The problems of Osun West

The Osun West Senatorial District is a shadow of its former self. The district, whose headquarters is Iwoland, has immense human and natural resources and untapped potentials of fertile landmass and rural opportunities.
But it lacks basic public utilities, including roads, especially the only link road that virtually connects all the 10 local governments that make up the district: the Iwo-Osogbo road.
This road was in bad shape until the ruler of the ancient town of Iwo, the Oluwo of Iwo, mobilised some National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members and neighbouring royal fathers to partly fix it with cement.
The Oluwo’s mien and conduct throughout the exercise depicted a man of reason and a high sense of responsibility.
I believe that constitutional roles for royal fathers, at least for issues within their jurisdiction, is fundamental to equity. They should have clearly spelt out roles instead of the passive posture enshrined in our deficient constitution.
The district is the most populous district with a high voting capacity, yet it appears the most neglected in terms of state and federal representations.
The district is blessed with several reserves created by the leadership of the Action Group (AG) in the 50s, but the route to these supposed agricultural hubs have been neglected.
To add insult to injury, the hopes of school children in public schools who now pay around N3,000 are threatened. They may drop out of school because their peasant parents can obviously not afford this amount.
Many children have dropped out in primary and secondary schools, making criminality to assume an alarming rate with a terrible potential to consume the productive demography of the youths.
The Millennium Development Goals in literacy are threatened and without knowledge people perish in ignorance and want of better life.
•Akinola Iwilade,
iwiakinola@gmail.com.