A few days ago, I travelled to Abeokuta from Osogbo to attend an industrial workshop packaged by Aware Consult for the industrial unions in the aviation industry. The journey from Osogbo to Akoda-Ede was relatively smooth while Akoda to Ode Omu section of the road is better forgotten as the corridor is fast deteriorating and becoming unmotorable.
However, my experience between Sagamu to Abeokuta, a road of similar distance and importance was totally different. Interestingly, both roads have a lot in common.
Both are detours from expressways and both lead to state capitals. Sagamu-Abeokuta road is a detour from Lagos-Ibadan expressway and lead to the capital of Ogun State, while the Gbongan -Osogbo is a detour from Ibadan -Ile-Ife-Ilesa expressway and lead to the capital of Osun State. Both are federal government roads and have been taken over and managed by the respective state governments concerned.
The driving distance from Sagamu Interchange to Abeokuta is 44 km while that of Gbongan to Osogbo is 42 km. Interestingly, the two state governments took decisions to dualized the roads almost the same period.
Ogun State under Senator Gbenga Daniel’s administration dualized the road in 2005 through the direct labour agency at a cost of about N1.7b, in order to ameliorate the accident rate on the ever-busy expressway.
General Oyinlola’s government in Osun State in 2006 commenced the dualization of Osogbo -Gbongan road. He was able to complete the first phase of about 12 kilometers between Osogbo and Akoda before his government was replaced by Rauf Aregbesola’s government in 2011.
During the 8 years reign of Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (SIA) in Ogun State, the road also enjoyed the attention of the state government. The construction of median interlocked and functional streetlights were effected.
In Osun, when Aregbesola’s government kicked off the construction of the 30km Gbongan-Akoda road, named Omoluabi Motorway, and the Adebisi Akande Trumpet Interchange Bridge in Gbongan, Ayedaade Local Government Area in June, 2013, motorists and residents alike jubilated on the prospect of safe travel on the road that leads the state capital to the expressway that links Ibadan, the largest city in West Africa.
The 30km road project, which includes construction of a dual carriageway and bridge was awarded to RATCON Construction Company Ltd at N29.3 billion. It was proposed to be completed within 18 months. It is now over 120 months.
Between Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola’s administration, only 14 kilometers of the road was constructed between Gbongan and Odẹ-Omu. And almost three years into the administration of Senator Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, absolutely nothing has been done or heard about the road which suppose to be the gateway to Osun State.
Even though, Adeleke’s government had rehabilitated the stretch between Osogbo and Akoda . The construction of median interlocked and functional streetlights were also installed, the remaining 16 kilometers were left unattended to.
I had thought the remaining 16 kilometers would receive utmost attention from the #159 Billions Infrastructure projects recently announced by governor Adeleke.
I hope Governor Adeleke will make supplementary adjustments to his infrastructure budget and add this important 16 kilometers to the basket.
I will personally campaign for his second term if he can deliver this section in the next few months.
Kolade Ismail, a politician, writes from Ode-Omu in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State.