Transporters plying the Mowe–Ofada road in Ogun State have cried out over the bad condition of roads in the community, while seeking the government’s intervention.
They also lamented that the poor condition of the roads damages their vehicles, especially during the rainy season.
During a visit to the area on Thursday, PUNCH Metro observed that the road was congested as vehicles drove slowly along the bad portions.
Our correspondents also discovered that some inner streets in the area were badly affected as they had become completely impassable.
A tricycle operator, simply identified as Johnson, said the road had made the transport business risky and costly.
He said, “From here to the bus stop is still okay, but inside the streets is catastrophic. It usually spoils many things in our tricycle, but the road is the real issue. During the rainy season, a tricycle can’t even enter the streets. Only bikes go inside, and the fares are always double or triple the normal price. Those who cannot afford it will either trek or stay back.
“This road has really caused so much havoc and collisions. If the government can rehabilitate the other road, it will be safer to ply because the one we are currently using is just a one-way. I used to be a transporter in Lagos, and I worked till late at night, but since I came here, I stopped working by 6 pm because it’s always worse at night,” he said.
Another driver, Idowu Folarin, said flooding on the road usually made movement impossible.
“The road has been a great challenge faced by motorists. During the rainy season, plying it always causes great havoc to our tricycles. When water enters where it isn’t supposed to, like the engine, it damages the parts. There’s a particular road at Graceland that is always flooded, and it usually makes it impossible for us to get to Mowe,” he said.
A motorcyclist, Henry Okoro, said he had spent a lot of money fixing his bike because of the road.
“The road has really affected my bike. Only this year, when I calculated the money I’ve spent on repairing some parts of my motorcycle, it was over N100,000. We are just managing the road because we have no choice. During the rainy season, the prices of the fare are always expensive because of the bad roads,” he said.
Another rider, who gave his name only as Kazeem, said the road only has two lanes, adding that it often causes accidents.
He said, “The road is really affecting us. Even this way, it still looks better, but when it rains, it is impossible to ply. Even our motorcycles always get faulty. The road is like a face me, I face you, which always causes so many accidents between vehicles. We would be very happy if the government can help us repair it.”
A bus driver, Ebenezer Ogundipe, who said he had been in the transport business for over 10 years, explained how repairs had drained his pocket.
He added that the absence of a proper garage in the area also worsened the problem.
He said, “The bad road really affects our bus. It’s been very difficult having to repair the bus every now and then. If the road were good, transporting would be easier and faster.”
“The government has yet to provide a garage for us, which forces us to park beside the roadside and makes the one-way road more congested. The little money we earn that is supposed to be spent on feeding still goes into repairing our buses. The government should please help us look into the matter,” he pleaded.
Another driver, Oke, added, “Food is expensive, and the road is bad. The little money we earn that is supposed to be spent on feeding still goes into repairing our buses. The government should please help us.”
When contacted, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the government had begun to rehabilitate the roads within the area.
He said, “The roads are under construction. We are also on Adesan Road in Mowe, and the road is 90 per cent completed.”
Complaints of failed roads in some parts of Ogun State have become a recurring decimal in recent times as residents repeatedly call the government for intervention.
PUNCH Metro reported on September 2 that over four months after the Ogun State Government promised to repair the Loburo Road in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, the road remains in a deplorable state, posing a nightmare for road users.
