Residents and business owners in Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada community in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State have appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to urgently rehabilitate their deteriorating road, warning that severe erosion and deep gullies are threatening residential buildings, disrupting businesses and making transportation increasingly difficult.
The residents, who spoke with journalists, lamented that the deplorable condition of the road had rendered it almost impassable to motorists and commercial motorcyclists, forcing some vehicle owners to abandon their cars and use alternative routes to access their homes.
They also called for the construction of adequate drainage channels to control erosion and prevent further damage to properties along the road.
Read also: 50,000 Kebbi residents to benefit from gully erosion control projects
Temitope Olayemi, a businessman, said the condition of the road had adversely affected commercial activities in the community, as vehicles and motorcycles could no longer move freely.
“We are not happy with the condition of this road because it affects so many things, especially those of us who have businesses here. Vehicles and motorcycles can no longer ply the road conveniently.
“Our businesses are suffering because of this situation. We are appealing to the government to come to our assistance by rehabilitating the road,” he said.
Similarly, Tosin Araoye, a businesswoman, described the situation as frustrating, explaining that poor accessibility had disrupted the supply of essential commodities, particularly sachet water, to her shop.
According to her, distributors now drop their products along the expressway because their vehicles cannot access the community, forcing traders to transport the goods manually to their shops.
“Vehicles no longer come into the community to supply water to us. They drop the water by the expressway, and we have to go there and carry it on our heads down to our shops.
“This is affecting our businesses seriously. The road links to NTA and other places, and we are appealing to the government to come to our rescue so that our businesses can continue to thrive,” she said.
Segun John, another resident, explained that the road had deteriorated to the extent that he could no longer drive his vehicle into the community, a situation he said had negatively affected his business.
He urged the state government to intervene before the situation worsened.
Commercial motorcyclists operating in the area have also lamented the impact of the bad road on their operations, saying deep gullies caused by erosion had made it increasingly difficult to convey passengers into the community.
Read also: The institutional amnesia cycle and erosion of national stability in Nigeria
Emmanuel Adeniyi, one of the operators, noted that riders were often compelled to drop passengers before reaching the affected sections of the road.
He appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road, noting that its condition had reduced their daily earnings and subjected residents to additional hardship.
Femi Abodurin, another commercial motorcyclist, described the road as extremely deplorable, warning that continued neglect could completely cut off the community during the next rainy season.
“The road is terribly bad and needs urgent attention. There is no way to drive into that place. Residents feel bad because of the condition of the road. When they have loads to take home on motorcycles, it is almost impossible because of the bad road and gully erosion,” he said.
Abodurin expressed concern that erosion was also threatening a residential building opposite the affected section of the road, stressing the need for urgent government intervention to prevent further damage.
He, however, acknowledged the state government’s ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, appealing to the authorities to extend similar intervention to roads linking other communities in the area.
“We appreciate the state government for the ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, but this road leading to other communities is very bad and needs urgent attention.
“If next year’s rainfall is anything like what we experienced this year, there may be no way to pass through the road. Even motorcycles cannot pass through, and pedestrians have to be very careful because of the gully erosion.
“The bad road is seriously affecting our businesses. Even motorcycles cannot ply it, let alone vehicles. Some residents who own cars have parked them elsewhere because there is no way they can drive to their homes,” he added.
Saka Abdulkadir, Secretary of the Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada Community Association, also appealed to Governor Abdulrazaq to rehabilitate the road and provide adequate drainage infrastructure, noting that it serves several communities.
Read also: Anambra eyes green economy as erosion, waste challenges drive new climate resilience push
He said residents, particularly vehicle owners, were finding it increasingly difficult to access their homes because of the deteriorating condition of the road.
“We are appealing to the state government to ensure that this road is put in good condition so that our members can access their homes without difficulty.
“Those who own vehicles have had to resort to other routes because of the condition of the road. We also want businesses in the community to thrive again,” Abdulkadir said.
However, residents of Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada insist that their road requires urgent attention, warning that further delays could worsen erosion, endanger nearby buildings and completely disrupt movement, particularly during the next rainy season.
Related News
Source: