Students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, on Monday, stormed the office of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, to protest the ongoing accidents and deaths of their colleagues due to the poor condition of the Ifaki–Oye–Ikole Road.
The placard-carrying students gave FERMA and the Federal Government a 48-hour ultimatum to commence repairs on the federal road or face consequences, as they threatened to occupy the road, making it impassable for other users.
Led by the Students’ Union Government President, Mary Abiodun, FUOYE students lamented what they described as “the severe harm caused to our student population, resulting in the loss of over 10 students in fatal accidents,” including the death of a recent graduate last week.
Among the inscriptions on their placards were “FUOYE students’ lives matter,” “Repair Oye-Ikole federal road now,” “Enough is enough,” “President Tinubu, save our students’ lives,” “Stop neglect of our infrastructure,” and “FERMA in Ekiti State is useless.”
In a position paper delivered by Abiodun, she stated, “We vehemently condemn the deplorable condition of the Oye–Ikole Road. This road has become a daily death trap for students, staff, and the indigenous people of Oye Ekiti. Despite numerous attempts to highlight this critical issue, FERMA’s inaction has jeopardised the safety and well-being of road users, recently resulting in the tragic death of our beloved alumnus, Ohonsi Williams Ehigie.”
“The Oye–Ikole Road is a crucial link between the nation’s capital, Abuja, and several southwestern states, including Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, and Ondo. This road is heavily trafficked by large vehicles such as petroleum tankers and 18-wheel trucks transporting goods.
Tragically, this road has been in disrepair for an extended period, leading to numerous accidents, loss of lives, and untold hardship. We cannot tolerate FERMA’s negligence, which endangers the lives of FUOYE students, staff, and the local community.
Immediate action is imperative. We can no longer endure the brutal loss of our students due to improper road maintenance and the absence of necessary palliatives. We can’t take it anymore,” the SUG president said.
FERMA’s Federal Road Maintenance Engineer, Simon Adeniyi, apologised to the students for the losses and the road’s condition, stating that the Federal Government had already awarded the contract for the road’s repair, and work would soon begin.
Adeniyi said, “If you listened to the news, about a month ago, the same road was awarded by the Federal Government, and I assure you that any moment now, the contractor will resume.
“It is not going to be a flexible pavement like asphalt; it will be a concrete road. On the same road, FERMA has a palliative measure that will start soon,” he said, adding that the Federal Controller of Works had mentioned the palliative work could be done while waiting for the main construction to start.
(PUNCH)