40 communities demand reconstruction of dilapidated Ogun road

More than 40 communities in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have called on President Bola Tinubu to help rebuild a dilapidated road. The 10.5-kilometre road connects several communities along the Ijoko-Oyero-Lisa route, leading to the Lisa Memorial Arcade. The road was originally constructed following the Bellview Airlines Flight 210 crash that killed 117 people in 2005.

However, the road has deteriorated over the years, making it difficult for motorists, businesses, and residents to navigate, especially during the rainy season.

During a peaceful walk, the residents, carrying placards demanding urgent action, highlighted the dire state of the road. The walk, organized by the communities, was not a protest but a peaceful appeal for help. The Onilisa of Lisa Kingdom, Oba Nojeemdeen Oladele Odugbemi, praised the residents for their peaceful approach and emphasized that the road's reconstruction would boost economic activities and improve the quality of life.

The Baale of Arugudu, High Chief Akeem Kolawole, emphasized that the communities were approaching the government in a spirit of cooperation and urged the government to help them. The community representatives, Sobogun Olakunle and Yisau Olaniyi, pointed out that the road's reconstruction could become a major economic corridor, connecting the area to the Mowe-Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. They also stressed that the Lisa Memorial Arcade, a site of national significance, would benefit from improved access.

The community leaders urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to treat the road as a strategic infrastructure project, warning that its poor state has led to increased transportation costs and vehicle repair expenses. They expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration's infrastructure development program would support their request, emphasizing that the Peace Walk was aimed at drawing attention to their plight and facilitating the reconstruction of the road.