Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

A social group, Yewa G6 Ambassadors Club, has decried the deplorable condition of roads in Ogun West senatorial district of Ogun state and called on the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, to declare a state emergency on the roads.

The group, which expressed serious concern that the senatorial district it described as the “cash cow” of Ogun has almost been completely cut off from the rest of the state, declared that Ogun West has been abandoned by the state government, particularly in the area of road infrastructure.

The Yewa G6 Ambassadors Club gave this position in a statement jointly signed by its President and the Publicity Secretary, Gbenga Fabuyi and Boye Adesina, respectively, a copy made available to newsmen on Thursday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

According to the statement entitled, ‘State of Affairs in Yewaland’, the group lamented that no part of Yewaland is connected to each other or to the state capital with a motorable road, noting “if not for the resilience of our people, the economy of the area would have collapsed completely”.

While commending the governor for carrying out some rehabilitation and palliative works in the Ilaro General Hospital, primary health centres, schools and roads in the senatorial districts, the Club urged the governor to close the infrastructure gap by fixing key roads in Yewaland.

It, however, said that it perceived the continuation of the age-long neglect and marginalisation of Yewaland under the watch of Governor Abiodun, noting that out of 15 roads recently approved for reconstruction/rehabilitation by the Ogun State Executive Council, only two were considered for Ogun West.

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The group, therefore, appealed to the governor to utilize 33% of the N250b loan approved by the Ogun State House of Assembly, for funding of critical projects in Ogun West.

“It is a big shame and a clear indication of absolute neglect that in the 21st century, virtually all of out roads are no longer motorable and can only be plied on foot or through motorcycle or bicycle.

“Only recently, Ogun State Executive Council approved for reconstruction/ rehabilitation of fifteen roads in the state. Only two of these reconstruction were considered for Ogun West, while Ogun East and Ogun Central have eight and five respectively for reconstruction.
We beg to ask, what has Ogun west people done to deserve this kind of absurd treatment from successive governments?

“What kind of future are we building together with the ill treatment always meted out to Ogun West? Ogun West no doubt has the worst of roads network in the entire state.

‘We will like to note that the Ogun State House of Assembly recently approved a loan of N250 billion for the state government and therefore believed that funding of critical projects should no longer be a major challenge of the government. Our expectations is that not less than 33% of the loan, amounting to about N83.4 billion will be utilized to fund critical projects in Ogun West Senatorial District which represents a third of Ogun State and is the cash cow of the state”. The statement stated.

On the extra judicial killings by the men of the Nigerian Customs Service in Yewaland, the group urged the governor to institute of a panel of inquiry to look into the incidences of killings and brutality by NCS in border towns of Ogun West, in the last ten years.

It also called on Abiodun-led administration to hearken into the calls of people of Yewaland and immediately commence the process of the establishment of a University of Science and Technology in Ipokia, noting “failure to do this will amount to a clear message that Yewa’s interest is not important to Governor Dapo Abiodun”.