Legislators promise succour for Olokuta residents in Abeokuta over deplorable road
By Yetunde Fatungase
Succour seems to have emerged for residents of the Olokuta area in Abeokuta as some National Assembly members have been looking into their matter.
Investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicate that the federal legislators have expressed readiness to take action on the deplorable state of the road which serves about 52 communities.
Residents of this large area in the Ogun capital city have made several calls on the state and federal governments to salvage the road from total collapse.
These included several street protests and calls to the state government, especially as the road leads to the train station at Laderin.
NAN reports that the train station, named the Prof. Whole Soyinka Train Station, has since been a boost to commercial and social activities in the state.
Now, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Afolabi Afuape (APC-Abeokuta South), has promised to look into the plight of the residents.
Afuape, while responding to the letter written by the Chairman of the Egba Economic Summit (EES), Chief Shina Luwoye, said he would personally visit the road.
He said this was to enable him see what can be done in the meantime to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Luwoye had written to National Assembly members from the Ogun Central Zone to, as a matter of urgency, do something to the road which is the major access road to the station.
He (Luwoye) noted that the road, if not reconstructed, would constantly dwindle the fortunes of the train station and business owners in the area.
“With this, commuters will be forced to use other alternative transportation services,” the EES Chairman had pointed out.
Sen. Salisu Shuaib (APC-Ogun Central) has also vowed to do everything in his capacity to ensure the road is rehabilitated.
Shuaib said he would confirm from the Ministries of Works and Transport to see who was responsible for the road.
He added that he would liaise with either of them to ensure a palliative measure is carried out in the interim.
The Senator further assured that he would facilitate a budgetary provision for the design and reconstruction of the road in the 2024 budget for a permanent solution to the issue.
NAN reports that residents of the area had on Sept. 16 staged a peaceful protest to call on both the state and federal governments to fix the road.
The 2.8-kilometre road serves no fewer than 52 communities, and members have continued to suffer varying degrees of damage and destruction arising from the deplorable condition of the road.
In reaction to the protest, the Ministry of Works in Ogun had moved to put up some palliative measures, so as to make it motorable in the meantime.
But rather than achieve that, the big granite stones poured on the road had been doing more damage than good.
NAN reports that the ministry officials later poured more heaps of these heavy granite stones on the road, but this had only blocked any vehicular movement on the road.
In the last two weeks, residents have not been able to go in or out of the area with their vehicles, while only commercial motorcyclists have been able to ply the road with much difficulty.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Works, Mr Yusuf Lateef, to comment on the issue have since proven abortive.
He has neither responded to text message or telephone calls. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Olawale Alabi
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