I write on behalf of the millions of masses that suffer daily on the Ibadan – Ife – Ilesha road, which has dilapidated to a sorry state. It is incredible, inconceivable, amazing and flabbergasting that a federal road would completely collapse like the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road (particularly the Ife – Ilesha stretch), and none of the 3 tiers of Government would do anything about it. There are deep gullies at virtually every 500 meters, and trailers frequently fall off at different spots, completely blocking the road and making it impassable. Vehicle break-down and damages are common scenes.
Accidents frequently occur as a result of the impassable road, while criminal activities and erection of illegal checkpoints are facilitated and enhanced.
What leaves one dumbfounded is that the Federal Ministry of Works, under the ministerial leadership of Babatunde Fashola, a supposed progressive, known for his perceived detest for acts of public neglect and irresponsibility, will be so numb and insensitive to the untold hardship being suffered on this axis, as a result of total federal neglect. Yes, we have heard the mantra of economic mismanagement of the previous administration, and the present economic recession. But if a completely new reconstruction is not possible on Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road for now, is a regular palliative maintenance on this road also impossible? Under the widely maligned and castigated regime of Goodluck Jonathan, the activities of the Federal Road
Maintenance Agency (FERMA) was regularly felt on these roads; never has the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road been this bad under any previous administration.
The state governments cannot be exonerated in the heartless neglect of this stretch of road. We are aware of the palliative and ameliorative efforts of such state governors as Ambode and Fayose on federal roads (and even Fashola as Governor of Lagos State), knowing that it is their people that suffer the daily agonies on such roads. The case of Fayose is interesting; he erects large billboards on every federal road he repairs in Ekiti, accusing the federal government of acute irresponsibility, but indicating that he has to repair the roads because of his love and care for his people.
In sum, we call on the Federal Government, and specifically the Federal Ministry of Works, to please wake up to its responsibilities, effect immediate repairs and maintenance of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road that has become completely dilapidated and virtually impassable, and stop giving financial predicament as reason why they have become hard-hearted, numb and insensitive to the agonies of millions of citizens on this road on a daily basis. They should stop giving the excuse of economic recession as reason for this stark and callous neglect. The governments of Oyo and Osun State should assist where they can, while the notable traditional rulers and other citizens in this region should cry out on behalf of their people, and break this ill of a mindless but deafening silence!
Tope Oni, writes from Ibadan