Ogun Reaffirms Commitment to Fixing Ota Roads, Wants Protesters to be Wary of Blackmailers

The Ogun State Government Tuesday reiterated its commitment to rehabilitating major roads in the Ota axis, assuring residents that construction work will commence soon on several critical routes.

The government restated this position during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ota Branch, who paid a visit to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN).

Speaking on behalf of the government, Ogungbade said that six major roads—Joju, Koro Otun, Navy, Isikola, Ilo Awela, and Oju Ore—have been awarded to reputable construction firm, Craneburg, with mobilisation to site expected shortly.

He explained that additional road projects within the corridor have been segmented into four phases: the Itele–Ayobo link road to Lagos (5.3km); Ayobo Mopol–Lafenwa Junction boundary road; Koro Otun phase; and Itele–Lafenwa Junction. According to him, work on the first and second phases will begin immediately.

The Attorney General acknowledged the concerns that led to the NBA’s peaceful protest on 25 October 2025 and assured that the Bar’s agitation would receive a positive response.

He encouraged the lawyers to utilise their privileged access to government for faster and more effective engagement, noting that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun has constructed or rehabilitated over 1,500 kilometres of roads across the state, many of which are in Ota.

The government team, which included the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusegun Olaotan; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Oladimeji Yusuf; and the Special Adviser on Media, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, further stressed that several of the roads under public scrutiny are federal roads.

They explained that repairs on these routes were delayed for years because the Federal Government had restricted the state from intervening until President Bola Tinubu approved the rehabilitation, now ongoing.

Also speaking, Hon. Akinmade commended the NBA delegation for engaging constructively but urged them to be wary of political adversaries attempting to hijack the genuine concerns of residents for self-serving motives.

He noted that such actors have been hiring individuals to spotlight bad roads and malign the government, even when the affected roads fall under federal jurisdiction.

Earlier, the NBA Ota Branch Chairperson, Chief Mrs. Kelubia K. Ajose, and a senior advocate and elder of the Branch, Mr. Sola Ojutalayo, SAN, said the protest was driven by widespread frustration among Ota residents.

They stressed that the Bar had taken deliberate steps to prevent external forces from hijacking its initiative and highlighted human activities that contribute to rapid road deterioration in the area.

The government, however, reaffirmed its openness to continued dialogue with stakeholders and disclosed that, beyond the ongoing works, eleven new road projects were approved in November 2025.

It assured the public that while temporary discomforts may persist, a lasting transformation of Ota’s road infrastructure is underway.