Ibadan residents mainly from the less cities local government of Ido, Akinyele, Egbeda, Ona-Ara, Lagelu and Oluyole staged a peaceful protest for many hours early this morning, disrupting human and vehicular activities into the state secretariat to call the urgent attention of the state governor Engineer Seyi Makinde to their plight on the corridor of the proposed Circular Road project embarked upon by the Oyo State government demanding for the urgent review and reversal of the 500m setback on the road
A protester whose name is Pastor Tosin Ogunsola has voiced his deep frustration with the ongoing 500m extension of the Ibadan circular road, claiming that the expansion is causing severe hardship for affected communities. The man, speaking at the protest, said they are dissatisfied with the 500m extension to both the left and right of the existing corridor, and that the project has already resulted in the deaths of over 100 people due to stress and displacement.
He added that the protesters are comfortable with the original 150m Ibadan circular road but vehemently oppose the additional 500m extension, which he claims will lead to the demolition of more than 500,000 homes and render over 1 million people homeless across six local governments. “We don’t want any compensation from the governor,” the protester said. “All we want is no more corridor road.” He further emphasized that the protest would end immediately if the governor cancels the 500m extension to the left and right. If not, he warned, the protests would continue indefinitely.
The six local governments affected, according to the protester, include Ona-Ara, Lagelu, Oluyole, Ido, Egbeda, and Akinyele. He stated that the protesters are pleading directly with the governor, believing that as a leader of the masses, he would not allow them to suffer displacement and homelessness.
Pastor Tosin Ogunsola, the Public Relations Officer of the protest and a resident of Akinyele Local Government, echoed these sentiments. He revealed that his house is among those marked for demolition and that he has already lost two properties to the extension project.
Another resident affected by the circular road demolition was an elderly woman seen in tears during a protest over the 500mmextention of Ibadan circular road corridor expressing her anguish over the destruction of her home due to the project. The woman, who has been retired for 20 years, shared her struggles, questioning how she would be able to afford building a new house after the one she built with a loan was damaged. “Where do they expect me to get the money to build another house?” she asked, visibly distressed. She also revealed that her children, despite being university graduates, have been unable to secure jobs to support her. Even attempts to rent an apartment have been unsuccessful, as landlords question why someone of her age, a homeowner, would be seeking rental accommodation. “Mama, didn’t you build a house?” they reportedly asked, leaving her without options. The ongoing protest has highlighted several cases of displacement and financial hardship among affected residents, sparking further debate on the impact of the road project.
Tobiloba Ojetunde for IbadanCity ANNOUNCER
