Resident and the traditional ruler of Owa-Onire community in Ile-Ire District of Ifelodun Local Council in Kwara State have pleaded with Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman to jettison the just-approved 21-kilometre road construction of Owu Falls Road in their community, describing the move as “wasteful and foolhardy.”
A five-page statement by the Concerned Indigenes of the community jointly signed by its coordinator, Mr. Adebola Ogunbiyi and its spokesperson, Sunday Akanbi, suggested the completion of an initial route to the fall, which started in 2008 by former governor, Bukola Saraki.
Their call came up barely three days after the State Executive Council approved fresh contract for the construction of 21-kilometre road construction of Owu Falls Road with the first phase to gulp over N3b.
According to the agitators, the initial contract embarked upon by Saraki’s government was already at 20 per cent completion and as such, was better executed than initiating a fresh contract in another route for the same purpose.
The group added that the initial contractor, “Bulletine Construction Company Nig. Ltd has worked and asphalted three-kilometre of the 15-kilometre Owu Falls Road project from Iwo/Sabaja-Isino-Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls.
“Only three kilometers, out of the 15km road stretch, (representing only 20 per cent) from Iwo/Sabaja-Isin to Oba-Isin, was tarred while the remaining 12-km from Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu Falls was only opened up to the foot of the waterfall and eventually abandoned since 2010, after millions of Naira had been committed to the project,” the group stated.
They alleged that the governor was deceived into awarding another contract by some politicians they described as selfish and unfocused.
“In terms of distance, the remaining 12-km road is shorter than the fresh 21-km road with a difference of 9km. This 12-km road from Owa-Onire leads right to the foot of the falls without having to alight from vehicle and trek certain hilly distance unlike the other road.
“Not less than ten Communities including: Iji-Isin, Owu-lsin, Sabaja-Isin, Oba-Isin and Owa-Onire or serve indirectly lwo-Isin, Kudu Owode, Pamo-lsin, Odo-Ore), will have it passed through them and benefit directly and could prompt swift growth in their social-economic development;
“The geophysical nature of the 12km 0ba-Isin – Owa-Onire Owu-Falls road makes it less hilly, thereby making its construction less laborious unlike the other road,” they posited.
“In terms of cost of construction, one need no soothsayer to know that the short distance of 12km 0ba-Isin – Owa-Onire – Owu-Falls road with easy geophysical nature will certainly have its cost of construction reduced to the barest minimum as compared to a longer 21-km road with more mountainous hilly terrain.
“More glaring is the fact that the 12km Oba-Isin – Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road has been in use and is currently still in use by tourists to visit the great Water Falls,” they stressed.
They reminded AbdulRahman of his promise in 2019 to complete the abandoned 15-km road.
“We see this as very unfair and we abhor it. Because of all the above highlighted reasons, Owa-Onire Community is hereby, appealing to Governor AbdulRahman and the innermost conscience of the state government to revisit the issue of Owu-Falls Road construction project with a view to correcting the wrongs by also awarding the
construction and completion of this 12km Oba-Isin – Owa-Onire – 0wu-Falls road to a serious and competent contractor that will ensure its completion with fiat to avoid a repeat of the abandonment it suffered during the former Governor Bukola Saraki administration.
Recall that Owu falls is the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120 metres above water level and cascading 330 feet down and escarpment a major boost for tourism in not just for the state but in Nigeria and the West African subregion.
