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 severe erosion and deep gullies are threatening residential buildings, disrupting 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 resort to alternative routes to access their homes.
They also called for the construction of adequate drainage channels to control erosion and prevent further damage to properties along the road.
A businessman, Mr Temitope Olayemi, said the condition of the road had adversely affected commercial activities in the community, as vehicles and motorcycles could no longer move freely.
“We are not happy with the condition of this road because it affects so many things, especially those of us who have businesses here. Vehicles and motorcycles can no longer ply the road conveniently.
“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 commodities, particularly sachet water, to her shop.
According to her, distributors now drop their products along the expressway because their vehicles cannot access the community, forcing traders to transport the goods manually to their shops.
“Vehicles no longer come into the community to supply water to us. They drop the water by the expressway, and we have to go there and carry it on our heads down to our 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 deteriorated to the extent that he could no longer drive his vehicle into the community, a situation he said had negatively affected his business.
He urged the state government to intervene before the situation worsened.
Commercial motorcyclists operating in the area have also lamented the impact of the bad road on their operations, saying deep gullies caused by erosion had made it increasingly 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 sections of the road.
He appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road, noting that its condition 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.
“The road is terribly bad and needs urgent attention. There is no way to drive into that place. Residents feel bad because of the condition of the road. When they have loads to take home on motorcycles, it is almost impossible because of the bad road and gully erosion,” he said.
Abodurin expressed concern that erosion was also threatening a residential building opposite the affected section of the road, stressing the need for urgent government intervention to prevent further damage.
He, however, acknowledged the state government’s ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road and appealed to the authorities to extend similar intervention to roads linking other communities in the area.
“We appreciate the state government for the ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, but this road leading to other communities is very bad and needs urgent attention.
“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 bad road is seriously affecting our businesses. Even motorcycles cannot ply it, let alone vehicles. Some residents who own cars have parked them elsewhere because there is no way they can drive to their homes,” he added.
The Secretary of the Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada Community Association, Mallam Saka Abdulkadir, also appealed to Governor AbdulRazaq to rehabilitate the road and provide adequate drainage infrastructure, noting that it serves several communities.
He said residents, particularly vehicle owners, were finding it increasingly difficult to access their homes because of the deteriorating condition of the road.
“We are appealing to the state government to ensure that this road is put in good condition so that our members can access their homes without difficulty.
“Those who own vehicles have had to resort to other routes because of the condition of the road. We also want businesses in the community to thrive again,” Abdulkadir said.
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 extent of deterioration and prepare appropriate reconstruction and drainage designs.
“Our engineers have visited the Kilanko area, and we are reviewing the design that will suit the terrain. I want to assure residents that very soon, once a decision is made, the people will be duly informed,” Olododo said.
He also disclosed that a similar assessment was being carried out 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 erosion, endanger nearby buildings and completely disrupt movement, particularly during the next rainy season.
