Ogun Residents Seek Government Intervention Over 20-Year Community Road Neglect
Residents of Karanla community, a rural settlement in the Mowe area of Ogun State, have appealed to the state government to rehabilitate their deplorable roads, saying the poor condition has severely affected movement, transportation and economic activities in the area.
The residents made the appeal when PUNCH Metro visited the community on Monday, with residents and motorcycle operators seen struggling to navigate the deteriorated road. Some sections were covered with dust and characterised by uneven surfaces.
According to the residents, the roads have remained neglected for more than 20 years and become particularly difficult to use during the rainy season.
A commercial motorcyclist, Saheed, said the condition of the road had discouraged both motorists and motorcycle operators from entering the community.
He said, “When rain falls, the road becomes worse than it is now. We commercial motorcycle riders, and even people with big cars, run from this area because of the road. They should have mercy on us.
“If the government can help us to fix the road, we would be very happy, and the people of the community will also be happy.”
A community leader, Mukaila Jimoh, said the two major routes connecting the village to Mowe and Lotto were both in poor condition, making it difficult for residents to access other parts of the area.
The octogenarian lamented that the situation had deteriorated over the years despite residents participating in elections.
He said, “To go out now is a problem for us. Our road is a two-way road, one leading to Mowe and another leading to Lotto. Neither of them is good at all.
“I am over 80 years old, and for over 20 years, it has become worse than it was before. It is as if we don’t have a government here.”
Another motorcycle operator said the poor road condition created different challenges depending on the weather, with dust affecting residents during dry periods and heavy rainfall making the roads nearly impassable.
He added that transport fares often increased during the rainy season because motorcycle operators had to take greater risks to navigate the bad sections.
Another community leader, Mustafa Adisa, also showed the correspondent some of the affected roads and other infrastructure he said had remained neglected for years.
Responding to the concerns, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the state government had invested significantly in road infrastructure across the state.
Akinmade explained that the classification of roads was important, noting that while some roads were under the state government, others fell under the jurisdiction of local governments.
He said the administration had constructed more than 1,700 kilometres of roads since assuming office about seven and a half years ago.
According to him, some roads currently in poor condition had existed for many years without adequate intervention from previous administrations.
He said the government considered every road important but had to prioritise projects across the state to ensure balanced development.
Akinmade added that the government would intervene if the Karanla road fell under its jurisdiction, assuring residents that no community would be deliberately left behind in the state’s road development programme.
