Ogun Gov, Abiodun, begs for patience over bad road conditions amid criticism

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has urged residents to exercise patience regarding the deplorable state of roads in the state, citing the enormity of the task and the limitations of his administration.

Speaking on Monday, after inspecting roads in Ifo Local Government Area, Abiodun acknowledged the widespread criticism but emphasized that rebuilding all bad roads in three years was unrealistic, even for an eight-year tenure.

The governor attributed the current state of roads to the inherited deficit from the previous administration, which he claimed had good intentions but poorly executed projects.

He noted that some roads were unnecessarily expanded into dual carriageways, only to be abandoned, and that his administration was working to address the situation.

Abiodun also highlighted the challenge of distinguishing between federal and state roads, emphasizing that residents often direct their frustrations at the state government regardless of jurisdiction.

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He said, “I want to implore our people to be patient with us. We cannot reconstruct all the bad roads in three years.

“In fact, no administration can reconstruct all the roads in Ogun State, not even in 8 years.”

He said, “When I assumed office on the 29th of May, 2019, the deficit that we met on assumption of office was such that we began to wonder what the previous administration was doing.

“In some instances, they appear to have good intentions, they go to the roads, they demolished houses, roads that should not be more than a single carriageway, they turned them to dual carriageway By so doing, they removed all the asphalt that was there serving the people and abandoned these roads.

“We inherited quite a lot of these roads. Some of those roads are federal roads, and you know our people cannot differentiate between federal and state. They will geo-locate their pains where and when they are feeling it.”

Abiodun’s appeal for patience comes as the state grapples with widespread discontent over the condition of its roads.

While the governor’s explanation may provide context, it remains to be seen how his administration will prioritize and address the pressing infrastructure needs of Ogun State.

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