Residents of Olomi and Olunde communities in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have hailed the Federal Government for the completion of the Olomi-Olunde-Ayegun part of the Ibadan- Ijebu-Igbo Road.
They said: “The government has remembered us and has ensured that the construction of the Ibadan-Ijebu Igbo Road is not a mirage.”
The residents also commended the contractor handling the project, DC Engineering Limited, saying the company had shown commitment and had delivered “a job well done.”
Some of the residents told newsmen who inspected the road that the completion of the Olomi to Olunde axis of the project was heartwarming.
They noted that “it is a veritable sign that the other communities on the road, up to Ijebu-Igbo, will smile very soon as work is ongoing.”
A resident of Ayegun-Olomi, Mrs. Abosede Salami, said it was gratifying that work was ongoing and hoped that “soon, we will begin to experience the benefits of a good road in this area.
“We are grateful to the government for remembering us, especially now that the Christmas season is upon us. We also appreciate the contractor for the palliative work that has made this road passable.
“It was really bad until DC Engineering Limited touched the road. So, we thank them for that and wish that the work runs faster to Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State.”
Another respondent, Alhaji Yekeen Ishola who is resident of Olunde, thanked the Federal Goverment for the project, saying it was a sign that they had not been forgotten by the authorities.
Alhaji Ishola called on the Federal Government to “consider the plight of the thousands of people in the area as the government is winding down and help us by making sure that the work is properly funded so that it can be completed in good time.”
A visit to the road showed that earth work, stone base and asphalt overlay of the first phase of the road, a seven-kilometre stretch from Olomi Junction up to Olunde, has been done, while work is ongoing to bring the road up to Ayegun-Olomi.
The project, tagged “Construction of Ijebu-Igbo-Ita-Egba-Owonewen-Ibadan Road”, is a 45-kilometre project by the Federal Ministry of Works to construct the road in Oyo and Ogun states, and was originally awarded in 2019 to be completed in 24 months.