URGENT CALL FOR INTERVENTION ON THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF KABBA-IYAMOYE ROAD
Written by:
Olorunmaiye Joel
National Secretary General
Iyamoye Development Union (IDU)
The deplorable conditions of Nigerian roads, eagerly begging for government’s intervention, particularly given the fact that these roads have become a serious concerns and death trap to unsuspecting mororist. The Communities around these roads are not also spared from the associated menace, making lives of the people unbearable.
The particular road in focus is the Federal road from Kabba to Iyamoye, which concidentally is the only major road linking the Western States of Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States through Obajana-Lokoja road in Kogi State to the Northern part of the country.
The current deplorable condition of Kabba-Iyamoye road has totally cut-off Iyamoye from the rest of Ijumu Local Government as a degraded section of the road that is less than 100 meters stretch cannot be traversed by motor vehicles. Efforts by the Community especially the Iyamoye Development Union to obtain attention of authorities concern with rehabilitation of Federal Government roads particularly FERMA and Kogi State Government to intervene on this road had yielded no significant inroad. The road has continue to pose serious hardship, as travellers get more worried about the horrific conditions of the road.
The situation of the same road was at its embarrassing situation in year 2022. However interventions were made by some individuals and Politicians, prominent among them are Alhaji Abdulganiyu Obatoyinbo, Honorable (Elder) Leke Abejide and Hon. T. J. Yusuf who mobilised resources to ensure that some portions of the road were rehabilitated. Unfortunately, the road has currently become so deplorable and a trap to commuters.
Despite government claims of huge statutory allocation for road construction and rehabilitations since 2016, this road was not captured in the statutory budget and is still in a state of comatose, leaving commuters traumatized and exposed to hardship, standstill condition, kidnapping, and some time leading to fatal accidents that often resulted to deaths of innocent travellers and Community members.
Another worrisome situation is the fact that economic activities along the road have been paralysed due to the deplorable conditions of the roads as the number of travellers and other road users who travel on the road to patronize Community markets have dropped significantly.
It is on records that the road that used to experience peaceful atmosphere for travellers has turned to a Bandits Den. The anti-social miscrants has taken advantage of the condition of the road to unleash attack on innocent travellers.
It must be emphasised that the degraded portion of the road by the entrance of Iyamoye town is very bad and needs urgent government intervention.
Recently, efforts were made through Distinguished Senator Dino Melaiye and our reverend Son Alhaji Abdulganiyu Obatoyinbo to draw the attention of FERMA to the plight of the people occasioned by the ugly condition of the road, but no significant involvement of FERMA has been recorded.
Iyamoye Development Union on behalf of the good people of Iyamoye Community is calling on our amiable President of Nigeria Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCON, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Senator Sunday Karimi Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, other elected representatives at all levels and spirited individuals to as a matter of urgency deplore resources for the complete rehabilitation of the road particularly the degraded section of this road in Iyamoye in order to avoid a complete cut-off of the community from other part of Kogi State and Nigeria.
If this road is repaired it would not only reduce unwholsome activities of Bandits, delay and needless infractions experienced by motorists and the community, but it would also improve and rejuvenate economy activities of the metropolis capable of attracting Investors from within and outside the Community and also boost and explore strategies put in place by the Community capable of encouraging existing Investors to increase on the current level of their economic activities.
Iyamoye is located in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State and shares boundary with Omuo-Ekiti, in Ekiti State Nigeria.
