‘Deplorable Kwara highways for robbers’

The roads which link Southwestern and Northern states desire serious attention of the Federal Government because many lives have been lost due to crashes even as commuters and motorists are constantly robbed of their money and property on the roads. The Federal highways linking Kwara State to other parts of the country with the most  […]

The roads which link Southwestern and Northern states desire serious attention of the Federal Government because many lives have been lost due to crashes even as commuters and motorists are constantly robbed of their money and property on the roads.
The Federal highways linking Kwara State to other parts of the country with the most  troubling tales include: Ajapo-Offa-Erinle-Oshogbo, Olooru-Bode Saadu-Jebba, Ajase-Ipo-Osi-Egbe-Kabba.
From Daily Trust findings,there is not a single federal road linking in Kwara State that is in good condition. Vehicles owners spend huge money fixing their vehicles daily even as travelers pay high fares.
Our reporter who visited the roads observed that contractors have abandoned sites on some of the roads that have been awarded for rehabilitation. The only visible signs of the contractors now are sign posts indicating contract award.
It was learnt that some of the roads were awarded for rehabilitation late last year but the contractors handling the projects left with their equipment immediately after the election.
Speaking to our reporter, the community leader and district head of Lanwa community, Alhaji Saad Gambari lamented that many lives have been lost while criminal activities have increased on the road.
During the visit to the road traversing such communities as Bode Saadu, Iyana Oloko, Ayekale, Sabo-n-gida, Araro, Lakanla, Kanbi and Jebba, a cross section of motorists and community leaders said the development has brought untold hardship on them.
“The situation of the roads is terrible and government has not showed concern to the roads despite our frequent pleas to the federal government. The roads are problem to the communities along the roads with the activities of armed robbers. Many of our people have developed asthma for inhaling dust from the roads especially during the dry season. Many people have lost their lives as a result of these developments. We call on the Federal Government to come to our rescue as a matter of urgency,” Gambari said.
The state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Aliyu Issa Ore called on the Federal Government to declare a state-of-emergency on the highways in the state to save road users plying the roads. The state NURTW chairman listed Ilorin/Jebba/Mokwa, Ilorin/Egbe, Ajase/Ila Odo, Ilorin-Offa-Oshogbo among others as highways that need urgent attention. According to him, paying attention to the roads will alleviate the sufferings of motorists as well as communities’ resident on the highways.
The president of Jebba Descendants Union, Alhaji Yusuf Abdulkareem who noted that though Jebba-Bode Saadu is a Federal Government road, urged the Kwara State government to intervene and do palliative measures that could help the condition of the road. “The condition of the road got worse three years ago. But a construction firm brought equipment to the road last year to commence work and to our surprise it could not do anything on the road before disappearing with its equipment after the general elections,” he said.
Some residents along these highways who spoke to our reporter lamented that some contractors showed up with their working tools before the elections with the hope that work would commence but left the roads worse than they met them.
A representative of the communities in the state House of Assembly, Mathew Okedara, representing Lanwa, Ejidongari constituency said when the condition  was becoming unbearable on one of  the roads he brought a grader to grade the road, adding that he had informed the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) both in Ilorin and Abuja offices but without any response. “If not for the assistance of local government that is sand filling the potholes, it would have been worse than the