Help! We’ve been cut off from civilization, Ilara residents cry out

By Odunewu Olusegun

Situated in Remo North local government area of Ogun state, Ilara-Remo is a peaceful and an agrarian community, and it is one of the towns that surrendered vast farmlands for the Ogun state Cargo International Airport that is still under construction.

The Agro Cargo Airport, conceived by former Governor Gbenga Daniel in 2007 and abandoned by his successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, hopes to attract business and investment to Ogun state.

However, instead of the huge project becoming a blessing to Ilara-Remo, being the host community since they surrendered almost eighty per cent of the land for its actualization, it has been a curse, especially to the farmers who have now been cut off from civilization.

Put succinctly, the journey from Ilisan to Ilara was akin to walking through the Biblical valley of the shadow of death such that one wondered how residents of the town connect other parts of the state.

The road that connected the town to the local government headquarters in Isara, where most farmers take their produce, has been completely blocked by the Cargo Airport project with no alternative good road provided by the government.

Aside from the sufferings and inconveniences, residents are experiencing due to the deplorable state of all connecting roads to the town, the economy in the axis is reported to be at the lowest ebb, making life almost unbearable.

The King-elect of Ilara, Oba Albert Ademola Ogunwale, revealed that due to the lack of good roads, most youths have abandoned the town for neighboring towns.

According to Oba Ogunwale, it was cheering news when the indigenes heard that the Ogun State Cargo Airport was going to be sited in the town. However, this project has become the people’s albatross.

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“First, it started with the appropriation of the land belonging to Ilara which the indigenes had no problem surrendering because of the perceived eventual developmental benefits the people thought it would bring to them, not minding the huge and immediate economic loss the people will suffer and the pain of losing their ancestral land for the sake of development.

Alara-elect said Ilara town has been cut off from the rest of the world owing to the works on the site of the Cargo Airport project. “The construction of the run- way has led to the blockage of the only viable road that links Ilara to neighbouring towns, especially to the Remo-North local government council in Isara.

“The lack of these basic amenities has brought untold hardship and made life unbearable for my people despite the pre-eminence of Ilara among the thirty-three towns that comprise the Remo Kingdom.

“The pain is compounded by government insensitivity to the plight of our people. With no portable drinking water, no hospital, no roads, no market, life is stifled. The only way the people can have access to these essential facilities is to have a good road network through which they can travel to enjoy these facilities.

Corroborating the Alara-elect, Chief Olubukola Ademola, the Araba of Isara, said four roads connected the town to the outside world, and all are in deplorable condition.

Chief Ademola explained that the town gave up huge farmlands for the construction of the Cargo Airport with the hope that government would at least construct roads to link the town, but they were disappointed as nothing of such happened.

“Even none of our youths was employed to work in the project, and to worsen the situation, the cargo airport which Ilara sacrificed so much for its actualization was named after Ilisan Remo, a neighboring town” he added.

Another top traditional chief and cocoa farmer in the town, Chief Olusanya Sofunye said if not for the few indigenes that are still remaining, the town would have been a ghost town because there is no trade.

“Many farmers have abandoned the community to look for greener pastures elsewhere, other artisans have also left due to lack of roads to access their places of work from this axis.

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“This is what we are going through. If our government is sensitive enough, they will appreciate our plight and know that it is their responsibility to provide us good roads, and electricity as new businesses would spring up, banks would be able to operate and wholesale businesses with depots would be established”.

The Apesin of Ilara, Chief Taiwo Jowosinmi, who owns a hotel in the town, said many people have vacated the area because of the condition of the roads that has cut them off from other towns in the axis.

“All the roads linking the town to other communities have gone worse over the years and the situation has affected our community greatly, and it becomes worse during the rainy seasons.

“A move from here to the next village, which is not supposed to be more than five minutes, takes between 30 and 40 minutes. A lot of vehicles have been falling intermittently on this road”.

Chief Jowosinmi while calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun to as a matter of urgency to look into the plight of the town, said past governors of the state promised to fix the roads but none of them fulfilled their promises.

He, however, expressed the optimism that Governor Dapo Abiodun will do the needful for the growth and development of the town.

Chief Awokoya, the Oluwo of Ilara and Head of the Idogan clan on whose land the Cargo Airport is being constructed appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to come to their aid.

“Currently, not only have we been cut off from civilization, but we have also lost our farmlands, and businesses. This is in addition to the physical and mental trauma that we have had to endure due to the poor state of the roads. It is just wise for the governor to come to our rescue now; there should be no more delay,” he added.

Meanwhile, a top official from the Ministry of Works in Ogun state who craved anonymity said the State government is aware of the situation, but the Cargo Airport project is getting all the attention now because of its significance.

“We know, and acknowledge that the community in question has been cut off, and we are working on it. I won’t deceive you and say that we’re working on it when I know very well that work cannot start yet. We have so many areas to consider, but with limited resources. So, we have to prioritise our work,” she added