Ogbomoso roads and other afflictions: Govt indeed dead in Nigeria
Femi OGUNLANA
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The primary goal of government ought to be enablement of good comfortable life for its citizens, the governed, through provisions of adequate and functioning infrastructures, improved welfares, creation of opportunities and so on. A former colleague and brother who relocated to Scotland less than two years ago often regales me with how the people there live in comfort, “they have no worries,” he would say. ”All what we worry about in Nigeria are easily and essentially provided by government over there. They virtually live worry – free life, there are amenities that work, welfare packages superb, transportation without hassle and that comes with support, working educational facilities, food availability, accessibilty to good health facilities, housing accessibility, almost zero crime society, retirement benefits not only for civil servants but every category of workers; they have a functionimg society, that promotes equality, equity, fairness and justice, where essential of lives are made available and where no one celebrates or have airs about being rich. There, useless avoidable deaths often experienced here are non-existence.”
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It is rather sad the kind of existence we foist on ourselves in Nigeria and most Africa. We make life brutish and unnecessarily hard. Why shall we have governments that are unresponsive and insensitive to the concerns of their people. Why must the citizens be perpetually subjected to hardships, pains, afflictions of various hues and cries? Why would simple requests by the citizens be ignored by the controllers of governments?
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- The unfinished journey: Ogbomoso-Oyo road project by Remi OLADOYE
- ABSURD: You’re yet to complete road begun over 20yrs ago but awarding new ones
The state of things in Nigeria motivated this piece, how governments turn deaf ears to ardent, simple requests for provision of, or upgrade in infrastructures. As an instance, there are roads in Ogbomoso, critical ones that need urgent intervention by governments or their agencies but for years now people have been soliciting for attention for them but none has come. Two sections are most critical, which are sources of immense anxiety as they constitute constant dangers. The two are under the purview of the federal government and are of great economic importance to Nigeria. Cut off these roads, and the economy of Nigeria will suffer humongously because the roads connect two economic nerve centres of the country – the north and southwest parts of Nigeria – and through the roads humans and goods in numbers are transported every minute. But it’s perpetually in a state of disrepair yet governments disregard the situation despite strident pleas from the inhabitants. The Takie – Caretaker section of the trunk A road is badly damaged presently riddled with craters making driving through it a deathly experience. The thousands of heavily laddened articulated vehicles exacerbate the problem having to drive with excessive care to navigate the road and often falling down precipitately all creating gridlocks and outright blockages most times.
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And the alternative, the new highway, Ibadan – Oyo – Ogbomoso – Ilorin, for over twenty years remains uncompleted. And the portions completed, more than ten years ago, are already needing huge repairs. A stretch of road that is very vital to the nation’s economy and not up to 180 kilometres different governments could not complete in over twenty years. It is deplorable. The road now remains about 5 kilometres in the Ogbomoso axis yet it is abandoned again for almost eight months now. What is left of the road is virtually in another section of the Ogbomoso metropolis. The old road suffers most damage within Ogbomoso metropolis and the new one suffers abandonment within Ogbomoso metropolis. Isn’t it funny? It’s as if it’s an orchestration against the city. Or is it a mere coincidence? Ogbomoso does not deserve this in view of her contributions to the evolution of Nigeria in terms of human assets especially. She has produced great individuals who made invaluable contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria and who are still making. This is not to talk of the unquantifiable benefits of the said road to the economy of Nigeria and the world at large.
The non-response of governments to constant cries of the people of Ogbomoso particularly on the conditions of these two roads make me feel as if government is dead in Nigeria. Many people have written on the deplorable conditions of the roads, produced short videos highlighting the problem yet no response from government (s). Government is to meet the needs of its people, listen and hearken to their concerns, solve their collective problems, eradicate nightmarish experiences as bad roads and make life better generally. When government neglects this function one can as well conclude government is dead, dead to the yearnings of its people.
What is the big deal in allocating resources to lift people’s burden especially germane, genuine burdens! I am sure Ogbomoso indigenes in government over the years be it legislators or appointed and those close to the corridors of power would have been pulling the necessary strings to have these roads fixed but some people somewhere will just frustrate their efforts. It is sad how we make life difficult for ourselves. It is why cries of marginalization will never abate in Nigeria. Must projects be allocated based on self interest alone? Must it be when you are in government that you must get things for your area? It’s detestable.
There is also the issue of the 132kv power station at Temidire/Ajeja Ogbomoso, it’s been awarded over 17 years ago and not completed too. Even when we have an Oyo state indigene presently as Minister for Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu, and despite solicitous pleas made to him by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, and others, there is no evidence of the project inching towards completion though over 90 percent of the project is said to have been executed.
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What of the issue of persistent escalation in hardship in the land, occasioned primarily by continuous hike in fuel prices! People are lamenting but the government doesn’t seem to care. Under its watch, prices of fuel continue to increase. No implementation of new minimum wage, corrupt palliative measures and so on. Government has made life unbearable but it seems to have developed immunity against the plight and cries of the people.
We plead, let our governments at different levels be responsive and sensitive to reasonable requests of their people, requests that are capable of bringing comfort and relief to them. That is my plea! Government doesn’t need to be dead or assumed dead.
