Residents in various communities within the Mowe and Ofada axis of Obafemi Owode Local Government area of Ogun state have reacted over the commencement of repair works on the abandoned Mowe – Ofada highway.
The Mowe-Ofada highway which connects over 40 communities within the said local government area has been in the works since the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Amongst some of its key highlights is the easy access the highway offers inhabitants to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from Mowe to Owode-Egba communities respectively.
In a quest to survey and monitor happenings at the community level, Tribune Online observed the sudden presence of workmen with various tools, machines, vehicles and other equipment on the Mowe-Ofada road.
In a dialogue with Mr. Gbade Ogunsanya, a workman deputising for the project manager, he stated that the Dapo Abiodun-led administration had initiated the process of ensuring that road users and inhabitants of the affected communities be given succour.
Although, Ogunsanya vehemently refused to give explicit details, he coherently asserted that the project is people-oriented claiming that the governor in partnership with the contractors will deliver on his promise.
He said, “Well, we are barely 7 weeks into the project; howbeit, we are working double time to see that we finish the job on time. We have been booed and jeered on many occasions by motorists and passersby. We all can see the state of the road network. However, we want to beseech the general public of Mowe-Ofada to cooperate with us as we are trying our best. For now, I can not give specific details regarding the expected date of completion and the level of coverage because I am not licensed to. I suggest that such information be gotten directly from the Ministry of Works, Abeokuta.”
In an attempt to get the thoughts and pulse of residents on current happenings, each and every respondent had something for or against this incumbent administration.
For some, they believed that the governor was indeed delivering on his promise while others said it was a fiasco.
For Miss Ope, a fuel pump attendant at Total Energies, expressed her displeasure with the alleged slow pace of work and nonchalant behavior by workers.
“I see them every day when I come to work. They work for a while and after some time, retire for their supposed break and come back late in the evening, or, worse, return the next day. Each time I see them act this way, I always feel angry within me. After all, I am also an employee. When I go to observe my break, I always ensure that there is someone here to stand in for me; that’s the right thing to do. It’s either they are not serious with their work or they know that no one would actually penalize or sanction them for trivializing a job as serious as this,” Ope added.
Mr Sunday, a commercial tricycle rider, also weighed in on the subject matter. According to Mr Sunday, most of the residents within the concerned communities have zero trust in the government and the ongoing project as this isn’t the first time an activity of this manner has been undertaken.
“I have been plying this road for a number of years now. This is not the first time the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun will initiate the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction. As a matter of fact, as we speak, the people have very little trust in him. Some days ago, a woman boarded my tricycle. After lamenting about the state of this road and Ogun state in general, tears dropped from her eyes. What started out as a discussion within the vehicle turned into a very emotional session.”
“Can you just imagine; let us take a look at the number of workmen present each day. How can you have just 6 or 7 workers handling a major road network? There was even a particular time when all they were doing was sweeping the road. Quite frankly, this project should not take any serious-minded organization more than 2 weeks to fix. Having spent this amount of time on just one lane of the highway, how many weeks will they spend on the other? I urge the state government and our representative in the state house of assembly, Honourable Soneye Damilola Kayode, to please ensure that the pace at which this project is going to be increased and completed. Who knows, it just might affect the incumbent party in the turnout of polls at the next gubernatorial election,” he said
Engineer Oyetayo Kilani, a mechanical engineer, on the flip side, praised the government of the day and admonished residents and motorists to be optimistic and hopeful for a better turnout of events.
Engineer Kilani said: ” I want to first and foremost thank our Governor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, for remembering the people of this vicinity. I must equally thank the honourable representing this constituency. It has always been a prayer point for me personally because I know the amount of stress I face driving to and fro. This is a huge relief for me and many other road users. I will also like to use this opportunity to appeal to the general public to exercise patience. We have all suffered the pain together and we are bound to enjoy the ease together. I pray that God Almighty gives those in charge the wisdom and strength to complete this uphill task pronto.”
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then