Residents of Elerinjare community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have decried the deplorable condition of the 3.7 kilometer Idofian-Elerinjare road.
Members of the community appealed to the state government to help intervene on the deplorable condition of the road.
Making the appeal on behalf of the people, the traditional ruler of Elerinjare Ibobo land, Oba Tajudeen Olanrewaju Bello (Olaitan II), the Olushabi of Elerinjare Ibobo land, said that the people have had harrowing experience due to the bad state of the road.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Elerinjare Ibobo Descendants Union (EIDU), Abdulhakeem Garba, said the road has never been constructed by any government in its history.
The statement said the road was first awarded for construction during the first term of Governor Bukola Saraki in 2003 as well as during the second term of the immediate past Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed “without its construction seeing the light of the day”.
The statement quoted Oba Bello as saying, “It is always a challenge yearly for indigenes who travelled far and near to access the agrarian community as rain usually flood the way leading to the area, thereby forcing indigenes to park their vehicles by the roadside for days without gaining access to the community, while others would rather turn back”.
The monarch said the Idofian-Elerinjare road, when constructed, would benefit other adjoining agrarian communities such as Oko-Okuta and Okoya, adding that it would also reduce man hour spent travelling on the road.
He further noted that the Idofian-Elerinjare road leads to Ojoku in the Oyun local government area of the state as well as Offa local government area.
Oba Bello, who said that communal efforts had sustained the road so far, added that each household was levied every year, especially during rainy season, to maintain the road.
The monarch said that it was the collective efforts of members of the community that brought about construction of primary and secondary schools, adding that projects such as electricity and hand pump boreholes were also realized by taxing each household since 1984.
The traditional ruler, who passionately appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to urgently intervene on the plight of the people, said that they are staunch members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Despite being staunch members of the ruling APC in the state, we lament that dividends of democracy is yet to reach the community. We are, therefore, appealing to our able Governor to consider our plight.”