Residents of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North have reacted positively to the completion of asphalt overlaying and patching of the 58km Igboora-Igangan-Iganna Road, which was approved by Governor Seyi Makinde in December 2022.
The Igboora-Igangan-Iganna Road rehabilitation links Ibarapa and Oke Ogun zones and cuts across two (2) local government areas (LGAs) – Ibarapa Central, and Ibarapa North.
According to the contractor handling the project, Quickborn Nigeria Limited, the asphalt overlaying and patching covered 16km in Ibarapa Central while the overlaying and patching of 42 kilometers were in Ibarapa North.
Our correspondent, who joined the inspection tour of the rehabilitated road, last week, upon the invitation of the Digital Media Office of the State’s Governor, interviewed the residents randomly to get their reactions on the latest development.
Many, however, were unable to hide their feelings, commending the new access road given to them by the current government.
Motorists and tricyclists in the area, who spoke to Westerndailynews, appreciated the state governor for fulfilling his promise, having awarded the road project.
They also commended the contractor, Quickborn Nigeria Limited, for a job well done.
According to them, the rehabilitation has provided positive changes within several communities in Ibarapa Central and North local government areas.
They noted that the Igboora/Ayete/Igangan road is important in Ibarapa as it passes through major areas.
Some of the road users, driving from Ogun state en route Oke-Ogun axis also expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and the prospect of a stress-free drive on the road.
In his reaction, Alhaji Arigbabuwo, who owns a block industry in the area, said: “Truly speaking, some things we complained about have been fixed on the road. I paid attention to it from the starting point to the end and I can say the contractor did a perfect job.
“As a matter of fact, during the rehabilitation of the project, we monitored them and called the attention of the contractor to a part that needed drainage and they fixed it.
“The culvert was not even part of the agreement on the road project but, out of the magnanimity of the contractor, it was done.
“Whenever there is rainfall, water no longer flows to the road because of the culvert. So, we appreciate this gesture from the governor, because this is the road our people use to convey farm produce from here to Ibadan and other parts of the state.
“We hope that he will do more for us as the administration progresses.”
Another resident, Prince Olumide Babayemi, who also spoke on the development, noted that: “Before the road was fixed, it was a death trap because a lot of fatal accidents had occurred in the past.
“The road used to be narrow to the extent that it cannot accommodate two vehicles at the same time as one will have to wait for another. But, since it has been fixed, we no longer experience the pain. People now move freely at any time of the day and night.
“Before now, we spent up to 1hr 40 minutes from Igbo-Ora to Igangan because of the potholes on the road. But now, we spend about 40 minutes, which is less than one hour.
“So, we appreciate the Governor.
According to another farmer and bricklayer who expressed delight at the rehabilitation of the road, Mr Ayandiran Dare, “The condition of the road was terrible before now. Even at the location where I am talking to you right now, a car once somersaulted and was a tragic scene on that fateful day. But, today, we no longer experience any kind of inconvenience. We now move freely.
“For this, I want to thank the Governor for this development.”
A transport worker who plies the road daily, Adebayo explained: “I am from Abeokuta and I want to thank both the state and local government for rehabilitating this road. We are very happy about this because it makes our movement much easier than before. Whenever there is rainfall, there is a problem but we thank God for a time like this.
“We hope that the few other areas that need adjustment will be fixed soon too,” he concluded.
Other residents who spoke on the road unanimously spoke on the good side of the governor said, Makinde’s administration has resolved to put in place critical infrastructure that would open up the state for economic expansion.
The successful completion of Igboora-Igangan-Iganna Road rehabilitation has added to numerous achievements of Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde who has continuously reiterated his commitment to infrastructure development of his state.
