BUSINESS DAY
…Ondo, Oyo, Osun follow the suit
…Prices of foodstuffs, service, and transport up by 100%
…Ogun govt has constructed at least 2 roads each in 20 LGs – Abiodun
Trending news on social media such as Twitter now X, Facebook, and TikTok, among other social media platforms, indicate that Ogun State is regarded by Public Opinion as the worst among the Southwest States in terms of the presence of bad and less motorable roads.
Some citizens and residents of the State who posted various messages on social media that the Sunrise Daily reported on Channels Television on Wednesday mentioned Alagbole, Akure, Ogijo, Sango-Ota, Ifo, Ewekoro, among others as different portions of bad roads which dotted all the three Senatorial Districts of the State.
Statements like “#DapofixOgunroads: Nigerians call on Dapo Abiodun to suspend ‘steeze lifestyle’, focus on government”, and “This is Sango-Ota in Ogun State. Mr Governor has done nothing to fix the floods in that area”, among others, came to the fore on Wednesday on both social media and during Sunrise Daily aired on Channels Television.
According to some people, this is putting more hardship on the residents, especially those living around the border towns such as Ojudu, Alagbole, Akure, Sango-Ota, Ogijo, and Magboro.
Adewunmi Adenekan, a resident of Alagbole, told BusinessDay that he had to abandon his car at home and travel to Lagos daily to work. “Having seen the impassable condition of our roads in Alagbole, Akute and Ojodu, I usually go to Lagos on public transport daily”, Adenekan said.
Another resident, Oluwole Adigun, who rides a motorcycle for a living said, “It’s very terrible here in Gasline, Sango-Ota since we don’t have good roads here and Government is not doing anything. Now, we have to increase our fares because there is no time that we plight all these roads that we will not fix one or two things in motorcycles and of course, for buses and cars, they more than what you think. Therefore, our fare has increased by 100%.
Speaking to BusinessDay on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun on the trending news on social media as regards bad roads in the State, Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media said, “Tending news on social media about Ogun State having bad roads is politically motivated and it was orchestrated by the enemies of our Government and our State.
“We all know that it’s raining and there is flood everywhere in the world and we can’t isolate Ogun State. Besides those fringes that were mentioned on social media there are bad roads, I can tell you that Ogun State has little or no record of people living there.
“People are just moving into border areas without informing the Government of their presence. Government is not rocket science, it’s about planning and budgeting and it will be very difficult for the Government to have proper developmental planning for such areas where the influx of people was not properly done.
“These people just come into Ogun State without proper planning. Many people who are living on the fringes of our State are working and paying their taxes to Lagos State and by so doing it will be difficult for the Government to plan for development.
“Let me tell you that there are no local government areas in Ogun State that Governor Dapo Abiodun and Ogun State Government have not constructed a minimum of two roads each the last five years.
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