Bad Roads in Obaagun Township: An S.O.S. to Governor Ademola Adeleke – By Dr. Wale Atoba*

As one of the tax prayers of Osun State, I find it very necessary to begin this subtle appeal to His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to start this urgent request by citing Section 14(2) of the Nigeria Constitution, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

On this basis, I write with a sense of deep concern to draw the attention of Osun State Government to the shameful and deplorable conditions of all roads in Obaagun Township.

As one of the sons of the soil, I am obliged to bring to the attention of your Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke the dire need for your urgent rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Obaagun community township roads. The people of Obaagun have not had cause to feel and experience the much sought dividend of democracy from your government.

As the Governor of the state who has been sworn in to govern us with fairness, equity, and justice, we have strong confidence that you will meet our needs.

It is important to state here that the Obaagun community is a vibrant and thriving community located in Osun central senatorial district. The community is home to a significant population of hard-working individuals who rely heavily on these roads for their daily survival in the area of commuting and transportation of goods to the neighboring communities.

Your Excellency, Sir, I wish to state that, several appeals through letters specifically addressed to you have also been written in this regard since you assumed the mantle of leadership of the state, but alas, we are yet to have a positive result that would have translated our dreams into reality.

Honestly, sir, we are sad and constrained beyond explanation in Obaagun over the poorness of our roads.

As much as we applaud your on-going N100 billion infrastructural development projects as rolled out by your government a few months ago, in which works in different towns and cities of the state have since commenced, it will astonish you to hear that Obaagun community was not captured as one of the communities listed by your administration to benefit from the on going multi billion naira projects in Osun State.

Your Excellency, Sir, it could be recalled that during the signing of the 2024 budget of the state into law, you promised that your government would continue to actualize the citizens’s needs according to the development agenda of your government, which was reflected in the allocation provided for infrastructural development in the 2024 budget of the State of which the sum of N57,211,758,080 was allocated for the infrastructural development in Osun State. On this note, Your Excellency, sir, we kindly request your administration’s intervention on our township roads. We are a peace-loving community. We will continually support your administration in freely collecting taxes and levies from the natural resources Almighty has endowed us in Obaagun, though it could be unfair to our ancestors to continue in the penury of bad roads despite the massive votes you received from the community in the last governorship election in the state.

Your Excellency, Sir, by answering this claron call, your government will not only improve the lives of the inhabitants of Obaagun but also unlock the untapped potential that lies within this ancient community, Obaagun.

Sir, we would appreciate it if your Special Assistant on Work could pay an on spot assessment to Obaagun especially during the rainy season when the condition of the township roads worsens more than what is bearable. This could probably further affirm our assertion. Poor drainage systems lead to waterlogging and flooding, further exacerbating the deterioration of the roads, hence creating hazards for the people of the Obaagun community. The inhabitants are forced to navigate treacherous terrain on a daily basis, putting their safety and well-being at high risk.

The good people of Obaagun appeal to your administration to consider the urgent need to prioritise the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the roads in our community, too. If your government could take the bull by the horns in doing this and other developmental projects for us, the present and future generations of Obaagun sons and daughters, will, forever, continue to hold your administration in high esteem.

For the benefit of hindsight, sadly, but with all sincerity, the last time we could beat our chests and say that we have so much benefited from the government on the area of road construction was in the old Oyo State and this road was constructed by the Bola Ige which served Obaagun and Iba Communities. For many decades, the fate of our community has remained in the balance. We therefore look forward to your administration taking a second look at our well-being and welfare in Obaagun.

Sir, we understand that there are numerous pressing issues that require your immediate attention, but we have good hope and confidence in your personality that this time you will consider the dire situation being faced by the people of Obaagun community as a result of bad road networking.

As a matter of emphasis, the majority of the present infrastructural development that we can see within the town was done through communal efforts.

We stand ready to continue to collaborate and provide all that is expected of us as good citizens of the state to ensure that your administration successfully succeeds.
Governor Adeleke, the good people of Obaagun in Ifelodun local government of Osun State, plead to your administration to use your mercy eyes and show your unwavering commitment to the welfare people of Obaagun on provisions of infrastructural development.

I remain hopeful for positive action and eagerly anticipate the transformation that will emanate through your Imolede infrastructural intervention.
Omo Imori trusts in your dedication to their welfare, and absolutely nothing else will change that belief. As such, we hope for a brighter future for Obaagun community.

Thank you, Your Excellency, as we look forward to witnessing the impacts of your development-oriented projects in the Obaagun community in a jiffy.

*Wale Atoba Ph.D.*
*National Treasurer,*
*Obaagun Development Union,*
*waleatoba11@gmail.com*