IJEBU Ode is one of the major towns in Ogun State of Nigeria. It is in fact the headquarters of Ijebu Division, one of the four divisions in the state, the other three being Remo, Egba and Yewa. Known for its colourful festivals, the most popular of which is the Ojude Oba festival which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors home and abroad every year on the third day after the Ileya Festival, Ijebu Ode is also home to notable Nigerian businessmen and industrialists. They include Otunba Tunwase of Ijebuland, Otunba Subomi Balogun; Chief Jimoh Odutola, Agboola Alausa among others
Unfortunately roads in the town belie the glamour associated with its most renowned ‘festival of colours.’ Right from the entrance of the town, at the Ibadan end of the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode road to Ibadan Garage, the road (a double lane road), is an eyesore. Though a regular visitor might notice a casual effort to refurbish the road since the last time he visited, it is still in a state of disrepair which does not add value to the image of the town which hosts the palace of the Awujale, the paramount ruler of Ijebuland.
If one thinks one has seen it all and that it could not be worse than what has been seen up to the Ibadan garage end, wait until you go further into the town around Folagbade/Abeokuta road area. At a point on that road even okada riders must slow down if they must meander their way through the crater-size bad portions. An okada rider and his passenger may regret a moment of impatience by falling if care is not taken.
The story is the same at Ondo Road/NAMACO junction where all movements must grind to a halt momentarily if motorists and okada riders alike must pass through muddy water that covers the road. Once in a while some roads give a reminder that one is in an urban centre yet the sight of Degun/Molipa road reminds one that maintenance culture in this part of the world is dead.
Some of the residents of the town interviewed said they have given up hope and resigned themselves to fate due to the fact that both the local and state governments have not shown enough commitment towards rehabilitating the township roads.
“Though some parts of the roads around the town had been rehabilitated sometimes back, especially when the Ojude Oba festival was approaching last year, but since then nothing had been done. We are not happy but then what can we do? Even the kabiyesi is tired of talking about it,” a resident of the town who does not want to be named told Nigerian Tribune.
Even the road that passes the front of one of the most notable sons of the town is a nightmare. No one wants to blame anybody in particular when Nigerian Tribune pressed other residents for comments. “We are tired of complaining, we are waiting for something to be done,” a resident said without expatiating.
ijebuode-road2
At the Ijebu Ode Local Government secretariat there was no activity when Nigerian Tribune visited as the whole compound was deserted. There was no official to talk on the state of bad roads in the town either.
As another ‘festival of colours’ is expected to come up sometimes next month things might change. There could be massive road rehabilitation and all the craters could disappear; who knows?
Source: Tribune
Unfortunately roads in the town belie the glamour associated with its most renowned ‘festival of colours.’ Right from the entrance of the town, at the Ibadan end of the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode road to Ibadan Garage, the road (a double lane road), is an eyesore. Though a regular visitor might notice a casual effort to refurbish the road since the last time he visited, it is still in a state of disrepair which does not add value to the image of the town which hosts the palace of the Awujale, the paramount ruler of Ijebuland.
If one thinks one has seen it all and that it could not be worse than what has been seen up to the Ibadan garage end, wait until you go further into the town around Folagbade/Abeokuta road area. At a point on that road even okada riders must slow down if they must meander their way through the crater-size bad portions. An okada rider and his passenger may regret a moment of impatience by falling if care is not taken.
The story is the same at Ondo Road/NAMACO junction where all movements must grind to a halt momentarily if motorists and okada riders alike must pass through muddy water that covers the road. Once in a while some roads give a reminder that one is in an urban centre yet the sight of Degun/Molipa road reminds one that maintenance culture in this part of the world is dead.
Some of the residents of the town interviewed said they have given up hope and resigned themselves to fate due to the fact that both the local and state governments have not shown enough commitment towards rehabilitating the township roads.
“Though some parts of the roads around the town had been rehabilitated sometimes back, especially when the Ojude Oba festival was approaching last year, but since then nothing had been done. We are not happy but then what can we do? Even the kabiyesi is tired of talking about it,” a resident of the town who does not want to be named told Nigerian Tribune.
Even the road that passes the front of one of the most notable sons of the town is a nightmare. No one wants to blame anybody in particular when Nigerian Tribune pressed other residents for comments. “We are tired of complaining, we are waiting for something to be done,” a resident said without expatiating.
ijebuode-road2
At the Ijebu Ode Local Government secretariat there was no activity when Nigerian Tribune visited as the whole compound was deserted. There was no official to talk on the state of bad roads in the town either.
As another ‘festival of colours’ is expected to come up sometimes next month things might change. There could be massive road rehabilitation and all the craters could disappear; who knows?
Source: Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment