Date: 2020-12-07

A few weeks ago,I apprised the discerning members of the public of the demonstrated readiness of the Kwara State Government to fix the damaged portions of the road leading to and away from the newly-reconstructed Oke-Foma Bridge,which had constituted consistent headaches to the residents of and visitors to the over 27 different communities located on and off the Okefoma-Mandi Road in the Ilorin West Local Government Area.

Just as the Yoruba would say "eti ti o ba gbo a lo ogbodo gbo abo" as a member of one of the benefiting communities, I am delighted to report that the most terrible segment of the road has been fixed. I am doing this because I have been one of, if not, the most consistent advocate of the repair of the road before and since this government took over about two years ago.

On behalf of all the beneficiaries,I sincerely thank His Excellency,the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, for redeeming his pledge to fix the bridge among other achievements that the present administration has recorded within and around the Pakata area of Ilorin.

It would interest readers to know that it was at a Special Ramadan programme organised by the "Pakata Patriots",Ilorin, to mark the end of the sacred month in 2019 that the attention of the then incoming Senator(Dr)Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe was drawn to the hitherto collapsed bridge. As a mark of his concern, Dr Oloriegbe visited the site of the collapsed bridge after the programme he presided-over was concluded. The Chairman of the Senate Committee assured that he would do everything possible to ensure that the bridge was fixed by the appropriate authorities. The Senator walked his talk and the bridge was one of the first set of projects executed by the present administration.

However and to the measured displeasure of the road users, it was only the bridge that was done. The situation left motorists to battle the damaged portions of the road around the bridge.

I,therefore joined others in thanking Governor AbdulRazaq that the damaged portions around the bridge has been fixed.

But as an Oliver Twist,the Governor should permit me to tender the prayers of the thousands of users of the road that other damaged portions from the popular Ita-Uma Junction to the Mandi End of the road would be fixed before the Kwara State Roads Maintenance Agency (KWARMA) to make life more abundant for us and others who often had the cause to ply the highly busy road.

To all others who have played one role or the other in ensuring that the persistent cry of the road users,most especially the hardworking Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, and the Chairman of the Kwara State Roads Maintenance Project,Honourable Kale Oloje,we sincerely thank you and hope that you would continue to use your good offices to attend to the need of the people.

Imam is Secretary, "Pakata Patriots",Ilorin