Is Oda Road, Akure dualization project abandoned?
By KEMI KASUMU
Oda Road in Akure takes its link from the roundabout joining Alagbaka government, Igbatoro Road, State House of Assembly, Nigeria Immigration Service and State Police Command, all government establishments zone, Adekunle Ajasin Way together at the ShopRite point in the Ondo State capital’s GRA section.
It is an area on which concentrated quite a number of quality edifices, Federal and state institutions such as National Library of Nigeria, a special police post formerly known as SARS, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ondo State College of Health Technology, and is host to Akure Muslim Community Eid Praying Ground as well as access road to major towns and villages including Oda, Aaye, Kajola and Ijoka.
Residents and users of this carriage way jumped up in Joy when, in late 2019 the first bulldozer put its blade down for a scrape on the then badly dilapidated road and escavators started appearing on site indicative of commencement of work, contract having been awarded by the government of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
They are, however, not as happy as the road has now turned a nightmare for the same happy people of yesterday.
Their major headache now is that, even the part that has been done is beginning to look like the undone portion as clay soil take over the entire road to the extent that, when The DEFENDER visited Monday evening, some passengers conveyed by Okada, commercial motorcycles, were seen falling at a little drop of rain.
We were informed during the visit that the condition is as worse as it is during raining time when it is sunny because dust envelopes the entire space giving the beautiful houses, offices, some of which are adorn with colourful flowers, the look unbecoming of an area in a state capital.
“When this project started, we were very happy because the road serves not only Oda people but creates a link to alternative access roads to Arakale, Oluwatuyi, government offices, hospital road through Ijoka and the rest.
“But we are not happy that the road has been abandoned because no work has been going on here for a long time now and it is causing us sickness,” a road user who did not want to be mentioned told The DEFENDER in Akure.
The question being asked now is whether or not the road project is truly abandoned, what time the contract was awarded, to which construction company, local or foreign contractors, terms and scope of work, deadline for completion and delivery as well as whether government actually paid the contractors or not.
Effort to get the state government’s side of the story was unsuccessful as the Ondo State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Raimi Aminu, and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Richard Olatunde, did not respond to The DEFENDER’s enquires sent to them via their respective active Whatsapp.
