A Four Decade Of Jungle Life Turns To Blissful Life: A Life Changing Story Of The People Living On The Corridor Of 10.4KM Edunabon – Tonkere – Ayetoro Road In Ife North, Ayedaade LGs Area Of Osun State

The life of people living on the corridor of 10.4km Edunabon – Tonkere – Ayetoro road In Ife North and Ayedaade Local Government Areas of Osun State which has been begging for rehabilitation for more than forty years, according to the testimonies of the stakeholders in the area, has worn a new outlook through the efforts of Osun Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (Osun RAAMP) with the support of the administration of Asiwaju (Dr) Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State.

The people living on the corridor of the road affirmed that they have tried several ways to get the road rehabilitated but to no avail despite the fact that the road leads to farms where there are many farmers who are engaging in the production and processing of both cash and food crops.

According to some of them, it takes them two hours to travel the 10.4km road because transportation was very difficult to get and even if one gets, the cost is exorbitant; movement of farm produce and the processed food is so bad to the extent that 50% of their harvest are wasting. Educationally, the pupils, students and teachers found it difficult to get to the school.

Pupils, students and teachers trekked to the school most times thus affect the educational standard of the people. They find it stressful to access health centres thus create great health problem. Children, mothers and youths are living a difficult life. It was an alarming problem confronting the people in this technological age when people are still living as if they are in the 14th Century.

Businesses were at lowest ebb. Our standard of living has nothing to write home about. Accidents everywhere with various degrees of injuries and death. Majority of youths who are interested in farming are scared and thus running away from the lucrative jobs and therefore reduced the production and processing of food. This is a great pointer to poverty.

However, the construction of the road brought a great relief to the people. It has brought succour to people: For instance, the transport that has eluded them before is now a thing of the past. Transportation cost which used to be N3,000 before is now N1,000.00.

Travel time has reduced from one and a half hours to twenty minutes which is approximately 70% reduction; Access to market which used to be a mirage when the road was bad is made easy. Infact, different types of vehicles are plying the road, health workers are frequently available in the communities on the corridor of the road.

Accident has reduced drastically because the road is good and motorable. Our farm produce is no longer wasting on the farm due to the fact that it is very easy to evacuate them. The living standard of the people in the area has increased tremendously because people can do business easily without much constraints. To say the least, the activities of the farm-gate middlemen and women are completely fading away as the farmers find it convenient to move their farm produce themselves thereby make good profit.

Sustainability of the project is important and paramount to the beneficiaries and they have promised that strategic plans would be made to ensure ownership of the road. They would make sure that the road is maintained by avoiding dumping of refuse on the road, dumping of farm produce would be avoided, the drains would be cleaned properly.

To the people on the corridor of the road and other towns within two kilometres radius of the constructed road it is a great blessing to them because it has changed their life from jungle into a blissful life.

J. Oladoja Adedokun
Development Communications Specialist