Residents desert homes over deplorable Ogun community road

The bad road

Residents of communities along the Agbado, Opeilu, Itoki, and Abule areas of the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have lamented that people are beginning to desert their homes, a situation that has started taking a toll on businesses due to the deplorable condition of the major road connecting the communities.

This is coming amid the claim by the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, that 22 kilometres of the road linking Ijoko, Agbado, and Alagbole have been completed by his administration.

A PUNCH Metro correspondent who visited the communities on Monday observed that the road, which stretches from the Lateef Jakande Train Station in Agbado to Abule-Ijoko, was in a terrible state.

Some parts of the road after the abandoned overhead bridge at Agbado, inward Opeilu, have been overgrown with weeds, while other portions were covered in mud.

Other sections of the road with visible asphalt were riddled with potholes, making commuting a herculean task.

Our correspondent also observed that a long stretch of the road was impassable for vehicles, forcing motorcycles to create alternative paths close to the train tracks, a move that could endanger passengers and riders in the event of a train derailment.

Speaking with our correspondent in separate interviews, residents lamented the havoc caused by flooding, noting that the poor condition of the road had hindered the free flow of floodwater.

A motorcyclist who conveyed our correspondent from the Agbado area through the muddy route, but who did not want to be mentioned because he is an official of one of the transport unions, said his motorcycle had become rickety within a short time due to the bad road.

The union leader disclosed that some house owners in the community had abandoned their homes to become tenants in Lagos State because of the poor road network.