Afe Babalola Urges FG to Repair ABUAD Road

Elder statesman and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has implored the Federal Government to prioritize the repair of the Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba-Ikole Road, which he described as being in a "deplorable condition" in Ekiti State.

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Something must be done about this road, and the time is now.

Babalola stressed the road's critical importance, noting that it serves as a vital link connecting numerous communities within Ekiti State and also connects the state to other regions. Furthermore, the road provides access to key institutions and facilities, including ABUAD itself, the ABUAD Multi-system Hospital, the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, the National Open University of Nigeria's Ado Ekiti campus, a Federal Government-owned silo, and the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport.

"This all-important road has been neglected for several years, a development which has rendered it impassable," Babalola stated. He revealed that despite his numerous representations to the Federal Government and its agencies over the years, his pleas have seemingly been ignored. He added that ABUAD, as part of its corporate social responsibility, had previously invested billions of naira between 2010 and 2019 to repair and maintain the road and the old Ureje Bridge.

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This all-important road has been neglected for several years, a development which has rendered it impassable.

However, Babalola lamented that the contractors engaged for the rehabilitation project had ultimately worsened the road's condition, rendering it impassable. He stated that due to the poor state of the road, many lecturers residing off-campus struggle to commute, often arriving late for work. Babalola expressed frustration over the lack of attention from both the Federal Government and successive state governments, particularly given Ekiti's status as one of the least developed states in the country.

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Today, many of our lecturers living outside the campus cannot come to the university with their vehicles, a development which makes them report to work late. It is that bad.

He recalled writing multiple letters to various Presidents, Ministers of Works and Transport, and governors of Ekiti State, drawing their attention to the "unbearable and deplorable nature of the roads." In one instance, on January 24, 2022, he wrote to the then Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, requesting authorization for ABUAD to use its resources and personnel from its College of Engineering to repair the road and construct a new bridge, contingent on Federal Government approval.

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Unfortunately, nobody seems to be listening.