Residents of Kenta-Olokuta-Idi-Aba in Abeokuta, Ogun State, are appealing to both the federal and state governments to address the deteriorating condition of the road leading to the Wole Soyinka Train Station. They have highlighted that they’ve already expended over N20 million in attempts to repair the road and are now financially strained to continue these efforts.
The road has experienced significant damage, with parts of it collapsing and other sections eroded due to environmental factors.
The Wole Soyinka Train Station is a key component of the 156km Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project, commissioned in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Regrettably, the government did not account for the need to upgrade the access road when constructing this modern train station.
Chief Ezekiel Olushola, a community leader, revealed that the poor condition of the road has led to tragic consequences, with a student and a pregnant woman losing their lives. In addition to serving the train station, this road connects approximately 52 communities in Abeokuta South Local Government, underscoring its importance for the region.
His words: “A student coming from school at Kemta, and there was a truck coming, too.
“Because of the bad road, the driver wanted to manoeuver from a bad spot and, unfortunately, hit the student and he died.”
On his part, Olabisi Ogundipe, who is the secretary of cab operators at the train station, said, “Daily, we visit our mechanics, for minor and major repairs on our vehicles.
“At the end of the day, when you calculate what you have gained, you would have spent over 70% of the income on the maintenance of the vehicle.”
Chairman of the communities in the area, Babatunde Folarin, said about N20 million had been spent by residents to fix the road, which he described as a disaster.
Folarin said: “It’s glaring; this is an ecological disaster affecting over 52 communities in this area. This road is totally cut off. What else can we do?
“The economic viability of this area has been destroyed. This is a disaster. It’s a failed road.
“This road is less than three kilometers. We have tried our best. We have done palliatives. We have called people for donations, but right now the residents are tired, we are broke.
“This the road that leads to a federal complex, the Wole Soyinka Train Station. We know it’s a state road, but if people cannot enjoy the facility of that train station if people cannot get there, what is the purpose?
“This is an embarrassment to government. We’ve been on this for over five years and this is a new tenure. What more? How many years do we need to wait? People are dying every day.”
Folarin called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently fix the road to ameliorate the sufferings of the users, especially those accessing the train station.
A resident, Olaniyi, acknowledged that the Abiodun administration had fixed many roads in the state, and begged him not to forget the Olokuta train station road.
