‘The Governor Is Waiting For People To Die’–Motorists Raise Alarm Over Dangers Posed By Roadside Erosion Near University Of Ibadan

Motorists plying the Sango-UI-Ojoo Road in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital have raised the alarm over the danger posed by the roadside erosion at the Samonda area close to the maingate of the University of Ibadan.

Our correspondent, who visited the area observed that almost half of the road has been washed away by erosion. The asphalt laid over the road is still on a section of the road but the underneath has been washed off by erosion.

To prevent tragedy, some Good Samaritans put used tyres on the side of the eroded section of the road to alert motorists, who are not familiar with the area of the dangers there.

It was gathered that a commercial motorcyclist had plunged into the ditch around December together with his passenger.

Our correspondent observed that the same kind of erosion had started to cut off the section of the road at Orogun Bus Stop after UI 2nd Gate and the same thing is happening also at Uncle Joe Bus Stop at Mokola area.

Drivers road users, who spoke in separate interviews with our correspondent on the dangers posed by the roadside erosion appealed to the Federal Government through Ministry of Works and Federal Road Maintenance Agency to repair the damaged sections of the road to prevent imminent loss of lives and destruction of property which can occur if any vehicle should plunge into the ditch.

One of the salesmen with a manufacturing company, who is based in Ibadan, Ola Adebisi, berated the federal and state government for not repairing the road

Adebisi said, ” The problem we have in the country is that we don’t have maintenance culture. The damaged section of the road at Samonda has been there for more than a year now.

“It started with a crack and the spot has kept expanding until it gets to this stage. I am not sure the government, wether Federal or state, will do anything until a tragedy happens there.

“The governor passes the place and his commissioners and other government officials also do the same so, the governor can’t claim not to be aware of it but maybe they are all waiting for people to die or be injured.

“When tragedy occurs, they will now start to commiserate and make us to think they care. It’s a federal road but state can also do something since , the people using the road pay taxes to the state government.”

A taxi driver, who identified himself as
Afiz Abdulkareem, also said the erosion at Uncle Joe Bus Stop and Samonda were evidence of leadership failure.

He said, ” The state government, through the Park Management System collects money from us everyday. There is no day you drive and the union will not charge you to pay. If the PMS cannot repair the road, they should be able to mount pressure on the state government to do something.

“Anybody who is driving and is not familiar with the road can run into the ditch and that can be fatal. But they will harass you morning and afternoon to pay union dues.

” The poor condition of the roads is not their business. Wether the poor roads damage your vehicle or not, it is not their concern. What they are after is to force you to pay everyday.”

Other residents who spoke to our correspondent pleaded with the government not to wait until the road is completely cut off before moving in to repair it.