Segun Sowunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State and a gubernatorial aspirant in the 2023 elections, has described the current state of the road network in the state as shameful and embarrassing.
In a statement on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Sowunmi expressed his concerns about the appalling condition of roads across Ogun State, highlighting that it has sparked criticism and concern among both residents and visitors.
He noted that the poor state of the roads is damaging the reputation of the Gateway State.
Sowunmi attributed the deteriorating road conditions to the failure to empower local governments effectively.
He stated, “Without a doubt, our roads are appalling, and we must own up to the fact that visitors, residents, and all who know of our preeminence must wonder what has become of us and our reputation.
All that needs to happen is for people to either try to commute on our roads daily for residents and more dramatically for visitors who would be so surprised—’Is this it? Is this who they are? Is this how they live?’”
He continued, “We need to be embarrassed that things have gotten to this shameful state.
The state is large and mostly urban, with many built-up areas, adjoining towns to Lagos, Oyo, Ore, Ondo, and the Republic of Benin, making it a gateway state in the truest sense of the word.
Those who have governed and are governing now must look themselves in the mirror and be ashamed of how the state looks in terms of road infrastructure.”
Sowunmi pointed out that the lack of functional local government is a significant cause of the current situation.
He emphasized that without local government involvement, the challenge of poor infrastructure cannot be fixed.
He also criticized the focus on contracts over sustainable infrastructure development and called for greater accountability for those responsible for the current state of affairs.
In his statement, Sowunmi urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to declare a state of emergency on the road situation in Ogun State.
He said, “I believe it is time to declare a road emergency in Ogun State, and the Federal Government needs to stop being an obstacle to our desire to fix our roads under the guise of a terminology called federal roads.
It is time to rethink this idea of abandoned major roads that the federal government won’t fix and won’t let anyone fix using practical business models to mobilize private equity that can be bankable and sustainable in fixing the embarrassment that has now turned us into the butt of jokes!”
Addressing the current governor directly, Sowunmi added, “Well, as for the present Governor Dapo Abiodun, reorder your priorities.
I attest to the fact that I have seen some efforts with roads that are equally important but mostly unspoken about. I am telling you to take away the reproach of bad roads.
I get that your predecessors left a mess, but right now you must buckle up and put a lot of gangs to ameliorate the situation. Ogun cannot look like an infrastructural disaster.”
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