The destruction of Ibadan roads

FOR some time now, people of Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, have been experiencing unprecedented destruction of their community roads by a telecommunication firm and a water firm. In the name of laying their pipes, these firms dug the tarred roads, while just covering the dug portion with sand after they had buried their pipes.

Today, the well-tarred inner community roads at Ososami, Vulcanizer, Liberty Road, Apata, Kuola Adedayo, Oloruntumo, among other areas, have been destroyed by these firms. What pains me the most is that these firms cannot embark on such projects without the support of the government, and I wonder why the relevant agencies of government are not mandating the firms to use asphalt to tar damaged portion of the roads.o

It is so unfortunate that the few good roads we are enjoying are being destroyed daily by these firms, with the connivance of government officials who have turned blind eyes to the destruction they are wreaking on our roads.

Getting government to rehabilitate bad roads is always a problem, but for some firms to just come and destroy the roads the citizens are enjoying without any action by government is not fair enough.

When I accosted one of the supervisors of the telecommunication firm that was digging a recently constructed road at Apata, Ibadan, he made me to understand that the firm had sought permission from the government before embarking on the project; but did the government also permit the firm to leave behind the destroyed road just like that? We keep saying that the country is not developed, but how will it develop when those who are in government, who ought to ensure that things are done the right way, look the other way after collecting bribes?

I hope this letter will spur government officials who are responsible for ensuring that these firms rehabilitate the roads they have destroyed into action, thereby, mandating the firms to put the roads back into the shape they met them.

I also want to urge our citizens in the state to ask questions when they see things that will negatively affect their welfare. While the destruction was going on, no one could challenge the officials of the firms on what they were doing, and this even gave them the courage to do as they like.

• Alhaji Saheed Olaoluwa,

Ibadan.