After several years of neglect of the Esa-Oke – Imesi – Ila Orangun link road by
successive governments, and painful endurance by motorists and commuters, the Hon. Samuel Abiodun Owoeye, Executive Chairman, Obokun East Local Council Development Area, (LCDA) Ilare, has begun to rehabilitate the road.
The road connects Esa Oke to its neighbouring communities in border towns of Osun and Ekiti States.
The road is of huge economic importance to both Osun and Ekiti States.
This move by Hon. Owoeye, has brought succour to the hearts of the people by intervening in the rehabilitation of the deplorable road.
Esa Oke Today Magazine recalls that the road leading to the neighbouring Imesi Ile, and Ila Orangun, in Osun State and Oke Imesi, Ekiti State from Esa Oke, has been in a very deplorable condition for ages, with successive governments paying only lip service to its rehabilitation.
The road was last reconstructed during the regime of former Governor Bisi Akande in 2002. Since then it has been left without maintenance.
For years, the road had deteriorated into a dangerous route characterized by deep potholes, overgrown vegetation, and poor visibility, making accidents a frequent occurrence.
The road serves as a major transportation corridor for farmers conveying agricultural produce to major markets in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, and other cities across the country.
The deplorable condition of the road had posed significant challenges for both commuters, motorists and transport operators, resulting in delays, destruction of vehicles, and compromised safety concerns. Its dense vegetation also raised fears that the area could become a hideout for criminal elements, including kidnappers.
Recently, the Chairman of the LCDA, Hon. Owoeye initiated the rehabilitation of the road, including clearing overgrown weeds, widening critical sections, and filling up damaged portions with concrete granite to improve accessibility and safety.
Hon. Owoeye explained at the kick-off of the rehabilitation, that he considered it necessary to intervene in the interest of the people.
According to him, the road is a State road, and several efforts to attract the attention of the Adeleke administration to its critical condition has so far yielded no positive results.
He informed the people of Esa Oke that “I am undertaking this project with my personal resources, because it is the right thing to do. Our farmers deserve a safe route to transport their produce to markets without unnecessary hardship, and we must also reduce the risk of accidents on this road”, he stated.