Protest Rocks Ibadan Over Oyo Govt’s Circular Road Extension Plan
Scores of residents in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the Oyo State Government Secretariat, rejecting the extension of land acquisition for the Circular Road project.
The protesters, mostly from Akinyele Local Government Area, demanded that the government maintain the originally marked 150-metre corridor, saying further extension would worsen their plight.
It was gathered that the Circular Road project was first conceived during the administration of former Governor Rasidi Ladoja between 2003 and 2007.
His successor, the late Adebayo Alao-Akala, did not execute the project. It was eventually initiated by the late Abiola Ajimobi between 2011 and 2019.
The protesters, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “150 metres is enough” and “Our people are dying on a daily basis,” appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration to reconsider its plan.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Ismail Qamardeen Abimbola listed the affected communities, including Solalu, Alagbede, Olukitibi, Akinwande, Akinlawon, Omilabu, Aba Odo, Aba Ido, Ido Omo, Ori Oke, Oke Ola, Olowoogbo, Olohungba, Ade Owu, Asaaju, among others.
He said, “We are here to appeal to the government to consider us on the issue of the corridor they want to embark upon. Many villages and communities are involved. Our prayer is that the government should not take beyond the already marked areas because many people have died while alive already on the previous 150 metres. It is too much. We are here to appeal to the state government.”
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
