Bad Roads In Ogun State: Your Excellency! Majority Carries The Vote

The opinion of majority of citizens of a state expressed through their ballot in a democracy is said to be the correct position. After the election, what the led thinks and say about the leadership as their perception, cannot be faulted because they are in the best position to judge a leader that is doing or not doing well.

The condition of roads in Ogun State has been a prominent public concern. The terrible state of most roads in the state is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind. For instance, those living at Itele or Lafenwa in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area find it difficult to invite relatives that own vehicles in other parts of the state to visit them because this would amount to asking for destruction of such vehicles. The road linking Ayobo in Lagos to Aiyetoro and Ayobo to Lafenwa are so deplorable that travelling through the road on a commercial vehicle or a motorcycle without undergoing medical treatment at the end of such journey is a miracle.

Governor Dapo Abiodun should please make an attempt on this journey to confirm that this is not an exaggeration. Pregnant women are always advised not to make such journeys of bumpy ride on gallopy and dilapidated roads to avoid miscarriages. The Governor should please visit Mopol Junction immediately after a downpour to see things for himself. .Each time it rains, going though these border roads to or fro is just a nightmare.

In The Punch of July 17, 2024, His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun was quoted by Taiwo Bankole in a report as saying: “Today we can brag and say not only have we constructed 600 kilometres of highway or roads, both inter-state, intra-state, inner-city roads, but, I beat my chest that there is no local government in Ogun State today that does not have at least one or two roads that we have reconstructed in the last five years and that is in line with being equitable and fair.”

Dear Governor, this deserves applause and you have to be commended for this. However, you also said something that seems to suggest you don’t have a big picture of what your people are going through. That is, if you truly see them as your people.

You said: “My attention was drawn to various sponsored media attacks on my person and my administration. These media attacks are focusing on roads by attempting to disparage me and accuse me of either neglect, not being responsive or being uncaring.”

Sir, stop referring to comments on underperformance as attacks. They are not sponsored by anybody. The situation is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind. “If thou doest well, will all not see it?” Performance in governance speaks for itself.

The Governor further said in that report: “When I see these media attacks, at times, my first reaction is to ignore them.”

Sir, ignore them? Don’t ignore them please. Do what you promised to do that brought you to power. Majority carries the vote. Remember? The same applies for citizens’ opinion.

The Governor went further: “When I now see such a barrage of sponsored media attacks, the first question I ask myself is: Where were these people before I became governor?”

With due respect sir, you became Governor to correct what is wrong and not to refer to the wrong situation as a norm that should be accepted and continue.

This is a call on Ogun State Governor to understand that the politics of federal and state governments concerning road construction is not the business of the suffering commuters of Ogun State.

Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration is according to him, doing something about the bad state of Ogun State roads but it needs to do more to move the correct majority opinion into minority unnecessary tantrums that he currently assumes it is.