Residents of Iyana Adiyan, Gas Line and Randle communities in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to the state government to urgently rehabilitate the road linking their communities, describing its deplorable condition as a death trap.
The residents also called on the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Solomon Adeola, and the Peoples Democratic Party, Oladipupo Adebutu, to make the construction of the road part of their development plans as they seek to become the next governor of the state.
The residents made the appeal over the weekend, according to a report by The PUNCH, while lamenting that the poor state of the road had adversely affected economic activities and increased the risk of accidents in the area.
A visit to the communities showed that the road, stretching from Iyana Adiyan to Randle, was characterised by deep craters, potholes and slippery muddy sections, making movement particularly difficult during rainfall.
The situation has forced many residents to abandon their vehicles and depend largely on commercial motorcycles to navigate the route. Some motorists have also resorted to raising their vehicles to cope with the difficult terrain.
The road, which is about four kilometres long, reportedly leads towards Mowe but remains unconnected because of a stream that requires the construction of a bridge.
The Chairman of Otitoleke Community Development Association, Adesola Adekunle, said residents had repeatedly struggled to maintain the road without meaningful government intervention.
“We always face hardship on this road, and we are fed up. There is no intervention from the government. Residents are the only people maintaining the road,” Adekunle said.
He added that completing the road and constructing a bridge over the stream would significantly improve transportation and open up the communities.
“This road leads to Mowe, but we need a bridge on the stream in the area. It is a 10-minute ride to Mowe. At night, we usually see Redeemed Camp from here. The government can open up this area by constructing the road. It will help us a lot,” he said.
Adekunle also complained about flooding and erosion caused by the absence of proper drainage channels, saying road construction would help address the problem.
He said the community had approached the Ifo Local Government Chairman over the matter but that no concrete action had followed.
A motorist in the area, Bolaji Adam, also accused successive administrations of neglecting the communities, saying residents had endured the bad road for more than a decade.
“We have never enjoyed government in this area. There is no road, water, school or electricity. This road has been like this for over 10 years; no government has deemed it fit to construct it despite the huge population here,” Adam said.
He appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and the governorship candidates of the APC and PDP to prioritise the road.
“We’re pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun and all the candidates of the political parties, especially the APC and PDP, to please see to the construction of this road,” he added.
