National Secretary of the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, and other eminent leaders have deplored the state of federal roads in Ondo state, which they described as death traps.
They spoke at separate interviews calling on the Federal Government to act urgently and reduce carnage on the dilapidated roads which include the Akure/Owo, Owo/Ikare, Akure/Ondo/Ore; Ore/Okitipupa and Akure/Ilesha federal roads.
The roads have been overtaken by gullies caused by the incessant rainfall. while their deplorable conditions have brought agony to drivers and commuters who are subjected to hardship by those plying the roads on daily basis.
It takes motorists almost two hours to travel from Akure to Iju and to Ado-Ekiti, a journey of 45 minutes, because of the pot hole ridden condition of the federal road.
Also, broken down vehicles are common sights on the road, many of which had been abandoned by their owners.
Arogbofa said: “All federal government roads have been neglected unrehabilitated for many years. They have become death traps claiming human lives almost on daily basis without anybody thinking about this.
Federal government has neglected the state in all things, it has not done anything for the state. Our people are suffering because there is no alternative to these roads.
“All the roads are terrible and people are now afraid to travel with their families. Some of the roads should be dualised. We are appealing to the federal government to look intensely at the 2020 allocation for roads and include some of the roads begging for attention in Ondo State.
“Where are the federal roads? None of them is good enough to lead to our farms. They have become death traps.
“One way to get out of this logjam is for Federal government to allow states to control their own affairs. The country must be restructured, so that, every state will be able to take care of its priority. Let every state be allowed to develop at its own pace. States should be allowed to manage their own affairs”
Also, the Okiti of Iju, Oba Amos Farukanmi whose domain has almost been cut off due to the crummy nature of the federal road leading to Ado-Ekiti also craved for federal government’s urgent intervention.
On his own, a statesman and former Senator Olorunibe Farukanmi disclosed that many lives had been lost on the Iju-Ado-Ekiti road due to its bad and dangerous conditions.
He called on the Federal Government to respond to the save our soul message from the people of Ondo State, adding that most federal roads in the state had been neglected for over 12 years.
The Hope
