Kwara South community backs AbdulRazaq’s 2nd term bid over road construction

Kwara South community backs AbdulRazaq’s 2nd term bid over road construction

 

*Road long abandoned by successive governments

By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The people of Obbo Ayegunle community in Ekiti local government area of Kwara state have been ecstatic about the completion of work on the 11-kilometre asphalted Osi-Obbo Ayegunle road by the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, noting that it has enhanced the socioeconomic activities of the people of the sprawling agrarian community.

Besides the Osi-Obbo Ayegunle road, other projects undertaken in the community by the state government include the community’s township roads, police post and construction of a befitting Magistrate Court, among others.

Speaking with selected journalists in his Palace, the community’s traditional ruler, Owalobbo of Obbo Ayegunle, Engr. Samuel Oluleye Adelodun, said the road had been in deplorable condition for the past 57 years without successive governments paying proper attention to it despite the community being the boundary between Kwara and Ekiti states, lamenting that the road recently became a haven for kidnappers, terrorising and making the road as short as it is dreadful for motorists and commuters.

The monarch, who said respite eventually came for the people of the community with the intervention of the current administration in the state, added that the community would reciprocate Governor AbdulRazaq’s gesture by voting massively for him and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 11 governorship and House of Assembly polls, saying Obbo Ayegunle being a civil service community had always voted for the government of the day.

He said: “I recall that about 15 years ago, former Governor of Ekiti state Engr. Segun Oni tarred the Ekiti state portion of the road to Obbo Ayegunle while the Kwara portion had been left in horrible condition with successive government not showing any concern, despite the community’s constantly supporting the government of the day to retain its political seat in the past. Nothing was gained by us in return until this project came our way courtesy of the current administration of Governor AbdulRazaq.

“On the economic impact of the road, I didn’t know that people have large farms in this area, immediately the road was constricted, I saw people bringing their farm produce for sale on the road while many vehicles going and coming from Abuja now pass through our community.”

Like Oliver Twist, however, the monarch appealed to the state government for upgrading of his stool to first class status, as well as construction of other roads that link the community.

Also speaking, the Deputy National President of Obbo Ayegunle Descendants Union, Elder Oluranti Idowu, said the community also needs a tertiary institution as well as upgrading of their traditional ruler to first class status, among many other needs.

He said: “We have other undeveloped rural roads that can open up abundant agricultural produce, but they are inside and not developed. People do a lot of farm works, but to bring their produce to the market is problematic. Although, I know opening up the rural areas has been put in the budget by this government, I want to say that development of these roads is important to make us have maximum benefit of the roads.”

For his part, the President of Obbo Ayegunle Students Union, Comrade Ojo Shola Mathew, said motorists and commuters spend more than an hour from Osi to Obbo Ayegunle before the intervention of the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq, “but now, it’s less than seven minutes journey with the tarring of the road”.

“The people of the community are enjoying the road. People going to Abuja are passing through the road now. You can easily stay here and board Ilorin bus without any difficulty. Before, you needed to go to Osi, an adjourning community.

“We thank His Excellency; his second term is assured by God’s grace, we are promising His Excellency. We are going to support him. Let me say 99% of our votes is for AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. I am speaking on behalf of the youths and, of course, on behalf of the community”, he said.

End