By Olamide FAKEYE
The people of Abeokuta-North, Yewa-North, Imeko-Afon Local Government Areas along Rounder-Olorunda-Imeko road, in Ogun State now heave a sigh of relief as Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Yayi mobilized contractors to site to commence the rehabilitation of the road.
Senator Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial District at the red chamber, had three weeks ago, during his empowerment programmes in Ilaro, Ayetoro and Imeko expressed his determination to urgently facilitate the rehabilitation of the severely damaged portion on the long stretch of Abeokuta-Obada-Imeko international road from Rounder to Olorunda in Abeokuta North Local Government Council.
Though a federal government concern, the road, in spite of its economic and regional importance has caused a lot of hardships, social dislocation and huge economic loss to the people in the affected areas. Worse still it has also suffered had also failed promises from successive governments in the state.
A resident of Imeko-Afon lamented the failure of the current Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun to fix the road in spite of the promises made at the Celestial Cathedral in Imeko when he addressed over two millions members of the Church who had gathered at the Holy City for their mandatory annual pilgrimage and payers in December 2022. However, the governor, like his predecessors, is yet to fulfill his promises.
The Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamen Oyeditan Olanite, Hon. Kayode Oladele, several notable community leaders and stakeholders in the area have at different times lamented the deplorable condition of the road and appealed to both state and federal governments for urgent intervention to assuage the sufferings of the road users and enhance socioeconomic activities in the area.
In one of his many appeals for government intervention on the road, Hon. Oladele, former member House of Representatives and member Federal Character Commission, FCC, like several other concerned stakeholders, had emphasized the economic potential and strategic importance of the road, as an international route, connecting three local government areas of Ogun State- Abeokuta North, Yewa-North and Imeko-Afon to the neighboring Benin Republic.
According to Oladele in a statement, “Imeko is the Holy City and Headquarters of the Celestial Church of Christ worldwide where millions of Celestial faithful, in spite of the bad condition of the road, converge every December for spiritual rejuvenation. So, one can imagine the multiplier effect of the road after completion; its impact on tourism development, improvement in the welfare, wellbeing and socioeconomic development of the people of the ancient city”.
It is believed by many that Imeko is not just a border community but an ancient town with huge tourism potential that can be properly harnessed by government to boot its internally generated revenue.
It is in the prospects of that reality that several residents in the area have expressed joy and satisfaction for Senator Adeola’s intervention on the road describing him as a liberator who has come to relief them of their many years of pains and agony.
In his reaction, Oba Benjamen Oyeditan Olanite, the Onimeko of Imeko, while expressing gratitude to Senator Adeola for fulfilling his promises on the road project, described the Yayi’s several social interventions in human capacity development, education, health, road and rural renewal projects across Ogunwest Senatorial District,as “a practical demonstration of his love for the downtrodden and symbolic of a man with a large heart filled with compassion, always willing to assuage the plight of the needy”.
A highly elated Oladele, described Adeola’s intervention as a humane and timely response to the yearnings of the people. He noted, “the rehabilitation of the Rounder-Olorunda-Imeko road by Senator Adeola will not only mitigate many years of pains and anguish suffered by the people but accelerate socioeconomic development in the affected areas. There is no doubt that the road, when completed, will boost local trade, enhance commercial activities and improve the lives and livelihoods of the citizens of the three local government areas”.
