The state of the road is embarrassing —Oba Akamo

How do you feel with the state of the major road passing through your town and linking two major cities?

You must be talking of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. The truth of the matter, which cannot be controverted by anyone is that no royal father would have a road like this passing through his town and be happy with the embarrassment it has become now. If there is a traditional ruler who is happy with this kind of road in his town, then he needs to be examined; I mean his mental stability needs to be searched.

Why are you this hard?

Am I hard? I don’t think I am. I only say the truth based on the role we are expected to play as head of our towns and communities. It is true that we have limited roles under the constitution. But must we wait for the constitution before we improve the welfare of our subjects? Have you forgotten that an oba is a representative of God who must be looked up to by his people for better life?

But the constitution has restrained you from playing active role in governance.

Look, I think you know me. Okay, let me be specific now. I cannot stand it watching infrastructure in my town collapsing without taking any action. No. I cannot fold my arms.

What then have you done about this road given the fact that it is strategic to your town?

I want to tell you that whatever I do should not be a matter for the media or pages of newspapers. Don’t forget that I am not doing those things for advertisement sake. I do them for my people to live better life. The best I can say is to ask you to do your own independent findings on what I have done for the almost 16 years I have been on the throne. To God is the glory.

If you don’t blow your trumpet, no one would do.

Nobody is blowing any trumpet here. What I am saying is that it is my responsibility as a royal father to live the status because my entire world should be lived for my people.

Last year you hosted two major functions which attracted the crème de la crème of the society, what were the reactions of your guests to the road?

I am happy you mentioned this. You can now understand why I described the road earlier as an embarrassment.  In fact, I will continue to appreciate my guests who came through the potholes to attend my events. They could have sent messages and stayed back because of the bad road. That they came meant a lot to me. It challenged me to always do good and identify with people when my presence is needed. I just returned from Modakeke. You can measure the distance but I am happy because it was a function at which my physical presence was important.

What do you now tell the government to do?

There is nothing I want to say which I have not said several times in the past. I am only being careful these days because talking to the media comes with a risk of being misquoted or misinterpreted. All I know is that one day the government concerned, whether state or federal, would rise up and fix this road. The pains I go through travelling to Lagos in particular are becoming unbearable. I pity those commercial drivers who are on that road everyday.