Motorists and citizens plying the Ipeba-Ajaawa-Iwo road in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area in Oyo State have expressed concern over the deplorable condition of the road, where road accidents occur regularly, leading to fatal loss of lives and properties.
The 20 km road which connects Ipeba and Ajaawa has been in a critical condition for long; “As commuters with no alternative route, we have made several efforts to improve the road for easy access to motorists by using sand to patch potholes, but we are overpowered due to its deteriorating conditions, Mr Lekan Simon, a commercial driver, told Daily Episode.
“Every year, especially during rain, the poor condition of this road breeds insecurity, as criminal elements hide, especially at night, where they rob people of their belongings.
“Beyond that, women and children face significant risks, especially when going to the hospital or school, because commercial vehicles or tricycles hardly ply the road, and even if they do, they charge higher, which makes life unbearable.
“When we heard the news that the federal government had awarded a contract for the road construction, we were very excited because our problems would be solved, but unfortunately, the road remained the same for almost a year as its poor conditions grew.” Mr Simon added
How Contractors Neglect Road Construction Despite N16.5m
A report published by Tracka, a civil tech platform that tracks the implementation of government projects, indicated that the Nigerian government has awarded a contract for the design and construction of the Ipeba-Ajaawa-Iwo road in the 2024 budget.
According to the report, about N61.5m was paid to a contractor, Global Precinct Nig Ltd, since August 2024.
However, 11 months later, the contractors have yet to resume construction, despite receiving more than 61 million naira for the road projects.
The situation has led to citizens suffering from various issues following the road’s sorry state.
Tracka, who expose how the contractors abandoned the road projects, charges the implementing agency, the federal ministry of works, to provide Nigerians with details of where the money allocated and paid to contractors is and ensure the contractors resume site for proper commencement of the road constructions.
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