Kayode Ajulo

It is no longer news that Federal road infrastructure across the length and breadth of Ondo State has practically broken down for a while now. It is also a fact that the state government is grappling with the state and municipal roads most of which have decrepit and riddled with potholes.

The unspoken open secret is that as it is today, Ondo State is on the brink of being excised out of the Federal Republic of Nigeria given the absolute neglect evidenced by the state of the federal roads that lead to and from the state from all directions particularly from the Seat of Power, Abuja.

To the untutored or the one who has not had to travel on those roads, this may be an exaggeration. I, on the other hand, have my hometown and local government at the northern tip of the state and must therefore use those roads or what is left of them to get there if I must visit my people from Abuja.

Not minding the expected crucifixion from political jobbers and bootlickers, I have decided to bring to the fore this dehumanizing, demoralizing and economically disadvantageous anomaly called “bad roads” by sharing a bit of my personal experience as I journeyed from Abuja to Akure over the weekend.

Experience, they say is the best teacher, but in the light of the circumstances that surrounded mine, I would not even want my adversary (assuming without conceding that I have one) to pass through this kind of hardship that has been sheepishly tolerated by road users over the years.

I had secretly wished that the whole outcry about the decrepit state of the so-called federal roads in Ondo State was an undue exaggeration but to my greatest consternation, it is far from being one. To say the roads are terrible and almost irreparably bad might just be the understatement of the year.

The journey to Ondo State was premised on the need to attend a Civic Reception held in Okeagbe Akoko, in honour of my brother, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who is the current lawmaker representing Akoko North East/ North West Federal constituency at the Federal House of Representatives and to attend within the week the new Legal Year Ceremonies to which I was invited by the Chief Judge of Ondo State.

By my modest estimation, with a good road network, travelling from Abuja to Akure should not exceed four hours. It is sad and regrettable that I drove in a convoy of my friends and aides for more than eight hours before we could even get to Oke-Agbe, Akoko, let alone Akure.

The roads can at best be described as impassable and deplorable contraptions that should not be meant for human transportation in this 21st century. As a matter of fact, if cows and goats could speak, they would complain if made to traverse those roads. They are that bad.

The Akoko end of the road is beyond description as they are worse than mere dirt roads. For instance, the 30 kilometres stretch of road from Omuo-Ekiti to Okeagbe-Akoko which ordinarily should not be more than a 15-min drive is now a 2-hour journey while the Ishua-Ifira-Idoani-Ipele Road has totally collapsed with huge craters at several points on the road.

By the time I got to Oke-Agbe, I was so desperately looking forward to speaking with some of the senior public officials that were billed to attend the occasion. I had hoped that at the end of the “hellish” trip to the event which was expected to attract a lot of important dignitaries including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to Okeagbe Akoko, Ondo State, I would have the opportunity to take the issue up with the egregious Speaker and stir up yet another legislative debate on the issue of the deplorable roads in my dear state.

Unfortunately, and to my chagrin, the esteemed No. 4 Citizen had not only left but I also received the news that he had come to Okeagbe, not by the poor roads but by chopper. I am however quite confident that it was a good thing that he did not come by road to the event to the extent that, had he so done, we would both have come into the venue only after the event.

Having said the above, I wish to decry the penchant of our public officials for travelling to every every event however remote by either plane or helicopter. I guess even their “jeeps” can no longer ply the roads.

Even if I had the good fortune to meet the egregious Speaker of the House at that occasion, how was I to discuss meaningfully with him the import and weight of an experience which he has never had? It is often said that he who wears the shoe knows how and where it pinches, how therefore can I discuss the issue of those deplorable roads with someone who elected to fly in an helicopter?

The Oka-Akungba-Owo Road which now primarily serves as the gateway to the North