Flyover: A Call For Support And Cooperation AT Resolving The Age Long Traffic Conundrum At Ola Iya Junction By Gov Oyetola

By Moshood Suleiman

Conventionally speaking, a flyover is a road constructively created with an elevation at a given junction or intersection. It could be with or without any subsidiary principally aimed at controlling traffic conflicts at any given road intersection.

Basically therefore,a fly over lessens traffic jam by allowing smooth flow of vehicles .

Above all ,road crashes too are reduced if not completely curbed to the barest minimum where it is constructed .
One can therefore confidently say that a
fly-over is a modern traffic decongestion device aesthetically put in place to reduce traffic bottlenecks and attendant accidents that usually occur where such is not in place.

OSUN , especially its capital, Osogbo,was and still in the news when the state helmsman,Mr ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA announced the readiness of his administration to construct an iconic FLYOVER across the popular Fakunle- Olaiya ,Odiolowo-Olaiya,
AKindeko- Olaiya & MDS Olaiya interactions,all in Osogbo,the state capital.

So many questions were asked and still being asked by residents and non residents about the wisdom or otherwise of having it put in place.

The governor simply but emphatically answered by saying that when viewed against the daily growing population of the state especially Osogbo,the state capital and to reduce accidents occasioned by enormous traffic congestions which over the years has become the lot of the motoring and non motoring public plying that axis, nothing can be more succinct than a flyover at such a busy and accident prone axis like Olaiya Junction.

Olaiya Junction where the project is to be sited unarguably qualifies to be described as the nerve centre of Osogbo.

In fact a visit to Osogbo by any first termer without having a feel of how or what the look of Olaiya junction is, can be likened to a visit to Lagos without getting to the popular Broad Street at Marina ,Lagos.

To situate his readiness for the multi million Naira project as encapsulated in the year 2021 budget earlier presented before the state parliament,Governor Oyetola did say that when completed,the over 3 billion naira project is going to be an iconic flyover embedded with beauty and ostentations that will be at par with any modern state capital anywhere in Nigeria.

With a conservative completion period of between 9 and 10 months , Governor Oyetola while further justifying its essence and importance remarked that the proposed flyover which is 500 metre long will be funded through the Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA)

In other words it is a multi million Naira contract methodology that will not in anyway stop his administration from carrying out other developmental projects to the people.

Governor Oyetola did not just wake up from the comfort of his official government quarters at Okefia Osogbo to tell the good and peace loving people of Osun of his intention to put the flyover in place. Of course he could if he had wanted to. But he didn’t.

Rather ,the governor had earlier during the demonstration closure of The Axis of the proposed flyover on the 29th of January ,2021 between 2pm & 5pm did say that his action in this regard was a product of wide consultations earlier made and aimed at ensuring that the project would be acceptable by the people of the state of Osun.

No wonder the support and enthusiasm visibly displayed on the faces of people before,during and after the flagging off ceremony few days ago.

With the alternative routes already provided to that effect to serve vehicular and other attendant needs of the people ,the situation in the interim seems to be a bit hard to contend with. It is like the proverbial baptism of fire going by the hiccups ,traffic wise,being currently experienced by motorists in the adjunct alternative routes provided for them. Kudos, must be given to the state government of osun and the road safety officials whose efforts at making motoring easy and convenient are being complimented by Osun Road Maintenance Agency officials . No forgetting the police and other para military agencies who have made the area a second office where they carry out their duties.

Of course as expected ,businesses and other daily chores along that axis have also been affected. This should be taken in good faith with the belief that it is a temporary situation which will soon become a thing of the past.

It must be reiterated that where there’s no pain,there will be no gain. This is a cyclical fact that is beyond being contested or disputed. The gains that will accrue to the residents and non residents after the completion of the project can best be experienced than imagined. They are enormous and legendary gains in the making.

On this ground,therefore the need for love, support , cooperation and total understanding of the residents and non residents of Osogbo and OSUN as a whole can not be overemphasized with the official commencement of this iconic fly-over.

The 9 month projected completion period of the job is like 9 days. It will surely come to pass and it is a matter of time.

But before then necessary support and cooperation are needed from people for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola so as to achieve the dream of decongesting Olaiya junction thereby making it an accident free axis of Osogbo.

The iconic fly-over by the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is not only a project for TODAY’S OSOGBO but TOMORROWS’ OSOGBO and OSUN STATE at large.