From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Otunba Emmanuel Fayose, has raised concern over the deteriorating state of federal roads in the state.
Fayose, who said the deplorable conditions of the federal roads have brought suffering and exposed the lives of motorists and travellers plying them to danger, appealed to the federal government to award the rehabilitation of the bad roads scattered across the state to salvage road users from continuous nightmares and unending pains.
He also called on the Ekiti State government to take some tentative steps towards addressing the issue to reduce the suffering of the people using the roads.
The Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba road is one of the worst federal roads in the state, having been taken over by low, wide holes and gullies. This ugly development has reshaped the topography of the road, making navigation difficult and users groaning on a daily basis.
The Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba road is a major road linking Ekiti to Kogi State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, hence the busy road and the large number of cars, buses, heavy-duty lorries, and other articulated vehicles plying the road.
Due to the deplorable condition of the road, motorists and commuters now spend longer minutes or hours on the road. Also, there have been frequent incidents of fallen vehicles, some trapped in the middle of the road while trying to negotiate the bad portions, causing severe gridlocks, affecting the movement of vehicles, and taking long hours or a few days to clear.
Fayose made the remarks in Ilumoba-Ekiti when he was filling up the low and horrible portions on the Ijan-Ilumoba road. He was joined by transporters and other road users to fill up the dilapidated sections. According to the transporters, they had been stranded for some days because they could not navigate the bad portions.
Fayose had travelled into the state from Abuja through Ilumoba on Wednesday, where he saw many trailers, heavy-duty trucks, and other vehicles stuck on the road.
The aspirant, who expressed regret at the situation, sympathised with the motorists and promised to intervene for them to be able to travel to their various destinations. He fulfilled his promise to them the following day (Thursday), as he provided trucks loaded with hardcore stones and levelled the badly damaged portions for accessibility.
“I travelled in from Abuja yesterday, Wednesday. I decided to come by road to have a feeling of what the people are feeling. I discovered that the road is very bad. On getting to Ilumoba-Ekiti, I realised that the road was very bad, and there were many trucks, buses, and vehicles stuck on the road, and they could not move.
“When I alighted from my car to view the portions, some of the drivers and other road users told me they have been sleeping there for five, six days to one week, sleeping on the floor with mosquitoes biting them. Some of them are on business trips carrying goods and products, some are even carrying perishable goods. They cannot deliver them, and they cannot reunite with their families.
“Moved by the ugly situation, I promised to fix the road so that it can be accessible for them, and it is the promise that I have come to fulfil today. We are not in government but just to help the road users in our own little way,” he said.
Fayose, who said Ekiti needs a solid road network, appealed to the federal government to intervene and rehabilitate the dilapidated roads in the state to reduce the sufferings of the people.
“In Ekiti, we don’t have good roads, no electricity, no water. It is quite unfortunate; if you come through Abuja, as you can see, this road is very bad. If you come through Aramoko, it is the same thing, same story everywhere.
“This is the road leading to Ekiti airport, and the facility has been under lock and key. The federal government should come to our aid.
“I am using this medium to appeal to our President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to look into our situation in Ekiti State. Our people are suffering, there is hunger in the land, our youths are riding okada, no jobs, no electricity, no water, just like we are in the jungle, yet we have allocations every month,” he stated.
Fayose, who said the state government has been insensitive to the plights of the people, urged the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, to use the allocation coming to the state to impact the lives of the people.
“We are not animals; the state government is insensitive to the plights of the people. This is really unacceptable.
“The state government can do some palliative works on this road and other ones because our people are the ones using these deplorable roads, and they are the ones that are experiencing the sufferings and feeling the pains,” he added.
Narrating his experience on the road, a stranded Kaduna-bound truck driver, Abdullahi Kamilu, said, “This is my fourth day here. I am going to Kaduna State. The roads in Ekiti are very bad. The federal government should assist in fixing this road. One sachet of water is N100. A plate of rice without meat is N1,000. With meat is N2,000.”
He also commended Emmanuel Fayose for his intervention. “When he (Fayose) was passing yesterday, he saw our trucks lined up. We thank him for coming to our rescue.”
Another stranded truck driver heading to Abuja, Taiwo Ishola, said, “It is not easy to remain on a spot for days. I am supposed to have gotten to Abuja and returned to Lagos. We need good roads. The government has abandoned this road for a long time. I am appealing to the government to help us fix this bad road and others too. This is one way we can enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“We thank Emmanuel Fayose for bailing us out. He has used his personal resources to buy these trucks of stones to fill up these bad portions, may God bless him.”
Tunde Adejumo, returning from Kaduna to Lagos, said, “I have spent more than a week here. The people here are taking advantage of us because of this situation. On the first day, they sold three sachets of pure water for N100. When they saw that we were increasing in number, they started selling one for N100. The plate of rice we used to buy for N700 suddenly jumped to N1,500. The food is not delicious, but we are buying it like that.
“I left my wife and children at home. We are taking a great risk here, especially considering the security situation in the country. I am begging the government to help us attend to this road and the other roads because we are also using them.
“I am grateful for this kind gesture from this governorship aspirant, Emmanuel Fayose. May God reward him greatly.”
A traveller, Mrs Abodunde Roseline, said, “Travelling from Ado to Ilumoba is hellish. I have spent over three hours in the gridlock due to the deplorable state of the road.” She praised Emmanuel Fayose’s initiative to bring relief to motorists and commuters plying the road.
A resident and one of the elders of Ilumoba community, Hon Kayode Agbanigo, expressed gratitude to Emmanuel Fayose for coming to their rescue. “All our pleas to the state government about the road have not yielded any result.
“Fayose saw our sufferings, our troubles; he has only pitied us by bringing these truckloads of stones to solve this problem. God will bless him,” he added.
