Some of residents of ldofian community in lfelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Saturday embarked on a protest over the non completion of 1km excavated portion of Ilorin-ldofian Road, which is undergoing rehabilitation.
The residents, including the aged and children, blocked the federal highway that links the community with other towns, condemning what they described as abandonment of the 1km portion of the road, which had been excavated.
The protest, which lasted for over four hours, led to long queue of vehicles passing through the community, which resulted in disruption of both vehicular and human traffic.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protesters mounted roadblocks and burnt tyres on the road.
It deprived motorists and pedestrians from going about their normal business activities in the town.
Leader of the protesters and Personal Assistant to the Oludofian of Idofian, Alhaji Salihu Balogun, told newsmen that the road was causing various health issues and obstructing business activities in the town.
“The heavy dust emanating from the abandoned portion of the road had led to closure of many shops, including some houses on the road,” Balogun said.
Some shop owners, who decried the effect of the dust on their health and their businesses, appealed to the government to do the needful.
The youth leader in the community, Kamaldeen Jimoh, said the community had written many letters to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency and the Kwara State Government to assist in the rehabilitation of the road without response.
In a reaction, the Federal Controller of Works in Kwara State, Wasiu Atitebi, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, appealed to the community to exercise patience with the Federal Government on the completion of the project.
Atitebi said the contractor handing the project was still on site and would start the job as soon as he got mobilisation.
He said: “The road project has been captured in the 2021 Appropriation bill.
“The community should give the Federal Government time to start implementing the budget.”
