everybody has left because our economy here has derailed, we use to have a functioning filling station in this community right there (he signaled towards an abandoned filling in the area), but the owner had to put it out for sale as it’s not making sales anymore. So, we need the State Government to please come to our aid and help us.” He added.
A commercial bus driver, Durojaiye Alayand also lamented stating that there is no evidence of the government’s presence in the community.
He said “I experience a lot of hardship during the rainy season, sometimes we won’t be able to enter some potholes because it’s filled with water, and this also causes damage to the vehicle whenever we drive. These roads have been damaged over a decade ago and nothing has been done to them, it has been a death trap for residents and sometimes our vehicles get faulty on the roads and we will have to drop passengers halfway to their destination.
“Many of us have children and wives at home to feed, but what we receive whenever we get home is insults from our wives whenever we fail to provide for the families who rely on us. We need the State government to please work on these roads, it’s really affecting us.
Chief Rasaq, a resident of Opelu Jafar also complained that they usually face adversity whenever it rains, as there will be a hike in prices of transport. “Most of the time, Our children do not go to school on such days.”
Another resident/seller at Abule Ijoko market, Dauda Idiat added that “Whenever it rains, our suppliers will drop our goods at a far place for us to get them there because they cannot pass these roads and before we can go to pick our goods, the vehicle we do take place much demand from us as Tfare and at the end of it all, our profit would have gone on transport.”
As of Press time, this reporter called the State commissioner of Roads and Transportation in Ogun State, but he didn’t respond to the call.
