40 communities demand reconstruction of dilapidated Ogun road
August 18, 2026 12:50 am
Thousands of residents of communities along the Ijoko-Oyero-Lisa in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the reconstruction of the 10.5-kilometre road linking the communities to the Lisa Memorial Arcade.
The residents appealed on Saturday during a peaceful walk organised by more than 40 communities along the corridor to draw attention to the deplorable condition of the road.
The road, which stretches from Ijoko through Oyero and Lisa to adjoining communities, was constructed by the Ogun State Government following the Bellview Airlines Flight 210 crash of October 22, 2005, which claimed the lives of 117 people.
The road also provides access to the Lisa Memorial Arcade, where the victims of the crash were commemorated.
However, the residents said the road had deteriorated over the years, making movement difficult for motorists, businesses and residents, particularly during the rainy season.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “President Tinubu, Please Come to Our Aid,” “Our Road Is Bad, Our People Are Suffering,” “Give Us Access Road,” “No Access, No Business, No Progress,” and “Help Revive Lisa Memorial Arcade,” the participants walked through the affected communities.
The organisers stressed that the exercise was not a protest against the government but a peaceful appeal for urgent intervention.
Speaking on the development, the Onilisa of Lisa Kingdom, Oba Nojeemdeen Oladele Odugbemi, commended the residents for choosing peaceful engagement to draw attention to their plight.
The monarch, who was outside the kingdom during the exercise, joined the call for the rehabilitation of the road, saying its reconstruction would contribute significantly to the development of the area.
Oba Odugbemi appealed to the Ogun State Government to consider rehabilitating the road, noting that improved access from Ijoko through Oyero to Lisa would stimulate economic activities and improve the quality of life of residents.
He also called for the rehabilitation of the Lisa Memorial Arcade, describing it as a site of national significance that should be preserved and made easily accessible to families of the victims and visitors.
The Baale of Arugudu, High Chief Akeem Kolawole, said the communities were approaching the government in the spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation.
He said, “Our appeal is for the government to look in our direction and help us. We understand that there are many competing demands on government, and our prayer is that God will continue to empower the government to meet these responsibilities.
“We believe that if this road is reconstructed, it will bring relief to our people, encourage businesses, and open up this entire area for greater development.”
Community spokespersons, Sobogun Olakunle and Yisau Olaniyi, said the participation of more than 40 communities demonstrated the importance of the road to residents.
They said the axis, which falls within the Ogun Central Senatorial District and Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, was home to more than 30,000 residents, many of whom had migrated from neighbouring Lagos State to build homes and establish businesses.
The spokespersons argued that the road could become a major economic corridor if reconstructed and linked through Olayemi to the Mowe-Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
They said such a connection would facilitate the movement of people and goods, attract investment and open up the rapidly developing communities along the corridor.
Another community leader, Alli Daud, said residents had been subjected to hardship by the poor state of the road, while transportation costs had increased and motorists frequently incurred vehicle repair expenses.
Daud appealed to Tinubu to intervene, particularly because the road leads to the Lisa Memorial Arcade, which he described as a site of national importance.
He said rehabilitating the road and the memorial would enhance the area’s potential to attract visitors while preserving the memory of the 117 victims of the Bellview crash.
The residents urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to treat the road as a strategic infrastructure project, saying its reconstruction would ease transportation, boost commerce, encourage property development and improve connectivity among the communities.
They expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure development programme would accommodate their request, stressing that the Peace Walk was aimed at drawing the attention of the authorities to their plight.
The residents maintained that their demand was not for confrontation but for an accessible road capable of reconnecting communities, improving livelihoods and unlocking the economic potential of the Oyero-Lisa area.
Uthman, a Mass Communication graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has over six years experience in journalism. He reports crime to community-related news for Metro, business with a focus on the capital market and the oil and gas.
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