Oke Aro – Matogbun Road: Stakeholders find lasting solution

Tolling may commence soon.

Indigenes should not involve in tolling/road project.

Oke Aro – Matogbun road usually described by residents and motorists as death trap is one of the major challenges confronting the residents of Araromi Oke Odo, Matogbun, Maidan, Legun, Osere and environs as it has paralyzed business activities and forced many people out of their houses by relocating to other areas.

A group of volunteers led by Mr Tanimowo Oladele Olufemi has decided to reduce the suffering of the people by providing palliative measure on the road and rolled out their plan in a meeting held with community leaders and Royal Fathers (Baales) on Saturday at Four Square, Oke Aro.

One of the volunteers, Dr. Ayodele Falas in an interview with our correspondent said: “We are just putting up a kind of palliative measure for now, maybe after the rain, we will go on full scale job on it. The project is been handled by concern citizens. We team up or put ourselves together to see what we can do to the road. A lot of money have already been spent but what we do now is that to augment what we have spent, we try to solicit the assistance of the motorists. We don’t need to impose levy on anybody but anybody that feel concern and realises the importance of the road and can help us can come to our aid.

“I am very sure this palliative measure will bring succour to the people because we are very determine and people are really responding; we are not tout, we are all community leaders, is not a matter of extorting money from people. We are using our personality that is why you see people coming to our aid and am sure we are going to achieve it and that will be a big relief to motorists and the passer-by on this road.”

Dr. Falas then admonished the people to put their past experiences on the road behind them in order to forge ahead and to believe in those incharge of the project now.

“The community should consider the people involved. We are not remitting money to any organization, we are not giving tithe or percentage to anybody; as we get the money, we utilize it on the road and add from our own purse as well. We have spent over one million naira and we have just realised ninety thousand naira. We have the support of all the Area CDCs as well as the Baales, Dr Falas added.” When asked about transparency of the project, he (Dr. Falas) said “Of course, there will be transparency, very soon we will be opening an account and we will be publishing updated report as at when due.”

Mr Tanimowo, the head of the volunteer group in an interview with our correspondent said the group will be handling the road project differently from those that have handled it previously because there will be transparency, consistency and zero profit.

“I am not going to derive monetary benefit from this project, rather I will spend my own money and that of friends who trust me and many residents in this area. Nobody will make any profit from this road in terms of collecting money. There are 3 levels of transparency on this project; any money collected will be spend entirely on the road, every CDA will collect hard copy report every month and project board will be erected for information dissemination, Tanimowo added.”

Royal fathers as well as prominent community leaders such as Baale of Matogbun Land, Baale of Otemuyinwa, Matogbun Area CDC chairman, Deacon O.M. Olapade, Araromi Oke Odo Area CDC chairman, Mr Adegbinsote, Elder Liadi Kareem (Oyibiri) as well as Alhaji Kazeem Agunbiade were not left behind as they also air the views and pledged their support for the road project.