Motorists, residents applaud FG, as FERMA embarks on road rehabilitation in Oyo

There is respite on the way for motorists and other road users as the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), has resumed the rehabilitation of roads in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, which were stopped due to reported cases of kidnapping, banditry and other vices.

Before now, the condition of roads in the geopolitical zone has been appalling, resulting in the increase in the prices of commodities as well as crashes on the roads.

“The cost of transporting farm produce to the neighbouring markets, in recent times has increased as a result of the deplorable condition of the road. Also, most of the road crashes recorded in the area have been attributed to the deplorable condition of the roads,” residents and motorists lamented.

The resumption of rehabilitation through direct labour by FERMA, is expected to minimize the reported carnage on the road, boost agricultural productivity and economic activities as well as reduce the cost of transporting farm produce to the various markets in the area.

Olutunde Adepoju, an engineer with FERMA, Oyo State Field Office, disclosed that the agency has kicked off rehabilitation works on Kishi and Ago Are/ Saki roads, while also blaming the neglect of federal roads in Oke Ogun axis on insecurity.

He noted that the agency is prioritising rural roads that serve major agricultural communities in the state.

“We are working currently at Kishi town and the total area we are covering is about 1,110 square meters, which is approximately about 111 meters of asphalt. More or less what we are doing here is sectional repairs,” Adepoju said.

“Our own concern is how to make the road motorable for the community. We have to carry out the rehabilitation of the place. Like I told you, it is a sectional repair within the corridor as you all know. From here we will move to Ago-Are.

“Ago-Are axis spans from Iseyin. The total distance is about 306 kilometers of road. The section we are repairing currently is about 268 kilometers and our own work we only cover approximately two kilometers that we are currently repairing.”

He lamented that most of the roads being rehabilitated were roads constructed around 1979-1980, which has not been adequately maintained.

“Maintenance is one of the things that we are lacking in anything that we do. We need to come back to that basis to ensure that all these items are being attended to at the appropriate time.”

He stated that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is already working on roads and ensured that things are done the way they ought to be.

Adepoju stated that the main constraint is finance. “I believe that the House of Representatives Chairman on FERMA, Remi Oseni and together with all other members of the Senate Committee on FERMA are already working on how to increase the allocation given to FERMA”.

Meanwhile, motorists, residents and other road users have lauded the ongoing road rehabilitation in the Ogun zone.

Abdulraman Maruf Abiola described the intervention of FERMA as a welcome development.

He noted that if a periodic rehabilitation is carried out on some of the roads in Oke Ogun, there will not be reported cases of road accidents, high cost of transporting and other mishaps.

Abiola added that there are other bad portions of Kishi/Igbeti road that needed to be fixed, and, thereby, pleaded with FERMA and other relevant agencies both at the Federal and state levels to rise up to the occasion.

Idris Alaran applauded FERMA for the road rehabilitation saying some federal roads are in bad conditions in the zone but we are happy with the intervention now.

“We thank FERMA and the Federal government for rehabilitating our roads. It is quite thoughtful of Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“There had been many avoidable accidents in the past on our roads but we are happy for putting an end to the hardship faced daily by residents and road users with this rehabilitation,” he enthused.

Also, a commercial driver who attributed most of the road crashes recorded in the area to the deplorable condition of the roads stated that the rehabilitation would ease the burden on motorists and road users.