Traders and residents of Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada community in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State have lamented losses arising from the deplorable condition of their road, which they say has disrupted business activities, restricted transportation and exposed nearby buildings to erosion.

The residents appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently rehabilitate the road, warning that deep gullies caused by erosion had made parts of it almost impassable to motorists, commercial motorcyclists and pedestrians.

They also called for the construction of adequate drainage channels to address the erosion menace, prevent further damage to properties, and restore access to the community.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday, a businessman in the area, Temitope Olayemi, said the deteriorating road had affected commercial activities, as motorists and commercial motorcyclists could no longer move freely within the community.

Olayemi explained that the poor condition of the road had made it increasingly difficult for customers and suppliers to access businesses in the area, resulting in losses for traders.

“We are not happy with the condition of this road because it affects so many things, especially those of us who have businesses here. Vehicles and motorcycles can no longer ply the road conveniently.

“Our businesses are suffering because of this situation. We are appealing to the government to come to our assistance by rehabilitating the road,” he said.

Similarly, a businesswoman, Tosin Araoye, said the road had disrupted the supply of essential commodities to her shop, particularly sachet water, as distributors could no longer drive into the community.

She explained that suppliers now abandon their products along the expressway because their vehicles could not access the affected area, forcing traders to transport the goods manually to their shops.

“Vehicles no longer come into the community to supply water to us. They drop the water by the expressway, and we have to go there and carry it on our heads down to our shops,” Araoye said.

She added that the situation had increased the difficulty of running her business, urging the government to rehabilitate the road to restore commercial activities in the area.

“This is affecting our businesses seriously. The road links to NTA and other places, and we are appealing to the government to come to our rescue so that our businesses can continue to thrive,” she said.

Another businessman, Segun John, said the condition of the road had become so bad that he could no longer drive his vehicle into the community, affecting his business operations.

John urged the state government to intervene before the road deteriorated further, noting that residents and business owners were bearing the consequences of the poor access.

Commercial motorcyclists operating in the area also expressed concern over the situation, saying the deep gullies created by erosion had made it difficult for them to convey passengers into the community.

One of the operators, Emmanuel Adeniyi, said riders were often forced to drop passengers before reaching the affected portions of the road, leaving them to complete the remaining journey on foot.

He explained that the situation had reduced their daily earnings while imposing additional transportation difficulties on residents who depended on commercial motorcycles to move around.

Another operator, Femi Abodurin, described the road as extremely deplorable, warning that continued neglect could completely cut off the community during the next rainy season.

“The road is terribly bad and needs urgent attention. There is no way to drive into that place. Residents feel bad because of the condition of the road.

“When they have loads to take home on motorcycles, it is almost impossible because of the bad road and gully erosion,” he said.

Abodurin expressed concern that the erosion was also threatening a residential building opposite the affected section of the road, warning that further deterioration could cause additional damage to properties.

He acknowledged the state government’s ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road but appealed to the administration to extend its intervention to roads linking other communities in the area.

“We appreciate the state government for the ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, but this road leading to other communities is very bad and needs urgent attention,” he said.

He warned that the situation could become worse if the area experienced rainfall similar to what residents witnessed during the current year.

“If next year’s rainfall is anything like what we experienced this year, there may be no way to pass through the road. Even motorcycles cannot pass through, and pedestrians have to be very careful because of the gully erosion.

“The bad road is seriously affecting our businesses. Even motorcycles cannot ply it, let alone vehicles. Some residents who own cars have parked them elsewhere because there is no way they can drive to their homes,” Abodurin added.

The Secretary of the Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada Community Association, Saka Abdulkadir, also called on the state government to rehabilitate the road and provide adequate drainage infrastructure to address the erosion threatening the community.

Abdulkadir said the road served several communities, adding that its deteriorating condition had made access to homes increasingly difficult, particularly for residents who owned vehicles.

“We are appealing to the state government to ensure that this road is put in good condition so that our members can access their homes without difficulty,” he said.

He noted that some vehicle owners had resorted to using alternative routes because of the condition of the road, while businesses in the area continued to suffer from poor accessibility.

“Those who own vehicles have had to resort to other routes because of the condition of the road. We also want businesses in the community to thrive again,” Abdulkadir added.

The residents’ appeal comes amid an earlier assurance by the Kwara State Government that it would soon commence the rehabilitation of Kilanko Road in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin, as well as the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road corridor.

The then Commissioner for Works, Qowiyu Olododo, gave the assurance during the third-quarter inter-ministerial briefing in Ilorin, disclosing that engineers from the ministry had visited the affected locations to assess the level of deterioration and prepare appropriate reconstruction and drainage designs.

Olododo said the government was reviewing the technical requirements for the Kilanko Road project to determine the appropriate design for the terrain.

“Our engineers have visited the Kilanko area, and we are reviewing the design that will suit the terrain. I want to assure residents that very soon, once a decision is made, the people will be duly informed,” he said.

He also disclosed that a similar assessment was being conducted on the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road, which had equally attracted complaints from residents and motorists.

The former commissioner further stated that the AbdulRazaq administration had constructed more than 300 kilometres of roads across the state since assuming office in 2019.