>By Sanmi Falobi <

Concerned stakeholders, citizen groups and individuals have lamented the increasingly hazardous condition of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Expressway, which has significantly deteriorated in recent months, with the current state of disrepair now posing serious risks to road users and impeding economic activities across the region.

According to Chief Abiola Falayajo, a concerned citizen and one of the arrowhead of the call for rehabilitation of the road, the critical highway, which serves as a major transport corridor, connecting key towns in Oyo, Osun and Ondo States, has suffered significant deterioration, resulting in deep potholes which pose a serious risk to road users, leading to accidents, burst tyres and exposure to hazards and attack by assailants.

In a statement, as a Save our Soul (SOS) open letter to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Falayajo lamented that the road is in a very critical condition and that there is the need for the urgent rehabilitation.

 “I, a concerned citizen of Nigeria, humbly bring to your esteemed attention the urgent need for the rehabilitation of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Expressway. This critical highway, which serves as a vital economic and social lifeline for millions of Nigerians, is now in a state of severe disrepair, posing grave risks to the lives and livelihoods of those who depend on it daily”, he stated.

“The Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Expressway is not just a regional road; it is a strategic national asset that facilitates trade, commerce, and movement between major states, including Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, as well as other parts of the country. However, its current condition has become a source of pain and concern for commuters, businesses, and transporters.

Large potholes, eroded road sections, and structural failures have turned what should be a smooth transit route into a dangerous journey marked by frequent accidents, vehicle breakdowns, and tragic loss of lives”, he added.

“Your Excellency, I am positive, and appreciate the Renewed Hope Agenda and your administration’s commitment to infrastructure development.  I am positive that under your leadership that Nigeria will witness significant progress in road rehabilitation and national development. It is in this spirit that I earnestly appeal for your intervention to ensure that this expressway receives the urgent attention it so desperately needs”, he further stated.

It would be recalled that Chief Falayajo is not the only one concerned about the deteriorated condition of the Ibadan-Ile Ife-Ilesa road. Over the past year, several other groups, including students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, commuters and travelers alike have been calling for urgent repairs of the road.

In a recent media report by the Nation newspaper, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, representing Oyo South Senatorial District in Senate and Senator Lere Oyewumi, representing Osun West Senatorial District had appealed to the aggrieved people of Oyo and Osun states as well as other road users to exercise patience on the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Highway project, assuring that efforts are on to get the project completed as soon as possible.

According to the report, the lawmakers explained that they had also written to the President, seeking special intervention to ensure that funds were made available for the speedy completion of the highway.

“All of us,  as lawmakers in Oyo and Osun states, we are working on it. And we have written the President, seeking for special intervention to provide funds for the completion of the highway. We know how important the road is, and we are working on it”, Senator Sharafadeen Alli was quoted to have said.

Similarly, other stakeholders including the members of the Osun State Council of Obas, have appealed to the Federal Government to fix the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Express Road.

In a communiqué issued at the end of their monthly meeting in Osogbo, in June 2024, they described the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Express Road as a death trap for motorists. The Council noted that the road is one of the major Federal Government roads in the South West, linking several states together and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to quickly intervene and fix this important road.

Meanwhile, available information have it that the road had been awarded for repairs to KOPEC Construction Company. It was supposed to be supervised by Oyo and Osun States Field Office of the highway development and management initiative (HDMI) phase II programme under sukuk funding. However since it was awarded, the work has been abandoned with less than 5% work done. The highway, which is about 224km from Iwo road in Ibadan to the Brewery Area in Ilesa, was also noted to have been included and captured in the 2024 appropriation budget as ‘Emergency/palliative repairs of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa dual carriageway in Oyo and Osun states.

Concluding the SOS open letter to President Tinubu, Chief Falayajo stated further: “I kindly appeal to your esteemed office to direct the Federal Ministry of Works and other relevant agencies to prioritise the reconstruction and maintenance of this road. A swift and decisive action in this regard will not only prevent further loss of lives but also enhance economic activities, improve regional connectivity, and restore public confidence in governance.”

“Your Excellency, I trust in your dedication to the well-being of Nigerians and remain hopeful that this appeal will be met with the prompt action it deserves” Chief Falayajo further stated.