By Oludamisi Ojo
The abandonment of a road project embarked upon by the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC)about four years ago linking Ajowa-Akoko with Igasi, Eriti to Omuo-Oke in Ekiti state has brought a lot of economic setbacks to the area as markets in Igasi and Eriti are now sparsely patronized by people.
According to the monarchs of the two communities, the Eleriti of Ekiti, Oba Amos Ogunleye, and the Regent of Igashi, Princess Mojirade Ipinlaye, the deplorable condition of the largest portion of the road abandoned by the contractor constituted security risks as kidnappers and armed robbers occasionally used the opportunity to perpetuate their dastardly acts.
The road according to them started from Ajowa and it has not got to halfway before the contractor left.
All efforts to draw the attention of NDDC to the project had proved abortive.
They noted that as rain season is approaching, efforts should be made to ameliorate the situation so that the people of Igashi and Eriti will not be cut off from the rest of the world.
For now, only commercial motorcycles known as okada are plying the road, carrying two or three passengers and charging exorbitant fares.
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An Erie-Akoko community leader Chief Jerome Oloruntoke also lamented the situation of Igasi – Okeagbe road which is the fastest route to their local government.
According to Oloruntoke, residents of Igasi and Eriti always come to Okeagbe for official transactions in the council headquarters at Okeagbe through Omuo-Ekiti, Oyin to Okegbe, a longer distance instead of Iasi.
They appealed to concerned authorities not to forget Igashi and Erie communities in the scheme of things now that 2023 general elections are approaching.
The stakeholders also urged Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo who is representing the area in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja to assist them in having a motorable road.
