“We Are Tired of Promises” Communities Cry Out for Urgent Intervention
Residents of Ajita, Ajachuba, Agojeju, Ajeyegba and Ogbogbo communities in Ogbabede Ward, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, have been pushed to the point of desperation as the deplorable condition of the road linking the communities continues to worsen.
In a disturbing development captured in a video, residents of Ajita have resorted to using hoes, diggers and other basic tools to manually repair portions of the road, in a desperate attempt to create access for themselves after years of waiting for meaningful intervention.
The situation has reportedly begun to spread to neighbouring communities, with residents of Ajachuba also taking similar steps to address portions of the deteriorating road, while Agojeju, Ajeyegba and Ogbogbo continue to face the hardship caused by poor road access.
For the residents, the development is not merely about a damaged road. It is about the daily struggle to move people, farm produce, goods and essential services between the communities and other parts of the local government area.
Residents lamented that the road has become increasingly difficult to navigate, particularly during the rainy season, when deteriorating portions become worse and movement is further restricted.
According to the communities, promises of intervention and road construction have been made by elected leaders since the return of democracy in 1999.
However, they said that despite the passage of time, the expected intervention has yet to become a reality.
“We are tired of promises,” the residents lamented, expressing disappointment over what they described as years of waiting for a solution to a problem that has continued to affect their daily lives.
The decision by residents to pick up hoes and diggers themselves paints a painful picture of communities that feel abandoned and are now being forced to take responsibility for infrastructure beyond their capacity.
For farmers, traders, students, workers and other residents who depend on the road, the situation has become a source of anxiety and frustration. A road that should ordinarily serve as a link between communities has instead become a symbol of hardship, neglect and unfulfilled expectations.
The affected communities are therefore making a passionate appeal to Hon. Idris HK, whom they described as a philanthropist capable of coming to their immediate assistance.
The residents specifically appealed to him to consider urgently intervening in the road project, saying they have reached a point where they can no longer continue to wait indefinitely for government intervention.
The appeal reflects the desperation of people who believe that an immediate intervention, even if it begins with the rehabilitation of the most critical portions of the road, could bring significant relief to the affected communities.
The residents said they recognise the limitations of what individuals can achieve with hoes and diggers, stressing that the manual repairs being undertaken are only temporary efforts to make the road passable.
They maintained that the communities need a sustainable and properly engineered road intervention capable of providing reliable access throughout the year.
As residents continue to struggle with the road, the images of ordinary people using hoes and diggers to repair their community road have raised concerns about the conditions under which people in the affected communities are being forced to live.
Ajita is crying for help. Ajachuba is struggling to maintain access. Agojeju, Ajeyegba and Ogbogbo are waiting for relief.
For these communities, the message is simple and urgent: the road cannot wait any longer.
They are appealing to relevant government authorities, elected representatives, philanthropists and other well-meaning individuals to come to their aid and help restore a road that has become vital to the survival and economic activities of the people.
Until meaningful intervention comes, the residents say they will continue doing whatever little they can to keep their communities connected, even if that means taking up hoes and diggers themselves.
