From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Residents and business owners in Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada community, in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, have appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to urgently rehabilitate their deteriorating road, warning that erosion and deep gullies are threatening homes, crippling businesses and making transportation increasingly difficult.
The residents, who spoke with journalists, lamented that the deplorable condition of the road had rendered it almost impassable to motorists and commercial motorcyclists, forcing some vehicle owners to abandon their cars and seek alternative routes to their homes.
They also called for the construction of adequate drainage channels to address the erosion menace and prevent further damage to properties along the road.
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A businessman, Mr Temitope Olayemi, said the deplorable condition of the road had adversely affected commercial activities in the community, as vehicles and motorcycles could no longer move freely.
“Our businesses are suffering because of this situation. We are appealing to the government to come to our assistance by rehabilitating the road,” he said.
Similarly, a businesswoman, Mrs Tosin Araoye, described the situation as frustrating, explaining that poor accessibility had disrupted the supply of essential goods, particularly sachet water, to her shop.
According to her, distributors now abandon their products along the expressway because their vehicles cannot access the community, forcing traders to transport the goods manually to their shops.
“This is affecting our businesses seriously. The road links to NTA and other places, and we are appealing to the government to come to our rescue so that our businesses can continue to thrive,” she said.
Another businessman, Mr Segun John, said the road had become so deplorable that he can no longer drive his vehicle into the community, a development he said had negatively affected his business.
He urged the state government to intervene before the situation deteriorate further.
Commercial motorcyclists operating in the area have also lamented the impact of the bad road on their operations, saying the deep gullies created by erosion had made it difficult to convey passengers into the community.
One of the operators, Mr Emmanuel Adeniyi, said riders were often compelled to drop passengers before reaching the affected portions of the road.
He appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road, noting that the situation had reduced their daily earnings and subjected residents to additional hardship.
Another commercial motorcyclist, Mr Femi Abodurin, described the road as extremely deplorable, warning that continued neglect could completely cut off the community during the next rainy season.
Abodurin expressed concern that the erosion was also threatening a residential building opposite the affected section of the road, stressing that urgent intervention was necessary to prevent further damage.
He, however, acknowledged the state government’s ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, appealing for the intervention to be extended to roads connecting other communities in the area.
“If next year’s rainfall is anything like what we experienced this year, there may be no way to pass through the road. Even motorcycles cannot pass through, and pedestrians have to be very careful because of the gully erosion.
The Secretary of the Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada Community Association, Mallam Saka Abdulkadir, also appealed to Governor AbdulRazaq, to provide adequate drainage infrastructure and rehabilitate the road, which serves several communities.
He said residents, particularly vehicle owners, were facing increasing difficulties accessing their homes because of the deteriorating condition of the road.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of an earlier assurance by the Kwara State Government, that it would soon commence the rehabilitation of Kilanko Road in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin, as well as the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road corridor.
The then Commissioner for Works, Engr. Qowiyu Olododo, gave the assurance during the third-quarter inter-ministerial briefing in Ilorin, disclosing that engineers from the ministry had visited the affected locations to assess the level of deterioration and prepare appropriate reconstruction and drainage designs.
He also disclosed that a similar assessment was being conducted on the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road, which had equally attracted complaints from residents and motorists.
Olododo further stated that the AbdulRazaq administration had constructed more than 300 kilometres of roads across the state since assuming office in 2019, urging communities with roads requiring attention to formally approach the Ministry of Works for consideration in subsequent rehabilitation programmes.
However, residents of Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada insist that their road requires urgent attention, warning that further delays could worsen the erosion, endanger nearby buildings and completely disrupt movement, particularly during the next rainy season.
