Rehabilitation of This Dreadful Waterway (Odo Onigbese) is Laudable

Many people have lost their lives to this waterway in the last half decade and many others became homeless as a result of the bad condition of Odo Onigbese at Gbaremu, Idi-Obi, Airport Road, Ibadan.

The bridge that passes through the waterway has been in its worst condition since about 10years ago, that is, it has been in bad condition during the tenure of Former Governor Adebayo Alao Akala. Attention of Former Governor Ajimobi who spent two terms after Dr. Adebayo Alao Akala was drawn to the worst state of Odo Onigbese, but no rehabilitation was done throughout his eight years office.

 No senator, representative or state honourable was ready to help or cared about the lives been lost over the year. Anytime it rained in the last five years, no vehicular activity could take place for about five hours after every rainfall.

The common and usual response to the disastrous effects of the worst state of the waterway has been ‘visiting’ and ‘snapping’ by those who should be responsible for it's rehabilitation. Politicians do visit and make promises to rehabilitate, the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) and other top media houses in the state visited the area many times, if not yearly, but nothing good has ever come out of it. No one seems to care about such visit anymore, since no action is taken after every visit and promises.

The bad condition of this waterway has really affected the road entirely to the extent of making it difficult for the people of the affected communities to get to their destinations anytime it rains, and this called the attention of the state’s Park Manager Chairman, leading to the filling of some potholes to better the road for vehicular activities.

Unexpectedly by the people of the affected communities, the rehabilitation of this dreadful waterway began, and it has being carried out by the Caretaker Chairman of the Inukan LCDA, Kunle Balogun.

With the rehabilitation,  there will certainly be some reliefs as to the dangers been poised by the worst condition of the waterway, Odo Onigbese at Gbaremu area, Idi-Obi, Airport Road,  Ibadan.

But,  the bridge passing through the waterway is very long overdue as it is not capable anymore to hold the water that passes through it, leading to flooding all around the places. So, rehabilitation is just a short time solution.

Reconstruction of the bridge to contain the amount of water that passes through it is the long time solution, and this is a project a local government might have to carry out with her one year budget. So, State or federal help is required, though the road belongs to the federal government.

The Caretaker Chairman,  Kunle Balogun has really done what is required of a leader and not a politician who plays politics with virtually everything regarless of the consequences on the citizenry, the case of Odo Onigbese is one of them.

God bless Hon. Kunle Balogun! God Bless Inukan LCDA!! God Bless Oyo State!!!