By Hakeem Gbadamosi

Copyright tribuneonlineng

Youths from the Irekari axis comprising Idoani, Idogun, Imeri, and Afo communities in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday staged a peaceful protest to express their frustration over the deplorable condition of roads and other decaying infrastructure in the area.

The protest, which began on Thursday, has continued for days as the demonstrators vowed to remain on the streets both day and night until government authorities address their grievances.

Armed with placards bearing various inscriptions such as “Fix Our Roads Now,” “We Deserve Better,” “No Development, No Peace,” and “Irekari is Part of Ondo State,” the protesters lamented years of neglect by successive governments despite their contributions to the state’s economy.

They condemned the alleged exclusion of the Irekari Local Council Development Area (LCDA) from the recently announced Operation Emergency Road Construction programme of the Ondo State Government.

While appealing to both the federal and state governments to urgently rehabilitate and reconstruct the roads to revive economic activities and safeguard lives, leaders of the protesting youths specifically called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to remember the axis in his developmental plans.

The youths also accused a marble company operating in Afo of worsening the condition of the roads through the movement of heavy-duty trucks. They urged the government to channel part of the taxes and royalties collected from the firm into road rehabilitation projects.

Beyond the issue of roads, the protesters decried the lack of electricity supply, dysfunctional health facilities, and the inactivity of the local magistrate court all of which they attributed to the poor road network discouraging workers and service providers from staying in the area.

They noted that good road infrastructure is essential for socio-economic development, as it facilitates the movement of goods and people, but lamented that Irekari communities have been largely cut off.

They pointed out that the two main access roads the Ipele–Idoani–Isua Federal Road and the Oba–Ikun–Afo–Idoani Road have deteriorated over the years, leaving commuters, including students and parents of the Federal Government College, Idoani, and the Navy Secondary School, Imeri, in excruciating pain.

They maintained that the worsening road conditions have crippled economic activities in the axis, as neither the state nor the federal government has responded to the community’s repeated pleas for intervention. Years of neglect, they said, have left the once-thriving communities as shadows of their former selves.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, one of the youth leaders, Mr. Sunday Akinsehinwa, said residents of the four Irekari communities have suffered untold hardship due to the poor state of the roads linking their towns to other parts of the state.

He added that economic activities have almost been crippled, while access to healthcare and education has become a daily struggle.

According to him, indigenes of the communities have resorted to self-help by contributing money to carry out remedial works, particularly on the Ipele–Idoani–Isua road, but their efforts have proven inadequate given the extent of the damage.

The ongoing protest, according to him, was triggered by the continued silence of the state government, especially Governor Aiyedatiwa, who had previously passed through the same route during a campaign visit to Idoani in October last year.

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They also recalled that Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami travelled through the dilapidated Oba–Ikun–Afo–Idoani road earlier this year to attend an event in the area.

While appealing to the Federal and Ondo State Governments to urgently rehabilitate and reconstruct the roads to protect lives and revive economic activities in the LCDA, leaders of the protesting youths specifically appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to remember the axis.

“For many years, we have been abandoned. The roads from Idoani to Idogun and from Imeri to Afo are completely impassable. Farmers cannot take their produce to the market, and commercial drivers are avoiding our routes because of the terrible condition of the roads,” he said.

Another protester, Miss Tinuola Adeoye, decried the lack of basic amenities in the area, including potable water, electricity, and functional healthcare centres.

She urged the state government to intervene urgently, saying the communities feel cut off from the rest of the state. “We are not asking for too much. We only want good roads, light, and schools that work. Our people are hardworking, but the neglect is killing our motivation,” she said.

The protesters called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to visit the area and see firsthand the level of infrastructural decay, urging his administration to include the Irekari axis in ongoing rural development and road rehabilitation programmes across the state.

Meanwhile, efforts to get a reaction from the Ondo State Ministry of Works were unsuccessful as of press time, but a senior official who spoke off the record said the government was aware of the situation and that plans were underway to rehabilitate some critical roads in the Ose axis.

Responding to the development, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said the state government was committed to addressing the situation as a matter of urgency once the rainy season subsides.

Ajanaku explained that the Irekari axis was discussed at the last State Executive Council meeting under the Operation Emergency Road Construction programme and expressed optimism that rehabilitation would soon commence on the Idoani, Idogun, Imeri, and Afo roads.

He added that both the federal and state roads serving the area had already been brought to the government’s attention and assured residents that the affected roads would soon receive attention.

However, the protesting youths remain sceptical, citing previous unfulfilled promises by successive administrations. They vowed to sustain their protest until tangible action is taken to address their demands.