Leaders of the Paata Abiodun community in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently intervene in addressing their long-standing challenge of poor access road to the area.
The community said the absence of a motorable road has severely slowed down economic and social activities, forcing residents to endure difficult and unsafe travel conditions.
According to them, movement in and out of the community is mostly done through a risky water route, where canoes are used to connect to Paata Ajegunle.
They explained that a proposed solution would be the reconstruction of a link road of less than five kilometres stretching from the community through Iro axis to connect the Papalanto-Sagamu road, which is currently under construction by Dangote.
They believe this would open up the agrarian settlement and boost development.
Speaking on Friday during an interaction with journalists, the traditional ruler of the community, the Olu of Paata Abiodun, Oba Martins Akanni, said the community’s development has been greatly restricted by the absence of road infrastructure.
Oba Akanni said, “Our major cry is for the state government to come to our aid and help us with an access road to our community.
The sufferings that we go through as a result of this lack of access road is better imagined than experienced.
“My people here are great farmers planting cocoa, kolanut, plantain and contributing so much to the economy but we get little or nothing in return. To even go out with their farm produce is a Herculean task because there is no road.
The only road that we are managing is through a risky waterway; we take a canoe from here in our community to connect Paata Ajegunle.
“However, there is an ancient road that comes into the town from the Iro axis of the Papalanto-Sagamu road. This road is less than 5km.
We urge the state government to please help construct this road and wipe away our tears.
“Once there is an access road to the community, other things like electricity, pipe-borne water among others will follow suit.
We sincerely thank Gov Abiodun for the recognition given to us but we beg him to please help us out on this road project.”
Backing the monarch’s appeal, Baale Sopeju Ladipo also highlighted the hardship faced by surrounding settlements.
Ladipo said, “We are only urging the state government to please help with construction of the access road to our community.
We have suffered a lot due to this challenge of no motorable road and it has really hampered our development.
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“The only way out is to go through the waterway by canoe, which is no doubt quite risky and dangerous.
We beg Gov Abiodun to please help with either the construction of a bridge on this waterway or the construction of the road that links Paata Abiodun to Iro alongside the Papalanto-Sagamu road, which is the shorter route.”
Similarly, the Otunba of Paata-Abiodun, Kamorudeen Adenekan, urged both local and state authorities to prioritize proper road connectivity for the community.
Adenekan stated, “Using water as a route all the time is not sustainable. The rainy season has always been a major challenge for us, and it continues to disrupt movement and economic activities.”
Responding to the concerns, the Chairman of Ifo Local Government Area, Idris Kusimo, said the local government is aware of the situation and has not neglected the community.
He noted that while the government has undertaken several road projects across the area, efforts are ongoing to engage the state government on a lasting solution.
Kusimo said, “We are very well aware of the road challenge as stated by the people, but the government has equally done a lot in terms of road construction in the local government.
“The government has done Vespa-Olose road, the Akute-Ajuwon-Olambe road among others.
The government has definitely not abandoned these people, and we are thinking that by the time the ongoing construction of the Papalanto-Sagamu road is done, we can also from that end open up the community and link it up with that axis.
“The government cannot do everything at a time, so they should please bear with us. We surely have them in mind.”