Repair Our Road, Ibarapa Leaders Beg FG

Concerned Ibarapa leaders in Oyo State have appealed to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to repair the deplorable Abeokuta-Iseyin Road.

A March 14 letter to the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, and FERMA’s managing director, called for rehabilitation and resurfacing of the road.

The letter was signed by Tunde Adegbenjo, a former member of the House of Assembly; Chief Theophilus Adenrele; Chief Tunji Fadairo; Chief Lateef Akinsanya; Katheer Azeez; Akinyemi Akinlabi; Fatai Adesina and Mr Adeloore Atanda, all former chairmen of Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa East local governments.

The 60-kilometre Abeokuta-Iseyin road is a part of the earlier designed Badagry-Sokoto road. It spans six local governments in Oyo and Ogun states.

The road was built between 1976 and 1979 by the military administrations of Gen. Murtala Muhammed and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, with Strabag Nigeria Plc. as the major contractor.

Since its completion over 40 years ago, it has not received any maintenance, resurfacing, repair or rehabilitation.

The leaders lamented that on January 23, Alhaji Fatai Yusuff, popularly known as Oko Oloyun, was murdered on the road.

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The letter said: “Presently, the road has become a death trap for many users. Almost every metre of the road has at least two dangerous potholes. The deplorable condition has made it the workshop of robbers and assassins.

“Many people have been kidnapped on dark spots of the road. Accidents are uncountable.”

They sought the intervention of the agency for the complete rehabilitation and resurfacing of the road, covering about 60 kilometres.