One of the dilapidated federal roads used for illustration purpose
By Tunde Aremu
When last did you travel from Ìbàdàn to Ilé-Ifẹ̀? That road is a death trap. Calling it a death trap is an understatement. It takes a government run by heartless people to leave the road in that state. It is not a problem that just emerged. That road had been in a bad state for years and kept degenerating.
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That it is not prioritised given the volume of traffic passing there and knowing it is a major link between different parts of the country speaks volumes about how much premium is placed on human lives. There is hardly any day you drive on the road that there is no accident or damaged vehicles linked to the road. As at last night, there was no way anyone would drive on that road for one kilometre without having to dodge craters (not potholes anymore) on the road. On Saturday evening, a prominent traditional ruler’s convoy of white cars and security officials after driving to some kilometres avoiding the craters and in the process harassing other motorists off the road eventually took to driving against oncoming traffic going towards Ìbàdàn. On Monday, it was the convoy of a state governor. That these people travel on this road and have not made a representation to relevant institutions and authorities to address the road shows the quality of leadership they represent.
I also wonder about the representation of the people of Osun Stated at the national assembly. There are three senators and nine members of the house of representatives from that state. When are they going to raise questions on the state of that road on the floor of the parliament? A number of students died on that road a few months ago. Those young people died from unnecessary death, parents were made to go through the agony of mourning their young because leadership failed!
If we can raise enough resources, if we are able to access funds from wherever it is we got it from, for that Lagos Calabar road, then we should have no problem getting resources and prioritising the road millions ply, many of them the future of the country. No responsible, humane leaders will leave that road in the state it is in.
Aremu,a development worker and media trainer writes from Abuja
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Federal Road Safety Corps Nigeria
