Ijoko, Agbado, Akute, Alagbole, Berger Road: Abiodun, do something before the rain come

By Tunde Abatan
One of the topical issues, which dominated electioneering campaign in Ogun State last year was the completion of Ijoko-Agbado-Berger road, which is easily the biggest road project embarked upon by former governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s government.
The completion of the N65billion, 32-kilometre road became a topical issue because of its 40% state of completion though it was started a year into the government in 2012 during after hundreds of houses were demolished.ALSO READ: His, is the story of grass to grace
As at today, most of those whose houses came under the bulldozer to make way for  the 6- lane road have not been paid compensation.
But during his electioneering, Governor  Prince Dapo Abiodun then candidate of the factitious All Progressives Congress (APC) whose candidature was resisted by Amosun who backed another candidate and fielded Abiodun Akinlade on platform of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), promised to complete all on going projects of Amosun. This obviously was done to sway the electorate that was then seriously divided especially in Ifo Local Government Area  in Ogun Central Senatorial District where the gigantic project is  sited.
Today, eight months after he assumed office, Governor Abiodun is yet to pay a visit to the area,which is easily the most neglected part of the state in spite of its huge population and closeness to Lagos State and being a border town with its advantages in terms of revenue generation through tax from businesses now gasping for breadth as a result of low patronage occasioned by the worsening state of the road.

To make things easier for the new government, former Governor Amosun whose government budgeted N402 billion naira in the election year of 2019 out of, which he got N400billion approved by the state house of assembly, didn’t do much on the road except to complete the Alagbole bridge, which is one of the five long bridges and fly- overs, which were at various stages of completion by the time he handed over power on May 29, 2019.
However, prior to this, Amosun’s government had applied for and got approval for a World Bank loan of $350 million dollars to execute and complete some infrastructural projects in the state, the road inclusive.
Amosun during a ward-to- ward campaign for Akinlade in Obafemi -Owode shortly before his departure, said that the loan,which will be paid at one percent interest rate with a five year moratorium will impact largely on the 50- year master plan developed by his administration.
He said his administration has finished the paper works, met all the requirements and that when released, the loan will help to implement a 50 year development plan for the state.
But today, in spite of his promise upon assumption of office on May 29,2019 to complete all on going projects in the state, Governor Abiodun has not paid a visit to Agbado axis, which harbours one of such projects but instead, have started new road projects in Ogun East and Ogun West axis of the state.
This is in spite of the terrible state of the Agbado road and the sufferings the residents of the area harbouring the now abandoned road are passing through.
Indeed, the Agbado fly -over is now a den of criminals at night while it remains an eye sore to a similar rail project, which is been constructed by the federal government  and which started in 2017.
This year, the state government presented and got approval,  for a sum of N449,974billion tagged-Budget to build our Future. Out of this amount, N269,132billion representing 60.31 percent is proposed for capital expenditure while N180,842 billion representing 39.69 percent was set aside for recurrent expenditure while salaries and allowances stood at N83.238 billion with accompanying policies for Sustainaible Development Goals through Public, Private Participation.
However, eight months into his government,Governor Abiodun who spent seven out of this months to assemble a cabinet replete with people with questionable credentials and character.
One would have expected him to pay a visit and demonstrate commitment to Agbado axis as a border town with high economic potential being a border town.
With the amount set aside for capital project and with the accesse to the $350million loan already concluded and running by the World Bank, there is no other project worth executing to bring development to the border community and contributing to the quality of life in this axis with virtually no government presence since the state’s creation in 1976. The only secondary school, Agbado Community Comprehensive School, was an initiation of the community.
That the whole stretch of 32 kilometre community bustling to it’s seams with an average population of 1.5million residents has no government hospital, maternity centre speaks volume of the value placed by governments on its people.
It is instructive that the rains will set in, in the next two months and one hopes that Abiodun will move in to fix some of the dilapidated roads like Adiyan, Matogbun, Lambe, Akute, Alagbole which will all complement the 32-kilometre six lanes road.
Anything short of this will not add value to the life of Ogun residents most of whom have lost houses, cars , businesses and are in deplorable living condition as a result of the collapse of infrastructures like roads, education and health facilities needed to achieve any meaningful sustainable developments goals.