Osun Monarchs Beg Govs Oyetola, Makinde To Reconstruct Ibadan/Iwo/Osogbo Road

Traditional rulers in Osun West Senatorial District, on Wednesday, urged Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his counterpart from Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde to reconstruct the dilapidated Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo road.

In a communique jointly signed by a total number of 15 monarchs, and read by the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Telu, the monarchs said the dilapidated condition of the road calls for urgent attention of the Osun and Oyo governments.

“Your Excellency our Dear Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the Osun West Senatorial District consists of ten (10) Local Government Areas (LGAS), out of which seven (7) LGAS and part of Osogbo Local Government (Osun Central) are affected and involved in this Appeal to the State Government regarding the Osogbo-Iwo road rehabilitation/reconstruction. The LGAS are (in alphabetical order): Ayedire Local Government Area, Ede North Local Government Area, Ede South Local Government Area, Egbedore Local Government Area, Ejigbo Local Government Area, Iwo Local Government Area, Ola-Oluwa Local Government Area and Osogbo Local Government Area.

“This same Ibadan/Iwo/Osogbo road cut across about ten (10) local governments in Oyo State.

“Our Dear Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the main objective of this royal address is to appeal to Your Excellency not to relent in the laudable effort that you have started over a year ago, and to please kindly approve the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Osogbo-lwo road up to the Osun Oyo State boundary. The newspaper report mentioned above quoted the Osun State Honourable Commissioner for Works, Mr Remi Omowaiye, as saying that “the reconstruction will aid the movement of agric produce along that corridor. Oyo will construct the 29.2 kilometres stretch that falls within its boundary and Osun will do 55.4km from Dele Yes sir to our boundary with Oyo State.”

“The road is in a serious state of disrepair, full of potholes of various sizes, with parts of the road already being washed away by heavy erosions Traffic frequency has become so low that motorists groan in pains-pains to their body and vehicles, So many commercial transporters, especially those plying OSOGBO to IWO and vice versa, have been deprived of their vehicles because they have to keep repairing the vehicles due to the damages being impacted on the vehicles requiring heavy costs to repair each time. So, several of them have had to park the vehicles at home or abandoned them at mechanic workshops

“This painful state of the road has equally affected commercial activities in this area as so many vehicles have abandoned the road for Osogbo.”

The monarchs also referred to an earlier report in June, 2022 that the governments of Oyo and Osun States have concluded arrangements to award contracts for the reconstruction of the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan road.

The project, which announced by Osun State Commissioner for Works, Remi Omowaiye, and his Oyo State counterpart, Kehinde Sangodoyin, was said to commence in July.

The monarch applauded the combined work of the two state governments as evidence of “national development, political tolerance rather than unbridled hostile and destructive political animosity that has neither brought peace or development to our people.”