Residents decry neglect of road projects in Ilesa
The worrying situation of two 1.1km road projects in Ilesa metropolis has aroused concerns and reactions from residents who use them or traders whose shops are located next to them, expressing their anxieties over the possible abandonment of the projects.
These road projects are namely; construction of Oke-Iyin-Bepo-Oke-Ese-Akata-Ayeso 1.1km road and construction of INEC-Osogbo/Ilesa road with spur to Alhaji Olasupo/Bonke-Coca-Cola road 1.5km.
Residents and stakeholders in these communities have also complained about the neglect of these roads, stating that contractors have abandoned them and that they haven’t seen workers on site for over two weeks.
A resident, simply identified as Afolabi, expressed his concern over the neglect of Oke-Iyin-Bepo-Oke-Ese-Akata-Ayeso 1.1km road.
He told WITHIN NIGERIA that the government should order the contractor to finish the job.
According to Afolabi, the contractor’s abandonment of the road project has had a significant impact on local businesses.
People are unable to move freely. Traders and kiosk owners would not be patronized as expected by their customers because it would require more effort to travel the route, said a concerned Afolabi.
Findings by WITHIN NIGERIA revealed that the 1.5km and 1.1km roads were commissioned in June 2024.
When this reporter visited one of the abandoned road projects in Ayeso, he noticed a signpost with information about the client, contractor, and supervising agency for the 1.1-kilometer road project.
According to the signpost, the 1.1km road was awarded to a construction firm, F. OTOT COY Limited, located at No.1 Motigbenajo Crescent, Oroki Housing Estate, Osogbo, with supervision provided by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Osogbo, and the Works Department of Ilesa West Local Government.
The reporter noticed that only the drainage for the 1.1km road had been completed, while the main road had not been graded or tarred. Some parts of the road appear ‘hilly’ due to the failure to level extra sand during gutter digging.
Bimbo, a petty trader grumbled vehemently to the reporter about the 1.1 km road construction delay.
She explained how her sales had plummeted dramatically as a result of the road work.
Bimbo, who agreed that the completion of the road would undoubtedly increase her market sales, wondered why it is taking the construction firm so long to complete the project.
They have not graded the roadway. They haven’t tarred it. Some of the drainage needs to be repaired. They began working on the road five months ago and it has yet to be completed. Bimbo exclaimed fiercely, “A 1.1-kilometer road.”
When this reporter visited an expansion of a 1.5-kilometer road project in Bonke Quarters, he discovered that it had also been abandoned too. He spotted a signpost indicating that the project had been granted to BENLAD MULTILINKS LTD, which is located at No. 33, Oduola Street, Ayetoro, Osogbo, and that the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, as well as the Works Department of Ilesa West Local Government, were supervisory agencies.
Some of the road had been graded when this reporter visited Bonke quarters. There were no site workers present, but a road grader could be seen parked in front of a building not far from Hylte Hotel.
The reporter discovered that the road grader had been sitting at the site for weeks. Culverts that had been demolished during drainage work were also completely abandoned.
Sanya, a medical practitioner, encouraged the lawmaker representing Ilesa East State Constituency, who lives in Bonke Quarters, to utilize his authority to compel the contractor to finish the road construction.
According to Sanya, any culverts leading to adjacent residential areas that were damaged during construction should be fixed once the road has been tarred.
“Harmattan is already around the corner. We are pleading with the Governor and contractor to assist us in completing this road for the sake of petty traders whose stores are located beside the abandoned road, as well as their children who would be playing in the dust,” Sanya stated.