Save Our Road: Community cry out to incoming Kogi State governor

By Ismail M. Kabir

Youths from Idapokiti community of Okene have cried out to the incoming governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to save their road from collapse.

The call was made last recently as the youths commenced another round of community rehabilitation work on the dilapidated Idoji-Badoko road, 3 years after similar approach was adopted to make the road motorable after years of neglect by successive administrations of Okene Local government Area.

"This is the second time such effort is being employed to save this badly eroded road from total collapse", a youth in the area told Ebiraview.

Earlier in 2012, youths from the community poured out in droves to fill the roads with rocks and laterites from the hills.

The spokesperson of the community, Mallam Adams Bello lamented the long neglect of the road by various local government administrations in Okene.

Recalling the patriotic gesture of the youth in the area Adams said that "The 3-week manual labour we embarked on about three years ago restored the road to good use by motorists including heavy duty vehicles.

"Different vehicles including tipper drivers started using it as alternative routes to their destination", Adams Said.

Few months later,  the entire road was awash with flooding from heavy downpour of the rainy season.

Consequently, erosion took it's toll on the road leaving only propping hardcore across the entire stretch of the road.

The less than 5km rural road constructed by the late Gomina Oyibo's administration in mid-90s connects Idoji Community with Idiche community through Badoko area.

The project hailed as an unprecedented achievement provided easy access for motorists in Okene as a shortcut between Agassa  and Okene-eba areas. The road equally afforded Lagos-bound motorists easy maneuver from traffic jams in the Okene-Auchi road.

Few years after the tenure of the late Gomina Oyivo, the then chairman of Okene LGA, the road was abandoned.

Years of heavy downpour and flooding badly eroded the once smooth road leaving only a shadow of its old shape.

Several appeal to subsequent chairmen of the LGA fell on deaf ears till the Yahaya Karaku's administration in recent years eventually awarded a contract for its renovation.

Just as the people in the community began celebrating the intervention, the renovation was halted half-way.

The rest of the damaged portion of the road from Badoko to Idoji have since been abandoned.

Since efforts to get the local government authorities to save the road have failed, they community said it was imperative to call the attention of the incoming administration in Kogi State to the worsening condition of the road.

"We are appealing to the incoming administration of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello to come to our rescue as soon he settles down in office.

"The road is getting worse every year as the rains begin to drop", Adams said.