The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, says the decision to rehabilitate the 90.9 kilometre Òṣogbo-Iwo-Ibadan road by the Federal Government would ease the transportation stress frequently experienced by travellers.
Oba Akanbi who commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the rehabilitation, noted that the project would enhance economic and commercial activities between Osun and Oyo states, while also improving connectivity across several communities.
The Oluwo spoke in an address delivered on behalf of all royal fathers from Osun West Senatorial District on Sunday in Iwo.
He lamented that prior to the Federal Government approval, the arterial road had been abandoned for almost 10 years.
The monarch, who insisted that the road had been shabbily done such that it began to show deficiencies as early as 1990, added that the newly created Osun State Government in 1991 engaged in patching exercises on the road to address the failure experienced by road users.
Oba Akanbi revealed that he personally took it upon himself to patch the road with cement after several entreaties to former President Muhammadu Buhari did not yield results.
“I started to patch the road with cement personally. The federal government led by late President Muhammadu Buhari said the road was a state road and therefore was not in his priority,” he said.
The monarch noted that traditional rulers across Osun West Senatorial District gathered at his palace to revisit the 49-year-old road history and to mark a new phase in its reconstruction.
He disclosed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, had contacted him two months earlier, assuring that the Federal Government would take over and reconstruct the road.
Providing historical context, the monarch explained that “the road was originally divided into Ibadan-Iwo and Osogbo-Iwo segments, both awarded in 1977, with construction spanning multiple contractors before eventual inauguration in 1990.”
He stated that “the road began to deteriorate shortly after completion, prompting interventions by successive administrations, including efforts by former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, which he said yielded limited results.”
Oba Akanbi explained that commuters had resorted to alternative routes, spending up to three hours on journeys that should ordinarily take less than one hour due to the road’s poor condition.
He said, “Upon my enthronement, I cleared bushy sections, mobilised materials, and rehabilitated portions of the road daily for months to make it motorable again.”
Also speaking, the Akire of Ikire, Oba Abdulazeez Olatunbosun Adebamiji, described the project as a dividend of democracy, stating that traditional rulers could not afford to be ungrateful for the intervention.
Similarly, the Alayemore of Ido-Osun, Oba Olayinka Oyetunde Ishola said the rehabilitation followed sustained advocacy by royal fathers.
While praying for the success of the President Bola Tinubu administration, he expressed optimism that it would open up communities and would not be the last federal project in the district.
