Residents of Esa-oke in the Obokun local government area of Osun State on Tuesday commended the Honourable Member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Busayo Wole Oke, for commencing the rehabilitation of the multi-million naira Oketa-Odo-ese road in the town.
The road, which has been abandoned for ages due to its sorry state, received attention on Tuesday as contractors commissioned for the road rehabilitation commenced work, with a promise that it would be completed in no time.
The project attracted many residents of the community, who argued that the economy of the area would be boosted after the completion of the road rehabilitation.
On Tuesday, caterpillars and other road construction equipment were physically seen on site, while granite and other materials to be used for the project had been moved to the site for quick action. Construction of drainages had also been started by the road rehabilitation workers.
One of the workers who preferred anonymity told our reporter that they would not waste time with the work and assured that a good job would be done to satisfy residents of the area.
Speaking on the project, Chief Ajewole James Adebayo, High Chief, the Esaolu of Esa-oke and Eketa of Esa-oke, described the step taken by the lawmaker to revisit the road as commendable, saying God would reward him bountifully.
He described him as a humanitarian politician whose contributions to his constituents remain significant, and he charged every other politician to emulate him in this line.
The Eketa of Esa-Oke maintained that the project, after completion, would benefit road users through improved access to social amenities in the town.
Apart from this, he stressed that transportation businesses would be encouraged, as road users would ply the road to make residents comfortable.
He added that the road rehabilitation would boost and improve the economy of the area, as indigenes of the town who had abandoned the road would be forced to begin their commercial activities in the place as they used to do in the past before it got damaged.
Speaking with our correspondent on the road, another resident and a community leader who identified himself as Oladele Olayinka said that for the past 39 years, no vehicle could pass through the road because of its deteriorated condition.
“This road brings a setback for the economy of the area, and we are happy to see the latest development. We appreciate Hon. Wole Oke for the love he has for his town, and God will reward him abundantly because this project, with the economic situation of the country, will cost billions of naira to get the rehabilitation completed.”
He plans to tar all the roads in Esa-oke, and God will give him the resources to do them. For this one, in no time, with the way work has commenced there now, it will be completed.”
Also, an aged woman and a trader in the area, Mrs Rachael Oladiti Akindele, remarked that the commercial activities in the area had been crippled for a long time due to the bad condition of the road, and that is why the residents are appreciating Hon. Wole Oke for revisiting the road for good.
She thereafter prayed to God to fortify him and give him the enablement to better the lives of the needy, as he is known in the constituency. Mrs Akindele described him as a harbinger of love and empathy and prayed to God to preserve his life for greater things.