Some leaders of Ibarapa area in Oyo State under the aegis of Concerned Ibarapa Leaders have sought the intervention of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) over the deplorable state of the Abeokuta-Iseyin road.
The leaders had in a letter dated March 14 which was addressed to Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and FERMA Managing Director, called for a total rehabilitation and resurfacing of the deplorable road.
The letter jointly signed was made available to journalists on Thursday in Ibadan.
Among those who signed the letter were Hon. Tunde Adegbenjo, a former member, Oyo State House of Assembly, Chief Theophilus Adenrele, Chief Tunji Fadairo, Chief Lateef Akinsanya and Mr Katheer Azeez.
Others are Mr Akinyemi Akinlabi, Mr Fatai Adesina and Mr Adeloore Atanda, all former chairmen of Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa East Local Governments respectively.
The 60km Abeokuta-Iseyin road is a part of the earlier designed Badagry-Sokoto road and it spanned across six local governments in Oyo and Ogun state.
The road was constructed between 1976 and 1979 by the federal military administration of Gen. Muritala Muhammed and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo through Strabag Nigeria Plc as the major contractor.
“Since the completion of the road over 40 years ago, it has not received any maintenance, resurfacing, repair or rehabilitation.
“Presently, the road has been a death trap for many road users. Almost every metre of the road has at least two dangerous potholes. The deplorable condition of the road has made it the workshop of armed robbers and assassins,” the letter said.
The leaders recalled that on Jan. 23 this year, Alhaji Fatai Yusuff, popularly known as Oko Oloyun was gruesomely murdered at one of the dark spots on this road.
According to the letter, “Many people have been kidnapped on these dark spots in the past. Apart from this, several accidents leading to deaths and or permanent injuries, and deformations of innocent citizens.
“Accidents on this road have also caused several farm produce being transported to cities to be wasted on the road in addition to having the cost of their haulage and transportation permanently high.”
They sought the intervention of the agency for the complete rehabilitation and resurfacing of the entire road covering about 60km.
