Excitement As Work Begins On Dilapidated Roads In Ile Ife

By Sodiq Lawal

There is excitement in major streets of Ile Ife as rehabilitation work has commenced on the dilapidated roads in the ancient town.

The dilapidated roads which include, Mayfair-Lagere, Sabo, Aladanla, Opa and others have been in a state of disrepair for over 10 years as successive governments abandoned the roads.

The bad roads had always caused heavy rainfall in the areas, leaving in its trail, flooded streets, houses, churches, shops and markets, and caused huge economic loss whenever it rains.

Downpour also caused power outage among various areas like Akarabata, Owode, Oju Odo, Mayfair community and many other areas in Ile-Ife while vehicular movement are hampered as roads always got flooded, making movements on these roads nearly impossible.

The deluge also prevented most people without private means of transportation from attending religious services; with attendance at several churches scanty as worshippers used the downpour as an excuse to stay indoors on Sundays when it rains.

Traders were also prevented from going about their daily business, as the rain grounded economic activities.

But last week, the rehabilitation of the roads commenced at Mayfair.

When our correspondent visited the road, a staff of the company in charge of the road construction, Mr Samson Adelere said the rehabilitation of the roads was approved by the top leaders of All Progressive Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Adelere added that the road rehabilitation was part of fulfilment of agreement and promised that the top leaders of APC had with the candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, ahead of a rerun governorship election slated for Thursday, September 27, 2018 so as he can support the APC candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

He expressed that all bad roads would be rehabilitated.

However, some business owners commended the step  for commencing the rehabilitation of the road and pleaded for strict supervision of the company to ensure quality work and timely completion.

A dealer on electrical equipment, Charles Onyeaku, who lamented that many businesses had closed shop due to the dilapidated state of the road, said Ile Ife road is the area that hosts fabricators of machine tools, electrical installations and heavy duty equipment and ought not to have been allowed to deteriorate to the extent that trees have grown on the road.