The dilapidated state of many federal roads that traverse Kwara State has continued to expose commuters to untold danger, Kwara State residents have said. They added that some people had died or were maimed as a result of accidents occasioned by the bad roads. In the same vein, goods and vehicles worth several millions of naira have been destroyed.

The issue was such that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, during a Nigeria-Inter-Religious Council in Ilorin also decried the gory state of the Mokwa-Jebba-Ilorin road. He urged President Goodluck Jonathan, who was also present on the occasion, to rehabilitate the road.

Abubakar said, "President Jonathan, it is important to make the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road motorable. If you had driven on that road to come here, I am sure that you will need at least two hours to rest before coming to this event. Thousands of travellers have suffered on the road.

"I learnt that a contract was given during the last administration for the reconstruction of the road; till now, nothing has happened. But President, you should please work on the road very soon."

Other bad roads include the Kabba-Omu Aran-Ilorin road; Osogbo-Offa-Ajase-Ipo road; Omu-Aran-Otun-Ekiti road; Sala-Ilesha-Baruba-Ckikanda road; Share-Lafiagi-Pategi road; Kosubosu-Kaima road; and Kishi-Kaima road.

A Member representing Ilorin East and South Federal Constituency, Dr. Ali Ahmad, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, called on the Federal Government to reconstruct the Mokwa-Jebba-Ilorin Road.

He said the state of roads in Nigeria had 'sentenced' Nigerians to death; adding that Kwara State, which is the gateway to the North and South, had been adversely affected by the bad federal roads.

Ahmad said, "Can you imagine a section of the country turning into an island? You cannot now easily access Kwara. If nothing is done urgently, the state may be turned to an island, as it may be cut off from both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.

"Jebba-Mokwa-Ilorin road is terribly bad. This is a road that is just about 50 kilometers long, and it should not take more than 30 minutes' drive, but it takes between two and three hours to ply because of its bad state.

"Lives have been lost. People talk about the death penalty. I think Nigerians have been sentenced to death penalty because of the bad roads. Only God is saving us. This road, because of its importance and link to the North and South, should have been reconstructed. Apart from this road, there are other equally important ones. It is worrisome that we have a government in Nigeria and we still have such bad roads.

"People die every day on that Mokwa-Jebba-Ilorin road. The Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, either do the one from the North or the one from the South. The states of the roads are unacceptable."

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, during a visit to the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen in Abuja also appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate the federal roads in the state.

Ahmed thanked the Federal Government for reimbursing the state with about 30 per cent of the total cost expended on federal roads.

The Acting Executive Director, West, Operations, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Mr. Olatayo Komolafe, while addressing journalists recently at the Ilorin-Ijase federal road, said the agency had commenced aggressive road maintenance through direct labour across the country.