Of Abiodun and the abandoned Agbado-Ijoko roads

When that English poet and literary critic, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in his poem titled “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” said: “Water, water everywhere/Nor any drop to drink”, he must have had Agbado-Ijoko and its environs in Ifo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State on his mind. To make Coleridge’s line aptly complete, I’ll add: “dungeons, potholes everywhere/No good roads to travel upon”.

As humans, the road has always fascinated our species. It is the outlet out there. No country, no government, no club, no school operates without the road. So, it is little wonder that development is nothing without it.

• Oba of Benin, Obaseki differ on repatriation of looted artifacts
  Nigeria makes history, shock US in pre-Olympic basketball friendly

Agbado-Ijoko road will embarrass you. I presuppose that should be the most deplorable road in Ogun State. So are both the present and the past governments have turned Agbado, Ope-Ilu, Oluwo, Itoki, Lemode, Abule, Robiyan, Ibaragun, Orudu, OgbaIyo, Arepo, Gas Line, Lisa, Adiyan, Giwa, Oke-Aro, Matogun, Osere, Lambe, Abule-Ekun, Tipper, Oniyanrin, Akute, Ajuwon, Alagbole, Ojodu and Agbado Crossing amongst other places to a Government Rejected Area (GRA) in the last 20 years.

I hope and appeal to Prince Dapo Abiodun to come the rescue of the residents of the aforementioned so that they can also testify to the dividends of democracy. This is an area that forms a large chunk of the second biggest local government in Ogun State— Ifo LG. Massive number of votes would always emanate from this area. They deserve good road networks too!

Folorunso Fatai