The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ibadan Circular Road corridor

  • Ibadan Circular Road Corridor: Residents block roads, stage peaceful protest

    Ibadan Circular Road Corridor: Residents block roads, stage peaceful protest

    Following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by the state government, residents affected by the Ibadan Circular Road Corridor project on Monday took to the streets to stage a peaceful protest.

    The residents in their thousands, carrying placards, banners, and posters, arrived at the Ibadan end of the Ibadan-Ife Road at about 10 AM, causing a heavy gridlock in the axis.

    The gridlock, within minutes, sprang into effect on the entire axis, both into and out of the capital city, with commuters stranded for several hours.

    Early birds at work were spared, as those who had to get to work before 8 AM had no issue using the road until they assembled around 10 AM.

    The residents who sang and shouted expressed their disagreement, saying they would not succumb to the government’s plan to acquire more land under the guise of the Ibadan circular road corridor.

    The protesters also blocked other major roads, sending a signal to the government to drive home their intentions, while some were gathering at the State Secretariat.

    The Nation reports that the idea of the Ibadan circular road was conceived when the current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja he was the governor of the state.

    But the idea suffered a temporary setback owing to the illegal impeachment of Ladoja that robbed him of the second term opportunity in 2006.

    It was learnt that Ladoja marked 150 metres for the construction of the road, but the current governor, Seyi Makinde, is planning to extend the number of metres for the circular road corridor, which will affect more houses and community lands.

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    Over a hundred communities, which cut across seven local governments, including Ido, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Akinyele, Oluyole, and Egbeda, urged the state government to maintain the 150 metres already marked by Ladoja.

    The protesters later marched on through Idi-Ape to join their counterparts at the State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, where the protest peaked.

    The arrival of the protesters led to a temporary shutdown of the Secretariat as the protesters were denied access.  Visitors and those who have business interests suffered a delay while the protest lasted.

    The entrance gate, which was manned by a heavy security presence, also saw an increased presence of security patrol vans in strategic locations around the Secretariat.

    One of the protesters, Akeem Olaiya, said, “We are law-abiding citizens. You can see that our protest is peaceful. What we need is very simple, it’s just for the State Government to maintain the 150 metres already marked by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, now the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.”

    Highpoint of the protest was when the protesters observed the afternoon prayers on the road, causing a total standstill and stoppage for vehicular movements.

    While addressing the gathering, the group coordinator, Prince Adeniyi Fasoye, said the protest was not political and that no politician was teleguiding or sponsoring them against Governor Makinde.

    He said, “We are not politicians. This peaceful mega rally is not politically driven. We are protesting against the extension of the corridor for the circular road.

    “We are appealing to the state government through the governor to leave the corridor alone. They should not extend it beyond the 150 meters already mapped out.”

    The protesters who dispersed around 4:30 PM later vowed to continue the protest until they get the attention of Governor Makinde.

    The Nation reports that the protest was a fulfillment of the vow by the residents to take to the streets, which was issued a week ago during a press conference.

  • No further demolition will take place on Ibadan Circular Road corridor, says Makinde

    No further demolition will take place on Ibadan Circular Road corridor, says Makinde

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has assured residents affected by the Ibadan Circular Road corridor that no further demolition of houses and property would be done on the corridor.

    He said existing structures within the 150metres corridor would be integrated in the plans of the government.

    The governor, however, warned that no further development in terms of laying of founding and erecting of buildings should be done on any land within the corridor.

    He spoke yesterday while addressing thousands of the affected residents, who stormed Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan in protest.

    The protesters carried placards, banners and sang appeal songs to plead for the stoppage of the 500meters corridor on each side of the Ibadan Circular Road by the government.

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    The Nation reports that the protesters marched on the secretariat for three consecutive days last week and vowed to continue on Monday (yesterday) and would not stop until they were addressed by Governor Makinde.

    Addressing the protesters, the governor praised them for being orderly and coordinated in their approach.

    He said the government of the day was put in place by the people and not by any godfather, hence the need to always listen to the people ‘’since the government is theirs.’’

    Makinde told the people that the 500meters corridor on both sides of the road was not his doing, but that of past administrations, adding that many people never believed that the project would see the light of the day.

    He warned them not to fall for the antics of those who would want to play politics with everything by pushing them to go against the government.

    Assuring the people that no house on the corridor would be demolished, but would rather be integrated in the plan, the governor said enumeration of existing structures would be done jointly by the leadership of the affected residents and government.

    He said land with no structures on them as at the time of the meeting must not be seen with new structures.

    Speaking later with reporters after the meeting, Governor Makinde said there were a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about the corridor.

    He said: “What I told them was that this is their government. We are not here because of any godfather, but because the people of Oyo State were the ones who put this administration in place.

    “I think there has been a lot of misconception, misinformation on the matter. What they told me was that they want the circular road, but they don’t want the corridor and I said yes.

    “We must plan. The corridor they talked about, 500meters to the right, 500meters to the left, this administration did not bring that on board. It was the previous administrations.

    “However, I told them, they must remain law-abiding and that anyone who has a building standing, outside of the initial 150metres, those people will be integrated. We won’t demolish any of the buildings outside of the 150metres that are already existing.

    “But from now forward, don’t start laying your foundation within the corridor because we must plan that place and those that are already existing, we will integrate them.”

    Reacting to the development, the coordinator of the protesters, Prince Niyi Fasoye, commended the governor for finally coming to clear the dust on the matter.