A road, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (10th Edition), is “a hard surface built for vehicle and humans to travel on. Going by this concise definition of what a “road” is, the Alagada- Oba Road starting from the intersection of the State-owned Polytechnic (Moshood Abiola Polytechnic a.k.a MAPOLY) at Ojere , Abeokuta, Ogun State passing through a fast growing sub-urban villages such as Agejo, Apena- Olurunsogo- Araromi- Asa- Alagada-Megi-Mile 8 leading up to Oba Eerin which is a straight forward road spanning roughly four(4) kilometres stretch, daily takes its pound of flesh on commuters (both human and vehicular) that use this road on daily basis.
The communities along this axis are basically agrarian, they produce most of the food crops ranging from Tomatoes, peppers,vegetables, cassava, corn,etc all year round thereby contributing to the growth and development of the local government ( Obafemi Owode ) and the state .
The road that linked these fast developing communities to the Abeokuta city centre is a grace to the state despite the fact that an institution is sited on the same axis by the state government and a one time governor of the state hailed from the area and the last time it was focused on was during his tenure!.
The “Road” is generally viewed and seen as a Federal Government responsibility (Trunk A road). The State Government and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) along with the creme-de-la-creme in the State set aside time and valuable resources in a particular month every year to do palliative works on the road and make it “roadworthy and pliable” for the celebration and appraisal of the Lisabi Agbongbo Akala Day to host foreigners (tourists) and locals who converge at Oba township using the same presently deplorable cum deathly road.
Two scenarios will be presented here to drive home the point please: In the rain season, the day to day activities of human and vehicular movements on this road is with great difficulties which have both economic implications and health implications on the populace that ply this road but the damage and destruction that also befall the machines (the motorcycles and the vehicles) used to convey the people are incalculable.
The writer of this article had a commercial biker (commonly called Okada) that would come as early as 0615 hours on school days to pick the mother and two children to and the from Alagada- Panseke, where they would conveniently board a cab to the school of his children. However, while the biker was conveying the mother and children to town, a reckless daredevil tipper driver competing with another tipper driver forced the Okada rider and his passengers into a muddy ditch soiling the uniform and clothes of everybody which is a “normal occurrence ” to many folks in the area!.
The implication of this is that virtually most users of this deplorable road are at the mercy of Tipper drivers and heavy duty trucks. When the tipper drivers do not carry sand, they drive rough-shod and at reckless speed, daring any other road users plying the road with them as they destroy the uneven road more with their tipper tyres. When their tipper vehicles are loaded with sand, they dig deep ditch with their tipper tyres on the uneven road.
From the above, the daily impact of these heavy tippers on the road, especially during the rainy season,has caused pains and loss of valuable and avoidable man-hours, accidents resulting in injuries and occasionally deaths!.
The second scenario is in the dry season. With the departure of the rains and harmattan/dew season, gradually ushering in the dry season, the Alagada-Oba Road turns dusty, and air becomes brownish. The rain water that made the road dirty and difficult to navigate in the WET SEASON changes to dusty-dirty air, and the daily pressure of vehicular movements makes commercial and transportation activities on this road an unforgettable experience.
In these scenarios, the journey from Oba-Eerin to MAPOLY (Moshood Abiola Polytechnic) that normally and ordinarily should take a traveller in a car on a motorable road maximum of fifteen minutes either way take the same traveller fifty minutes (50 minutes) to one hour (1 hour) which is outrageous!
Furthermore, with the gradual pace of development within and around the State-owned tertiary institution (MAPOLY) and a cultural site of repute like Lisabi cultural location at Oba-Eerin, the Alagada-Oba Road should be promptly given attention by the State and stakeholders; the State Ministries of Transportation, Commerce, and Cultural and Tourism as well as distinguished eminent personalities amongst whom is His Excellency Aremo Olusegun Osoba (who hails from one one of the villages in the axis : Abule Oko) and others versed in the rich socio-economic resources that would be harnessed and derived from making the Alagada-Oba Road not just motorable, but a source of generating viable revenue for the State and her populace.
In conclusion, the roadworthiness, progress, and transformation of Alagada-Oba Road will be the success and enduring legacy of the tenure of His Excellency Prince Abiodun, OFR, min provided prompt action is taken to savage the deplorable condition of this road.
Femi Olatunji, a concerned citizen and public commentator writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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