By Cynthia Johnson
Residents of Magboro in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to the government to fix the Magboro road, which is in a deplorable state.
Quest Times learned that the deplorable condition of the road, which links several communities like Makogi, Cele, Gasline, Powerline, and Igodo to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has caused hardship for commuters.
The Chairman of the Accord/Charity Community Development Association in Makogi, Pastor Kehinde Solomon, while speaking with newsmen, appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to remember the area and repair the roads.
“The government should help us fix this place. When we moved in around 2010, the road was not this bad,” Solomon said.
He added that the bad road has caused hardship for residents, including mechanics who have stated that the problems with cars are not related to the engines but rather because of the condition of the road.
“This is because of the bad road. Also, the cost of transportation is now too high because of the road. The fare from Magboro to Makogi is N500; it’s N700 if you’re going to Apara,” he said.
Also speaking with newsmen was another resident, Babajide Thaddeus, who mentioned that some commercial motorcyclists usually avoid the area whenever it rains.
“Even if they agree to take you there, they will charge more because of the road. From Magboro junction to Gasline, they will ask for N600, and the lowest you’ll hear is N400, depending on where you’re standing,” Thaddeus said.
“I don’t like using Magboro Road. So, if you cannot pay me the amount I charge, I prefer to stay because the road is not encouraging. It damages our bikes. Fuel prices are also high,” said a bike man named Jesse Ibrahim.
Simply identified as Abiola, this resident said she had to abandon her vehicle because of the deplorable state of the road.
“The road is damaging vehicles. I have parked my car at home. I don’t take it out anymore,” she said.
Quest Times also observed that the condition of the road was worse than other parts from Cele to the Gasline axis, as many commuters were seen having a tough time on the road, trying to navigate around the marshy parts and potholes.
“This is not a road. Magboro is a forgotten area. It’s not just the road; power supply is terrible. People are not enjoying anything here,” said a barber who goes by the name Femi.
The Chairman of Igodo Community Development Association, Pastor Adedayo Adebiyi, while responding to the situation, said landlords had to resort to self-help many times to make some parts of the roads in the area passable.
“Landlords in this area have been taking matters into their own hands to repair the road. When you approach the local government officials, they will tell you there is no funding. We have asked every landlord to contribute funds again so that we can undertake another round of palliative measures,” Adebiyi said.
He added that the same self-help approach was embraced to ensure that the Igodo area got connected to electricity.
The Chairman of Obafemi Owode LGA, Adesina Ogunsola, and the state Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, have been contacted but are yet to respond to this development.