Following the total closure of Ogbere Ti-Oya bridge, an action necessitated as a result of heavy downpour that washed away the alternative bridge provided by the contractor handling Olorunsogo-Amuloko-Akanran road’s expansion, the leading hospitality outfit in the state, Ilaji Hotels and Resort, has embarked on sensitization campaign of the alternative routes for motorists, tourists and private-vehicle-owners plying the ever busy road.
Having being inundated with numerous complaints by vehicle owners, motorists and commuters regarding their plights since Saturday when the downpour washed away the alternative bridge at Ogbere, the management of the Akanran based Resort has decided to embark on series of activities that will see to the easy passage of motorists along the alternative routes.
Part of the activities for the sensitization drive of the alternative routes to Amuloko-Akanran-Ilaji Resort road by the hospitality outfit is the visitation of their media team to the Zonal Coordinator of Oyo State Road Management Agency on Thursday in their office at Sawia, Ibadan.
At the interactive session held with the Zonal Coordinator of OYRTMA, Engineer Bello Afees, the management of the Resort led by Mr. Hazeez Ayansola, the Corporate Affairs and Media Manager and Mr. Ademola Alabi, the Marketing and Public Relations Manager, disclosed the series of activities geared towards socio,-economic development of the council which had been embarked upon by the company since its establishment.
Mr. Ayansola, in his presentation, disclosed that the establishment of Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort has brought a lot of socio-economic development to the area and has also improved commercial activities in the local government, adding that, the presence of Ilaji Resort in the council has made the road one of the busiests in the state.
He attributed the rapid development witnessed in Akanran axis of the state to the ingenuity of the Chairman of the fast rising hospitality outfit, Engr. Dotun Sanusi, whom he said has engineered and sponsored national and international competitions which had been held at the Resort.
Ayansola established that the Chairman of the Resort, Chief Dotun Sanusi, has played a vital role in maintainance of the road with a view to ensuring that the road is motorable long before his partnership with the state government that led to the road being tarred again.
He said with different investments and businesses springing up in the area, the local government can compete with other local governments in terms of the volumes of commercial and business activities.
Establishing the purpose of cooperation with the road management Agency, the Ilaji Hotels and Resort Sport Image Maker said there is need to enlighten the public, the motorists, tourists and private vehicle owners about other alternative roads to Amuloko-Akanran axis of the council.
He noted that the total closure of the bridge was an eye opener for the non-residents of the council about other motorable routes apart from the normal Olorunsogo-Amuloko-Akanran axis that every one is used to.
Ayansola, while hinting the agency, about the readiness of the Ilaji Resort to embark on sensitization activities, also added that, plying the alternative routes has reduced the traffic congestions hitherto witnessed along Ogbere-Amuloko axis of the road.
In his reaction, the Zonal Coordinator, Engr Bello Afeez, stated that the Agency is doing everything within the ambit of the law establishing it by ensuring that there is sanity and proper management of traffic on the alternative routes.
He disclosed that there is a good working relationship with other security agencies and the contractor in charge of the project to manage the traffic even before the collapse of the bridge, adding that, his officers are deployed in batches so as to tackle traffic gridlock that could have ensued on the routes especially during the peak periods when volumes of vehicles plying the routes are trippled.
Engr. Bello emphasized that the present situation has called for change of arrangements, saying that the Agency has mapped out areas that are required attention to make sure things are in order.
While promising to collaborate with the hospitality outfit, he expressed the readiness of the Agency to improve on its duties in line with the mandate given to the zone.
He welcomed and commended the management of the Resort for the steps it has taken so far saying that the measures have contributed significantly to free vehicular movement.
