Three Communities in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, yesterday protested over bad roads in their various localities.
The communities included Graceland Estate, Grace Garden City, God’s Ownland and Bethel Estate, all in Oba-Ile.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “We are communities of over 3,000 families. We need road urgently. Mr. Gov. A Wa Lokan; Our Cars Are Crying For Help! Aketi Please, Come to Our Rescue; Aketi, We Are 4 You. Let US Be Part of The Giant Strides in Road Network in Ondo State, among others, calling on the State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to come to their rescue.
Addressing journalists, the Chairman, Graceland Estate, Mr. Martins Popoola, said for the past 10 years, the residents had relied on self-help by contributing funds to maintain the roads without any help from the state government.
He said the residents were aware of Akeredolu’s infrastructural development, especially roads, across the state, stressed that if the roads are fixed, it has the capacity to decongest and reduce pressure on the road linking the Akure airport.
He said: “We have heard that he has approved reconstruction of the roads but there is no fund to back it up. But we are begging him to take money out of no money, as he has done in other places, to please fix the roads.”
“We are expanding every day, the roads are holding us back, these roads are very important to our lives and property.”
“The property value would have gone double if not for the bad roads.
“We have minimum of 3,000 families in the communities and these roads link from Oba-Ile to SIB, to Airport and even Alagbaka. If fixed, it will also improve the socio-economy of the state,” he said.
Also the Chairman, God’s Ownland, Mr Oladele Aliu, who appreciated Akeredolu for his giant strides in security and infrastructure, appealed to the state government to fix the roads for the betterment of the residents in the areas.
“Mr. Governor has been doing major roads across the state, especially in places such as Ikare-Akoko, Okitipupa, Akure and Owo, among others. He has been christened as Mr. ‘Talk and Do’ while in some quarters project. Now it is our time to be rescued from bad roads in our communities,” Aliu said.
Mrs. Kafayat Musa, a resident in the communities, said that her sister-in-law had been sick for two weeks due to the bad road they were plying every day.