By Amos Aar
THE OGUN State chapter of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), has called on the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, to speed up the execution of road projects and other infrastructural projects in the state to relieve the suffering of the people.
In a statement signed by its state coordinator, Eko John Nicholas, and made available to National Record via WhatsApp on Monday, the body also demanded an end to a contract system that has become a conduit for stealing public funds, adding that moving forward, all public projects be executed using the Public Works Department, and should be well funded and equipped by the government.
While CWDR acknowledged the current face-lifts being given to Ikangba Road, otherwise known as Old Lagos-Benin Road, through the ongoing channelisation/drainage constructions, the group demanded that the contractors handling the road project do a thorough job that would stand the test of time, and speedily complete same without abandoning it as is usually the case in some road projects after the contracts were awarded and the contractors mobilised.
CDWR recalled that Ikangba-Ilese Road was among the 12 road construction contracts awarded in the sum of N100 billion by the past APC-led administration under Governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2012.
“Sometimes around 2018, the contractors were mobilised and work commenced on the road, with houses marked for demolition and in some cases demolished, only for the road project to be abandoned even before it kicked off, and then left in the worse conditions ever since then.
“This abandoned road project stretched from Ikangba-Obalende-Lagos Garage-Oke Owa-Ilese, totalling 20km, and was meant to be four lanes! Since then, residents and communities have resorted to self-help to make the road motorable, particularly the Ikangba section of the road,” the CDWR lamented.
The group expressed disbelief with the state government’s excuse of paucity of funds being the cause of uncompleted and substandard projects in Ogun State, blaming the development on underfunding by the government. They sensitised the Ogun citizenry to rise against maladministration and demand accountability from the government, pointing out that CDWR has been at the forefront of the campaigns together with the residents of Ikangba Town, Ikangba Housing Estates and Olorunsogo communities for the repair of the road.
Highlighting corrupt tendencies in the award of contracts and execution of projects, CDWR alleged that, “since the advent of the Dapo Abiodun-led APC administration, Ikangba Road has always featured in the yearly budget proposals, without the government awarding the contract and commencing the repair of the deplorable and dilapidated road, while the residents suffered untold hardship.
“Just before the start of the construction work on the road, it had been abandoned by the residents of Ikangba Town, who have to make use of roads within Ikangba Housing Estate as alternative routes to navigate their way to the recently contracted Molipa Express Road. Sadly, this seemed to enrage the residents of Ikangba Housing Estate, who, without warning, promptly locked the gates of the access roads within the estate, leaving the residents of Ikangba, to wallow through the pool of waters that have taken over a section of the road! This has led to many being hospitalized due to avoidable accidents occasioned by the sorry state of the road.
“Also recall, that on 21st December, 2021, the CDWR, in conjunction with the Ikangba/Agoro Fish Farmers’ Association and the residents had to stage a protest to demand speedy repairs of the road by the state government. This is in addition to several media campaigns. All this however fell on deaf ears of the Dapo Abiodun’s government. In fact, the road got worse after the construction of Molipa Express road, whose waters from two giant drainages were channeled into the Ikangba road, en route to the Yemule river, leading to the overflow of the stream on 22nd July, 2022, and the consequent flooding of fish ponds in various farm clusters, and the loss of over N500 billion worth of fishes! Till date, the government hasn’t deemed it fit to compensate farmers, many of whom are presently out of businesses!
“Regarding the ongoing construction works, the residents are presently left in the dark, conjuring and speculating on the road contract: the names of the contractors, the kilometers to be covered, the sum of money the project was awarded for and who awarded the contract! To us at the CDWR, these are concerning salient issues bordering on accountability, probity and the democratic control of the road project, as experience has shown that contract system has become a cesspool of corruption by the elected public officials, who more often than not use their front companies to execute public works with inflated sum of money.
“We therefore demand that issues bordering on road construction should be done by the public works department under democratic control of workers and community representatives and subjected to public scrutiny and accountability. This would also help the members of the communities to monitor the ongoing project, as eyebrows are already being raised by a section of the communities regarding the quality and durability of the drainages under construction due to poor execution. And we equally demand that the contract system that has become conduit for stealing public monies be done away it, and all public projects moving forward be executed using the Public Works department, and should be well funded and equipped by the government.
“The CDWR, notes that across Ogun state are roads too numerous to mention that are calling for attention. The governor Dapo Abiodun should as a matter of urgency, embark on massive road construction across the state to ease the sufferings and hardships currently being faced by the citizens due to bad roads. Contrary to the government’s claim of paucity of finance, the bane to the social economic development of the state, has been the implementations of anti-poor neo-liberal policies including underfunding of public schools, privatization and commercialization of public utilities, including health care, housing, the contract system in project executions, public private partnership (PPP) and other IMF/World induced pro-rich policies by the government. This is responsible for this sorry state of affairs in the midst of plenty.
“Therefore, as the example of Ikangba residents has shown, communities presently being deprived of good roads and other social amenities including electricity and high tariffs must be prepared to struggle and fight for them from the government. This would mean, embarking on sensitization and mobilization activities including mass meetings, leafleting, press campaigns, rallies and protests to press home their demands. Above all, this kind of struggles should be linked with various other communities with the aim to build a broad-based resistance movement against the present sufferings and worsening conditions of living”.
