The former General Secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide has called on the Federal and Ekiti State Governments to urgently intervene in the worsening condition of key roads across Ekiti State, warning that continued neglect poses serious risks to human movement, economic productivity, and public safety.
Olajide made the call following a recent press conference by the Management of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), which expressed concern over the deteriorating Ado–Ijan Road— the main access route to the university, the Ekiti Cargo Airport, and surrounding communities.
Describing the situation as “deeply disturbing,” Dr. Olajide in a statement made available to New Telegraph in Osogbo, noted that ABUAD, the largest private sector employer in the state and an internationally recognized institution, risks becoming inaccessible despite its immense contribution to academic excellence, health care, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and innovation in Nigeria.
“It would be a grave tragedy of monumental proportions if such a common jewel of immense value becomes inaccessible,” Olajide warned.
Although he acknowledged that the Federal Government awarded a contract for the road’s reconstruction in 2024 and the contractor has returned to site, he expressed concern over the slow pace of work, especially with the onset of heavy rains and called for immediate remedial intervention by the Ekiti State Government in collaboration with the Federal Controller of Works in the state.
Olajide also highlighted the widespread infrastructural decay on several other federal roads in the state, citing specific sections like:
The Ijan–Omuo Road near Iluomoba,
The Odo-Ayedun–Ayebode section of the Ifaki–Omuo Road, The collapsing Igede–Aramoko and Aramoko–Itawure roads, and
The Ekiti section of the Ikere–Akure Road, which he alleged is being sidelined in favour of the Ondo end.
He lamented that poor road conditions have forced commuters to use longer, riskier routes and have made public transportation more difficult and expensive.
“After nearly three decades of our independence, it is disheartening to find many Ekiti communities still grappling with roads that are hazardous and economically disabling,” he said.
Dr. Olajide urged Ekiti’s representatives in the National Assembly to intensify advocacy for federal intervention and emphasized the need for a more strategic and sustainable road maintenance system at the state level, including prompt repair of bad spots and strict quality control.
Looking beyond immediate repairs, Dr. Olajide proposed that the blueprint prepared before the creation of Ekiti State in 1996 be revisited in a summit of Ekiti elders and traditional rulers.
He called on Chief Oladeji Fasuan, the Jagunmolu of Ado-Ekiti and leader of the state creation movement, to reconvene a non-partisan assembly of elders to re-evaluate development plans and support successive governments in achieving a more prosperous Ekiti.
“It is only with unity of purpose and commitment to visionary development that Ekiti State can be transformed into the land of progress, prosperity, and dignity that we all desire,” he said.
While raising these concerns, Dr. Olajide also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the establishment of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin-Ekiti. He described it as a “laudable initiative” and a signal of the President’s commitment to youth development and educational growth.
He proposed that Ekiti elders, led by Chief Fasuan, pay a courtesy visit to President Tinubu to further engage on pressing infrastructural needs and request greater federal presence in the state.
