For residents of Oluwakemi, Olasepe, Denro, Ishasi, Akute in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, it is faster to move from one point to the other in a canoe than in a car. PUNCH Metro learnt that the residents seemed to have given up hope on the reconstruction of a flood-ravaged road that links them to the Ojodu- Berger area of Lagos. The condition of the road was said to have been worsened by the blocked drains in the area which could not contain the erosion resulting from perennial rainfall and discharge from an Ogun dam. PUNCH Metro learnt that passersby had to take their times wading through the flooded portion of the road while children could not go to school. In a visit to the communities around 9am on Monday, our correspondent sighted a bus and a van submerged in the water. Workers and students, who could not dare the volume of the surge, boarded canoes while others were strapped on the back for a fee of N100 by some men in the area. A woman fell inside the water while wading through it but was fortunate to regain control. Mechanics were also on the ground to help motorists filter water from their car engines. Business activities in the area were paralysed as most shops were closed. The Baale of Olasepe Community, Mr. Wasiu Abegunde, said the flood would have been averted if there were good drains in the communities, adding that residents contributed money to do some repairs on the road. “The drainage system here is bad. My house is surrounded by water. If we have enough drains, the volume of water will be reduced. Most children cannot go to school and workers are late for their offices. Recently, we contributed N1.5m to sand-fill the road,” he said. The Chairman, Akute Community Development Community, Alhaji Mubaraq Sanni, told our correspondent that the government had neglected the area and appealed to Governor Ibikunke Amosun to find a lasting solution to their plights. He said, “In 2011, the state government promised to construct another bridge to replace the one that has been flooded. We have been lamenting the poor state of the road but at least, we are still managing it. “But now, it is beyond managing. Let the government come to our aid and do it properly. That is part of the dividend of democracy we are expecting. We are suffering. Government presence here is nothing to write home about. We are appealing to the governor; things are becoming unbearable.” In his account, Alhaji Muftaudeen Shuaib, who lives in Ishasi, said the road had forced some people to relocate. “We are fed up. It has been like this for the past nine years. The flood is yearly. We are suffering a lot. Some people have moved out of this area because they could not endure the stress again,” he said. A resident of Oluwakemi, who identified himself simply as Wolly, said the wheels of his car had been affected by the potholes. He added that he had stopped bringing his car to the house to avoid further damage. Our correspondent saw some passengers grumbling in discontent as they staggered along the potholes on the road. A passenger, who alighted from a commercial bus, told PUNCH Metro that transporters capitalised on the slippery road to charge them extra fare. “On a good day, from Berger to Akute is N100. But now that the road is worse coupled with the flooded portion, the fare has been increased to between N150 and N200,” she said. When contacted, the Ogun State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Lekan Adegbite, said the government would start working on the road soon. He said, “We are aware of the flood. There are many problems this government is facing and we cannot fix them in a day. Three years in the office is not enough to fix all the problems. We had done a palliative measure in the area but had been washed away by heavy rainfall. As soon as the rain stops, we will find a permanent solution to the road.
www.punchng.com/metro-plus/ogun-communities-where-canoes-ride-faster-than-cars/

The condition of the road was said to have been worsened by the blocked drains in the area which could not contain the erosion resulting from perennial rainfall

Interesting

There needed change and this is a gud example of change.

picture or oh sorry..am a lazy reader abeg who can help me summarize those
BTW:END TIME THINGS

Another good development for canoe owners make una hustle money now ooo

Is this what my yoruba neighbours call sophistication?
Chai,Illiteracy nah confirm disease.
These petty stuffs can't match the scientific exploits of we Igbos!We set the pace while others follow!
IGBO KWENU!


See what APC has done to the people of Ogun state!We need change!PDP is the change we need,vote out APC from the south west!GEJ's fresh air has come to stay!GEJ till 2019!