The entourage of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and that of Governor Dapo Abiodun were over the weekend held in traffic for three hours on the dilapidated Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta.
Abiodun and Akpabio, accompanied by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Adams Oshiomohle, Senator Sani Bello, among others, were on their way to Ilaro to attend the grand finale of the week-long 2023 Yewa Cultural Festival.
The Yewa Cultural Festival with the theme: “Celebration of Culture, Tradition, Music, Cuisine and Dance,” was held at the ultra-modern pavilion, Empire Field, Ilaro, headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area.
Speaking at the programme, Akpabio said travelling on the road he experienced first-hand the hardship Nigerians using the road were being subjected to and promised to give the necessary support to Ogun State to ensure the reconstruction of the road.
He said, “The 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is going to get the list of things you want us to do here.
“I saw the road, two trucks fell on the road, so we ended up spending over two hours on the road. I was determined to go through the road that you go through. Now, I have seen what you have been seeing. From today, I prophesy that your roads are done.
“Yewaland has the greatest number of industries that a local government can ever have in Nigeria. Therefore, we recognise the need to use the best set of contractors to do your roads because of the wear and tear. I assure you that we will be working with our brother, Dapo Abiodun. Your lives will not be the same again.”
Senator Akpabio also used the occasion to advise youths in Yewaland and the state as a whole to stay off drugs and fraudulent activities, assuring them that their lives would be better if they stayed clean.
Earlier in his remarks, Abiodun had pleaded with the Senate to prevail on the Federal Government to transfer the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road to the state because of its importance to the socio-economic development of the state.
The governor said it took him three hours to drive from Abeokuta to Ilaro, noting that efforts made by the state to ensure the transfer of the road did not yield any positive results.
He said, “I also want to announce to you that I am currently concluding discussions with the Minister of Works on the reconstruction of the Abeokuta-Olorunda-Imeko Road and the completion of the Abeokuta-Iboro-Ilaro Road. This will complement the Imasayi-Iborro-Ayetoro Road.
“Mr Senate President, it took me three hours to get here from Abeokuta. I am sure it took you just as much to get here from Lagos because of the deplorable state of the Lagos-Abeokuta Road. Mr Senate President, please help us with the Federal Government to transfer this road to us. This road is very key to our socio-economic economic development.”
The Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, commended the Senate President and the governor for attending the grand finale of the festival. He disclosed that the festival would be held every two years.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of an award of excellence to Abiodun and the installation of the Senate President as the Are Fiwagboye of Yewaland.
