The road leading to the market from Akesan does not only make goods transport difficult but also turning out to be a death trap for every user.
It has been a few months since the Oyo State Road Management Agency (OYSROMA) with the support of the state government traveled down to Oyo town to inspect the bad road networks in the town. This followed after the media outcries that traveled far and wide lamenting the sad conditions of the roads across the local government areas in the town. Some community-development bodies, seeing the plights of the people, were said to have taken steps to reach the authorities and submit their grievances. In what could be described as a united effort nonetheless, their agitations were heard.
Unlike in the capital city of the state where the Operation Zero potholes initiative has been in full force, the same cannot be said for other towns in the state. Oyo town is having its share in the neglect. Months after the repair directive was given, major roads across the town are still in poor conditions, a rather surprising discovery considering the level of media publicity given to the purported road repairs.
Another story may have existed that shows an imbalance in the operations of the state government toward projects executed across the state.
A quick reference would be the Light Up Oyo State project. Well, while it may be too early to raise objections, it still should not be the case that the citizens will be quick to notice an uneven distribution of state resources.
The road repair project in Oyo town has not met with much progress. While small accomplishments may record a high number of public views, there is much left to be done. Dangers still permeate major routes in the town.
Surprisingly, some glaringly bad roads appear to be intentionally overlooked when the state government and OYSROMA visited the town on road repair project. For one, the road around the Niresa area, from the Bojuwa axis in Sabo, which did not require urgent fixing, was repaired while the major entry road that leads to the Sabo market was left unattended. The road leading to the market from Akesan does not only make goods transport difficult but also turning out to be a death trap for every user.
While the reason for the jump and the plan for the bad road is still unknown, attention must drown on the almost-broken bridge that leads to the Sabo market. It came as surprise to see that such a condition would be allowed to continually pose a huge risk for road users. From opinions and reactions, there appears to be something yet to be understood in the way projects are being carried out in the town. First, the people had to accuse the state government of neglect. Then, they have to endure the reality that some things just won’t be done regardless. The trajectory of administration when it comes to situations concerning the town is yet to attain a level of satisfaction or boasting.
It is so that the ambitions of political leaders may be different from the expectations of the people particularly in this dispensation where political affiliation is the decider of who gets to share in the cake. As the ugly situation plays its way, one can only hope considerations will be made without prejudice or at least an effort that shows a bit of compassion toward everyone, even the enemies. Certainly, fairness and equality are words of great cosmic proportions, and public perception, either in a good or bad light, plays a huge role in rating government performance. You cannot hide from the voice of the people, the voice of God.
Babatunde Titilola writes from Oyo town, Oyo state.
