From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
Unless the contractors handling construction of Oyo\Ogbomoso federal highway expedite action on timely completion of the project, lives of motorists plying the route are in grave danger.
This is because while works are still going on, though very slow, motorists, including drivers of tanker trailers and other heavy duty trucks travelling from Lagos or Ibadan pass through the undulating terrain along Ojongbondu, linking Owode in Oyo town before negotiating a sharp and dangerous bend towards the northern parts of the country.
Within the sharp bend at Owode are two filling stations opposite each other and a first generation bank, thus constituting danger to traders and residents within the vicinity.
On several occasions, people had been crushed to death by trailers due to loss of control while negotiating
the sharp bend.
Similarly, several carnages are being recorded at Odo-Oba point along the highway.
This is in spite of consistent efforts by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at reducing accidents on the highway.
Between Oyo and Odo-Oba, the road has not only become impassable, driving on it is like embarking on an adventure, due to big potholes which dotted it.
The narrow nature of the road does not conveniently accommodate vehicles, especially heavy duty ones like trailers and bulldozers to move in opposite directions.
Several cars and commercial motorcycles have been smashed by trailers, either as a result of loss of control or brake failure, as passengers were often crushed to death.
Recently, what could have led to a fire explosion was
averted by FRSC men and the police at Ajegunle-Oyo point when a 33,000 litre petrol tanker collided with another trailer coming from the North, resulting in the leakage of petrol from the tanker.
Residents scampered for safety for fear of explosion.
Commenting on the development, some motorists and residents wondered why works on the construction of Ogbomoso/Ilorin point of the highway had long been completed, when that of Oyo/Ogbomoso point is still at
a very slow pace of construction.
Two of the motorists, Alimi Ayinla and Bisiriyu Tade, urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, order the contractor to expedite action on the project, adding that “if it is funding that is delaying the project, government should have mercy on motorists plying it and pay up the
contractors without further delay”.
