Residents of and stakeholders in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State have renewed their appeal to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for the urgent rehabilitation of the second phase of the Olorunsogo-Dagbolu Main Road.
The road, which currently ends at Ariyo, has left the stretch from Ariyo to the Oyo-Ogun State Boundary in a worsened condition.
The people of the area however expressed appreciation to the chairman of Ilaji Hotel and Sports Resort, Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi, for his sustained and selfless intervention on the Ariyo-Akanran Road, which has significantly improved mobility and accessibility in the area.
It was observed during an on-site inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation efforts, that Sanusi had donated over 20 trucks of stone base materials and also provided grader and roller equipment to support the road maintenance efforts of the local government on the road
A commercial driver, Mr. Kareem Adeola, appealed to Governor Makinde to include the neglected section of the road in the ongoing infrastructure development plans of the state government.
“We are grateful to Governor Makinde for completing the first phase of the Olorunsogo-Dagbolu Road up to Ariyo, but the road from Ariyo to the Oyo-Ogun boundary is still in a very bad state.
“We appeal to His Excellency to approve and commence the second phase. It is a critical route for inter-state travel and trade,” Kareem said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Akinola Sadia, a pedestrian and resident in the area, praised Sanusi for his unending intervention and urged the state government to reinforce the community-driven efforts.
“Chief Sanusi has been a consistent supporter of our community. His monthly donation of stone base and grading machines has helped to reduce the hardship we face. We thank him and still plead with the state government to take over this vital project,” she said.
The Ona Ara Local Government Youth Stakeholders Forum also weighed in as it commended Governor Makinde for his commitment to grassroots development.
The Forum also charged and encouraged him to prioritise the continuation of the road project to its terminal point at the Ogun State boundary.
“We thank Governor Makinde for completing the first phase. But the remaining portion of this road remains critical to our local economy.
“We urge the administration to award and commence the second phase for the collective benefit of the people,” the youth forum stated in a statement.
The community restated the importance of public-private collaboration in infrastructural development, and applauded Chief Sanusi for stepping in to bridge the gap in government provisions through what it described as consistent and impactful actions.
