by Adekoya Boladale
In the past three years, Ogun state has graced headlines of news tabloids with the slogan ‘Mission to Rebuild’; a term the state government under Senator Ibikunle Amosun gave for his core focus on road constructions in the state. But while the government continues to flaunt at various fora the works on these roads, communities across the state has continuously complain of neglect and segregation.
Some are of the view that the state government concentrate more on the capital city as against other regional areas and the little projects spread across their regions are mainly to ‘shut the mouth of critics’ as they are ill-thought and unnecessary, others who had expressed gratitude to the state government for the roads now have reservations on the pace at which the construction works are going. To them the delay by the contractors seems more like a plot to hoodwink them into casting their vote for the Governor as they will desire to have the already started roads completed.
One of such communities which shares this ideology are the residents of the border towns between Ogun and Lagos State. A visit to Alagbole/Akute shows a community living in absolute disarray. The major road linking the community to the rest of the world was contracted out by the government for the construction of a flyover bridge at a whopping cost of 70billion naira and has since been under lock which leave residents to taking a death trap which serves as the only alternative route.
Accordingly to one of the residents who identified herself as Mrs. Subomi, ‘We were relieved when the Governor started construction of flyover but suddenly work just stopped on the site, the contractors only come once in a while to park their van and smoke inside it all day’
Another resident Mr. Adeyemi, a banker was furious with the pace at which the work was been carried out and blame the government for not making the alternative route motorable before embarking on the construction, according to him ‘it is nothing but hell getting to work everyday as the traffic on the other road is killing’.
SLIDESHOW: Sad Images from the Ogun Border Towns of Alagbole/Akute
Adekoya Boladale is a freelance writer. He can be reached by email HERE.
