Osogbo residents beg Adeleke for urgent intervention as road caves in - The Guardian Nigeria News
Residents and road users along the Oke-Baale – Sasa road in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, have raised alarm over a deep gully that is gradually encroaching into the busy road, describing it as a death trap waiting to claim lives.
The gully, which has eaten deep into the shoulder of the road situated immediately after the Onababaona roundabout, has left a large crater with exposed cables and utility pipes dangling dangerously, while the remaining tarred portion continues to crack and cave in.
Checks by The Guardian correspondent at the failed portion show the extent of the damage, with a large chunk of the roadside completely washed away, leaving only a narrow path for vehicles and pedestrians.
Residents say the situation has worsened in recent weeks following torrential rainfall that has battered Osogbo and other parts of the state, accelerating the erosion and expanding the gully closer to the main carriageway.
Motorists plying the route now do so with extreme caution, as any slight mistake could plunge a vehicle into the deep pit, especially at night when visibility is poor.
A commercial motorcyclist who plies the route daily, identified as Tunde Akinwale, lamented that the spot has become too dangerous, saying many of his colleagues now avoid the road entirely.
“Since the rains started, this gully has doubled in size. If you are not careful, especially in the evening, you can easily run into it. We are begging the government to come and repair it before someone dies here,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs. Ramota Oladimeji, whose shop is close to the erosion site, said she lives in fear every time it rains, as the sound of the crumbling earth keeps her awake.
“We hear the road caving in whenever it rains heavily. The whole place shakes. We have children passing this road to school every day. It is very dangerous for pedestrians, especially school children,” she said.
A driver, Mr. Kehinde Olatunbosun, who uses the Oke-Baale – Sasa road to access the Osogbo-Ibokun axis, called on the Osun State Government to urgently intervene before the road is completely cut off.
“This is a major road that links many communities. If this portion is left like this, the entire road will collapse and many people will be stranded. Government should not wait until lives are lost,” Olatunbosun said.
At the moment, the only safety measure at the spot is a used tyre and a thin caution tape tied to sticks, which residents say is grossly inadequate to prevent an accident.
The affected residents are therefore appealing to Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to urgently mobilise contractors to the site to fix the deplorable portion and construct proper drainage to save lives.
