Protest Rocks Ibadan Over Circular Road Corridor By Oyo Govt
Residents affected by the proposed 500m Corridor of the Ibadan Circular Road project have stormed the State Secretariat Agodi, Ibadan entrance gate, protesting against the project being carried out by Oyo State government.
In a video circulating on social media, the protesters in their thousands, were seen carrying placards and singing solidarity songs to express their displeasure and rejection of the corridor project.
Osun Defender gathered that the protesters have in the last three days, been reporting to the State Secretariat to make their displeasure known to the government.
The protesters were seen hurling abusive words against the Makinde.
Meanwhile, Governor Seyi Makinde has broken his silence over the ongoing protests by the residents.
The governor, in what could be described as a shocker, on Wednesday said he will not address the protesters at the scene of the protest.
Rather, he told those affected by the project to meet him at the circular road for discussion, insisting those protesting are not the real owners but are being sponsored.
Makinde spoke at the ongoing commissioning of the Ibadan Central Bus Terminal at Iwo Road.
The event is having in attendance former President Olusegun Obasanjo, top PDP chieftains, among others.
According to Makinde, the Ibadan Circular Road project has been ongoing for many decades, and the need to extend the land was for economic purposes and not personal.
He alleged that those protesting over the planned demolition of their houses along the Ibadan circular road were being sponsored by the opposition.
He said the protest could have entered its third day if they were not getting funds from somewhere.
The governor insisted that he would not address the protesters on the road but that “I will come and see the real owners of the land at the circular road.”
The governor noted that, in the course of the protest, he had been called many unprintable names and many unpalatable words said against him.
Particularly, the governor said the protesters have called and labelled him a land grabber, thief and other unprintable words.
He challenged anyone who has evidence that he is a beneficiary of the land extension for the circular road project to come forward, adding that the 500-meter extension was for economic purposes and in the best interest of the state.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
