If the residents of Akute, Ajuwon, and Alagbole in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State received money every time the Ogun State government promised to repair the Akute-Ajuwon and Alagbole-Ajuwon roads, they would be wealthier than 80% of the people living in other LGAs in Ogun.

The above claim is not an exaggeration, given that Governor Dapo Abiodun, much like a priest, repeatedly vows to build the road but consistently fails to deliver.

Although in the past two weeks, residents have noticed engineers marking and levelling parts of the area, the lingering disappointment from numerous broken promises has compelled them to remain silent until the entire road is completed.

In July, despite his history of unfulfilled promises, Governor Abiodun made an attempt to assure the people of Ifo LGA that the Akute-Ajuwon and the Alagbole-Ajuwon roads would be completed within two weeks. However, this was just one of many promises made about a road that, after three years, remains unfinished.

Engineers did not show up in these areas until the first week of August, more than a month after he declared that the roads would be completed.

A part of Ajuwon Road on August 7. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

As these promises continue to fall flat, the lives of ordinary people in the area become increasingly difficult. Coupled with the inflation gripping the country, life for these residents is harder than ever. Oladele Taiwo (pseudonym), a resident of Alagbole, told FIJ that after many failed promises from the governor, residents adjusted their expectations and began to face reality by making quick decisions to tackle their day-to-day challenges.

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She said the state of the road makes life especially difficult when it rains because human activity typically comes to a standstill for five to six hours after heavy rainfall in the area. And on some occasions, the resulting floods have claimed lives, she said.

“We are tired of staying indoors for up to six hours when it rains, which is why we’ve been begging Dapo Abiodun to help us. But since this is his second term, he likely won’t do anything. The floods used to carry away schoolchildren, so we told everyone to halt their activities until the rain subsided,” Taiwo told FIJ on August 7.

A part of Alagbole Road as of August 7. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

She added that the Ogun State Ministry of Environment had visited the area more than ten times in the last three years with a measuring tape but had done nothing, which is why she hopes the government would finally finish what it seems to have started.

Taiwo recounted that the last time the Ajuwon-Akute-Alagbole road was repaired was in 2011 by the Ogun State Road Maintenance Agency (OGROMA), but it quickly deteriorated.

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“Since then, it has been a never-ending stream of promises. Ibikunle Amosun, the immediate past governor, did not consider this area important, so he did nothing about it. Now, Governor Abiodun is making promises he has no intention of honouring,” she said.

A part of the Akute Road as of August 7. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

Perhaps those whose livelihoods depend on navigating the area suffer the most. Whether in the rainy or dry season, motorcycles in the area must frequently repair their bikes. Emmanuel Oluwasanjo, a biker in Alagbole, told FIJ that during the rainy season, survival is hard, but in the dry season, as it is now, he has to repair his tyres almost every week.

“Week in and week out, I have to visit the tyre repairman because the rocks on the road puncture my tyres. But it’s not just that, my shock absorbers suffer too. This is why, when some engineers came here two weeks ago, I paid them no attention,” Oluwasanjo said on August 7.

Bikers on the Ajuwon Road as of August 7. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

Oluwole Oyedele, another biker who plies the Ajuwon-Akute-Alagbole route, told FIJ that due to the road’s condition, bike fares are unstable, and as a result, his day is unpredictable.

“If it starts raining now, bike men disappear. If there’s no rain, the fare to Akute is N200, but if it rains, I charge N300,” Oyedele said.

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Engineers at work in Alagbole as of August 22. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

He also believes that the poor state of the roads is why real estate has yet to thrive in the area. “Despite the bad roads, shops here still cost N15,000. If the roads were good, the quality of life would improve, and shops and houses would become more expensive due to increased commercial activity,” he said.

Avurakoghene Da Silva, a trader in Alagbole, said that she remains uncertain about the government’s next move because she has been disappointed by them before, although she saw some men clearing the drainage in the first week of August.

She added that she has mentally prepared herself for the coming rainy season, as she has done for the past five years because she has grown accustomed to finding ways to cope with the challenges posed by the bad roads when it rains.

Alagbole junction as of August 22. Photo credit: Emmanuel Uti/FIJ

“Whether they plan to fix the road or not, I don’t know, but I have prepared myself for the worst during the rainy season. I hope they finish the road so we can survive. What I don’t understand is why the same government that collects taxes and trade permits from me can’t simply repair the road,” Da Silva told FIJ.

READ ALSO: Health of Ogun Blogger Jailed by Dapo Abiodun Deteriorating Despite Release

PROMISE AND FAILURE

In April 2021, Governor Abiodun assured the people that the Ishasi-Denro-Akute road would be prioritised and completed before the end of 2021. This is 2024 and the road has not been completed.

In August 2022, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, Ogun Commissioner for Information and Strategy, told journalists that the State Executive Council agreed at a meeting to commence work immediately on the road. In 2024, the road has still not been completed.

In August 2022, Governor Abiodun said he was confronting the challenge of an infrastructure deficit in the state despite the lack of funds.

In March 2024, the Ogun State Government disclosed that they were working on the road, but this statement is at odds with the declaration of the governor in July 2024.

As the people hope to see the actualisation of the governor’s promise, many think the ongoing construction would stop midway. After all, his previous promises did not materialise.

FIJ called Ade Akinsanya, the Ogun Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, for comments on Wednesday, but he declined. On Wednesday, FIJ sent a text message to the commissioner but he had not responded at the time of this publication.

In a text message to FIJ in October 2022, Akinsanya said, “As stated, the roads will be ready by December. That is the governor’s commitment,” but this promise, like the governor’s promises, did not hold water.
The post Akute, Alagbole Roads Remain Unfinished After 3 Years of Dapo Abiodun’s Empty Promises appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.