22 Communities in Ido LG Cry Out to Makinde, Alli, Oseni Over Flood-Damaged Road

…As Residents lament ₦22m spent on failed repairs, demand urgent reconstruction of bridge

Residents of 22 communities in Liberty Garden Area, NIHORT in Ido local government area of Ibadan, have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde, the member representing Ido/Ibarapa Federal Constituency, Hon. Remi Oseni, and Senator Sharafadeen Alli to urgently intervene in the deteriorating condition of their access road and bridge, which have been repeatedly damaged by flooding.

The residents, drawn from Wire and Cable, Prospect, Amugbekun, Abule-Owo, Ita-Faaji, Orisunbare, Ajoke, Olohan, Fenwa, Okuta-dudu, Agbeni, Opopin, Papapa, Aba-Ilori, Aba-Omo, Owode Teachers’ Quarters, Adukanle, Agbofieti, University of Ibadan Quarters, Ajipeala, Ologolo and All Saints areas, said repeated rainfall had continued to wash away repairs funded by the communities, leaving motorists, workers and other road users stranded.

Speaking with the Chief Executive Officer of National Daily News, Ogundele Olanrewaju, the Chairman of Liberty Garden Residents Association, The over all chairman of all the affected communities, Evangelist Dawunisi Sunday, described the road as a strategic link serving several communities and providing an alternative route to Mokola, the University of Ibadan and other parts of the city.

Dawunisi said the road had deteriorated considerably, particularly around the bridge and drainage channels, adding that residents had repeatedly contributed money to carry out repairs without achieving a lasting solution.

He attributed the recurring damage to the volume of floodwater passing through the area and the inadequacy of the existing drainage infrastructure to contain the runoff during heavy rainfall.

The community leader disclosed that residents had spent millions of naira on successive interventions, expressing disappointment that government assistance had reportedly been limited to ₦200,000, which he considered inadequate to address the scale of the problem.

He appealed to the state government and other political leaders to reconstruct the bridge, rehabilitate the road and provide adequate drainage facilities to control the flow of water from adjoining communities.

Also speaking, the Chairman Iletuntun to University of Ibadan Quartes, Pastor Yemi Olukanni, said residents had continued to shoulder the financial burden of maintaining the road and bridge, despite the scale of the infrastructure challenge.

Olukanni disclosed that the communities spent more than ₦8 million on repairs in September 2026 alone, but heavy rainfall subsequently destroyed the work.

He estimated that residents had expended no less than ₦22 million on efforts to maintain the road and bridge over time, describing the recurring repairs as unsustainable.

He urged the government to dispatch relevant officials to inspect the affected areas and provide durable infrastructure capable of serving the growing population of the adjoining communities.

Olukanni also appealed to political officeholders and candidates across party lines to prioritise the welfare of residents, stressing that the communities needed a permanent solution rather than repeated temporary repairs.

Similarly, the Chairman of Teachers’ Quarters, Noah Johnson, said the road was essential to workers travelling to the University of Ibadan, Challenge and other parts of Ibadan.

Johnson explained that the deteriorating condition of the route had made commuting increasingly difficult for residents who depended on it to reach their workplaces and other destinations.

He appealed to Makinde, Oseni and Alli to intervene in the reconstruction of the bridge and rehabilitation of the road, noting that residents had previously written to some of the political leaders to seek assistance.

In another appeal, Deaconess Aliu Eunice Temidayo of Olorun Busi Community, Agbofieti Teachers’ Quarters, described the road as an important alternative route linking Omi, Wire and Cable, Ita-Faaji, and other neighbouring areas to Mokola and the University of Ibadan.

Temidayo said rehabilitating the road would ease movement, reduce congestion along major routes, including the Apata axis, and improve access to workplaces, homes and other essential destinations.

She urged the government not to neglect the affected communities because of their location, noting that many workers and families lived in the area and depended on the road for their daily activities.

“Government should not think that because we are located in a remote area, there are no residents here. Many workers live here, including people connected with the University of Ibadan, and they need this road to get to their workplaces,” she said.

Another resident, Odesanya Bolaji, popularly known as Baba Royal, from the Alafara and Eletuntun axis, said residents had repeatedly invested money in repairing the road, only for subsequent rainfall to destroy their efforts.

Bolaji disclosed that he had personally sent messages and details of the road’s condition to Oseni through WhatsApp, appealing to the lawmaker to intervene.

He said the existing bridge and drainage facilities were inadequate to contain the volume of water flowing through the area during heavy rainfall, making the reconstruction of the bridge imperative.

“We have spent a lot of money on this road, but it keeps getting damaged. Each time we repair it, the volume of water is too much for the bridge. We are appealing to the governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and Hon. Remi Oseni and other political leaders to come to our aid and help us rebuild the bridge,” Bolaji said.

He urged the political office-holders to respond to the community’s concerns, noting that residents had made several efforts to draw attention to their plight but were yet to secure the lasting intervention required.

Providing further details on the technical challenges, Adesanmi Ajayi, a resident of the Liberty Gardens axis, said the flooding was not limited to one community but resulted from stormwater flowing from several adjoining areas into the affected neighbourhoods.

Ajayi identified Gbopa, Ologuneru, Adejumo and Alafara among the areas contributing to the volume of water passing through the affected communities.

He described the situation as a major ecological concern, explaining that the existing drainage system could no longer adequately manage the water flow during heavy rainfall.

According to him, some repairs undertaken by residents were destroyed within approximately three weeks, highlighting the limitations of temporary interventions.

Ajayi called for a comprehensive engineering assessment, recommending the construction of additional culverts, dredging and widening of drainage channels, as well as the establishment of a properly designed water corridor to direct stormwater towards Bokusoro and the adjoining drainage route leading to Odo-Ona.

He warned that concentrating repairs on the immediate bridge and road without addressing the wider drainage network could result in the recurrence of the problem.

“The water comes from several adjoining communities, and the existing facilities cannot contain the volume during heavy rainfall. We need the area to be dredged and expanded, additional culverts to be provided and a proper water corridor established. Otherwise, whatever work is done here may not last,” he said.

Ajayi urged the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to visit the affected communities, assess the situation firsthand and implement a coordinated solution covering the entire drainage route.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State Council, Comrade Kayode Martin, who also resides in the area, described the situation as a serious infrastructure challenge that had continued to make life difficult for residents.

Martin said the road had been obstructed for days following repeated flooding, adding that community members had spent millions of naira on repairs without achieving a lasting solution.

He confirmed that the latest repair exercise had reportedly cost about ₦8 million but was subsequently washed away by floodwater.

The labour leader explained that the route provided an important connection between Eleyele, NIHORT axis, Apata and Wire and Cable, serving as a shorter alternative for commuters who would otherwise have to navigate longer and more congested routes.

Martin estimated that the road served close to two million people and connected several communities across the area, although the figure was based on his assessment.

He recalled that he had previously led community representatives to the Ministry of Works at the Oyo State Secretariat to seek government intervention, but the problem had yet to receive a lasting resolution.

According to him, residents had also made efforts to contact political officeholders, including Oseni and Senator Alli, urging them to support the reconstruction of the road and bridge.

Martin expressed disappointment over what he described as inadequate government assistance, stating that the only support he was aware of from the local government was ₦200,000, which he considered insufficient for a project of such magnitude.

He appealed to the state government, federal lawmakers and other relevant authorities to recognise that residents could no longer shoulder the financial burden of reconstructing the infrastructure on their own.

The NLC chairman stressed that the road’s importance to workers, motorists and residents made urgent intervention necessary, warning that continued reliance on community-funded repairs would only prolong the hardship.

The residents jointly called for an on-the-spot assessment by relevant ministries and government agencies, insisting that a lasting solution must address the damaged road, bridge and drainage channels across the affected communities.

They maintained that comprehensive rehabilitation, including improved drainage infrastructure and adequate floodwater channels, was necessary to prevent further destruction, restore safe passage and end the cycle of repeated repairs funded by residents.