Lagos/Ota/Abeokuta: The history of an unlucky Federal Road
By Zents Sowunmi
This OracleZents backed with historical evidence would describe Lagos/Sango Ota/Abeokuta Federal road to Lagos and Abeokuta the Capital of Ogun State as an unlucky Federal road in the history of Nigeria with no attention from those who could make a difference between Abeokuta and Abuja.
Why?
This only independent link to Abeokuta indeed Egba people to Lagos without being a bypass to Lagos as they are now, had always faced lot of politics of hate to the people of Ogun Central and Ogun West by the those in Abuja and it is even a personal problem between the relationships of the former President Obasanjo and those in the Federal Government to settle their hatred for Obasanjo including the history of the defunct Egba United Government of September 1914 without any respect for the Egba, no matter who they voted for since 1999.
(Let the Oracle explain this ugly politics better, just follow this analysis from the era of IBB)
General Ibrahim Babangida, the military President with a history of attacks from Obasanjo towards the end of his junta rejected the plea of then Alake of Egbaland Oba Oyebade Lipede to fix Abeokuta/Lagos road or turn it into an express road like Lagos Ibadan express road as a result of several deaths of Egba sons and daughters due to Tipers accidents on the road.
Egba in the seventies was the greatest supplier of granites and sharp sands to Lagos State, over eighty percent of the buildings in Lagos State today got their granites and sharp sands from Egbaland and as such, heavy Tipers and heavy vehicles destroyed the beauty of this Sango/Abeokuta road which housed West Africa Portland Cement at Ewekoro now called Larfaji or so, defunct Lapeleke Bricks , and later Dangote Cement factories linking the road from Ibese to Itori. It was a road not properly constructed for heavy usage it carried
Unfortunately this historical link road of Egba to Lagos was not constructed with concrete slabs and accidents and untimely deaths became the history of users of this road after the civil war in 1970.
Instead of IBB to fix Abeokuta Sango Ota Lagos road or turn it into an express road like Lagos/ Ibadan road as requested by Oba Oyebade Lipede in 1988 or so when he visited Abeokuta at a time Gov Raji Rasak was there, as a compromise to the people from Ogun East without understanding the history of Ogun Central and Ogun East, he opted to work on Abeokuta/Sagamu Road which was not what the Egba wanted.
IBB’s action came a year after he had removed the Military Governor Dayo Popoola who was a favorite of Oba Lipede after the ugly period and disrespectful leadership of Governor Diya who was a nightmare to everyone in Ogun State..
Whatever it was, IBB knew Oba Lipede was not happy with him and Sagamu/Abeokuta was his only offer and the road was poorly contructed without asphalt and it was named after the Military President as IBB Boulevard, but it was not what Oba Lipede wanted, what Lipede wanted was the traditional link of Egba to Lagos not through Ogun East.
Immediately, Chief Ernest Sonekan from Egba Ake was appointed Interim Head of State in 1993 or so he knew what Oba Lipede wanted, he addressed the problem of Abeokuta/Lagos road and Julius Berger moved to site, with a startup from Lafenwa in Abeokuta and the sign post of Julius Berger was bodily displayed in front of abandoned Top Brewery factory in Abeokuta.
All of us in Egba land were happy, Oba Lipede was happy too and we felt our direct link to Lagos had been restored with the hope that Abeokuta to Ibadan would be given attention also.
Unfortunately, the interim Head of State Sonekan’s administration lasted for only 87 days or so and General Sanni Abacha took over, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, a former Governor of Lagos State became the Minister of Works and he stopped the project.
Historically, any politician from Lagos State could and shot never be trusted with the future of Ogun State or Egba in particular as the take over of Egba territory in 1967 for the creation of Lagos has always been seen as a potential red flag that in future, a demand may come for the return of the territory of Egba United Government territory to Abeokuta as a State.
Unfortunately Egba never studied their history and the threat to their future with short coming from Lagos State which was never seen.
To expect the current President Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos to place Egba or Sango Ota /Abeokuta road as a priority is to forget the politics of 1967 and why Abeokuta is seen as a City to be kept as a byepass by any politician from Lagos.
It was not a surprise when Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun from Ogun East was clearly told by the Federal Government not to expect any refund if he dare to fix Sango Ota Abeokuta Federal Road.
Raji Fashola, was a former Governor of Lagos State who was President Buhari’s Minister of Works for eight years , yet Sango Ota/Abeokuta was never given attention the so-called N13.7b approved for this road never made it to the site
Even when Fashola was challenged by Governor Amosun on this road from the Press report Governor Amosun claimed Fashola refused to greet him after the Federal Executive approved N13.7b for the road, no wonder the fund never made it to the site and probably diverted to another project.
Furthermore, when Seun Okinbaloye on Channel news asked Fashola on the situation of Sango Ota Abeokuta road, after he had bragged that President Buhari gave a free hand to fix all roads, he mischievously diverted the discussion to Lagos/ Ibadan road and this Oracle told his office, through his Twitter account that history will remember what he did not do on this road.
Ogunleye from Lagos State was also a Minister of Works at a time under President Obasanjo who probably attended Lagos/ Abeokuta without the real action needed.
Unknown to President Obasanjo the road was a score between him and those he left behind since 1979 and Egba history with Lagos in 1967. As an Egba man he failed to understand the history of Egba in some of his actions which found him wanting at the end of his presidency.
Why?
(That will take several chapters from 1976 when Murital Mohamed merged Ogun East and Central as State and he failed to correct the mistake as Military Head of State and as civilians President)
Unfortunately, Speaker Bankole was not equipped with Egba Heritage and history and he failed to address the future of Sango Ota Ifo Abeokuta Road which was treated like Lagos/Ibadan express road, he was noted for struggling with Governor Gbenga Daniel on the Sango Ota Bridge when he should have focused on the big picture.
Today, almost all the businesses along this road are closing down, and properties facing devaluation daily and Abeokuta the capital without good Federal roads to Lagos and Ibadan is shrinking in influence and development because Egba are not aware of their history and heritage as to why they are gradually being cut off from Lagos and Ibadan currently having a view Ring road that is needed to open up Odeda Local government.up to Eruwa and Olokemeji.
Solutions
- Egba Stakeholders need to talk to their sons and daughters in the government either as appointed officials as Ministers by President Tinubu or elected representatives in the Senate, Federal House of Representatives and Ogun State State Assembly to understand their history in all Federal allocations.
- Possibly to demand for their own State within the old territory of Egba United Government out of Lagos and Ogun States for them to be master of their own fate and future.
- Let Former President Obasanjo make the road a legacy to leave behind by making peace with all his Abuja enemies for the sake of the people of Ogun West and Central.
- Egba too must create awareness as to why silence is no longer the option for them now in Nigeria or Ogun State, the Oracle says they need to speak up on Lagos/Abeokuta and Ibadan/ Abeokuta Federal roads without turning these two Federal roads into Express Roads, Ogun Central will continue to have more rural areas with property devaluation in the South West.
Please SHARE this post with all Egba sons and daughters for them to see the task ahead as a collective responsibility.
Zents Sowunmi writes from New York
