The Ogun State Government has said the Wole Soyinka Train Station in Abeokuta, the state capital, is a property of the Federal Government (FG), citig that bureaucratic complexities and the need for the Federal Government’s approval as the primary reason behind the delay in reconstruction of the worn-out pathway leading to the Station.
In a statement on Tuesday via X, the government acknowledged that enhancing the route is a matter close to its heart, as it holds the promise of making train travel more enjoyable for commuters.
With the commencement of the rainy season, residents from over 48 communities along the 4km Idi-Aba-Olokuta-Wole Soyinka Train Station-Laderin road in Abeokuta, are at risk of distress following the impact of rainfall on the already deplorable road.
However, reacting on Tuesday to the outcry over the road, the Ogun State Government noted that it has been treading cautiously, refraining from vocalising its concerns, “lest it be misconstrued as making excuses.”
“Debates ensue, tangled in bureaucratic intricacies, as this particular stretch, albeit short, falls under the purview of the Federal Government, responsible for its upkeep. To embark on reconstruction, the state government requires permission from the minister.
“Obtaining such authorisation proves a sluggish ordeal, hindered by bureaucratic inertia,” the State Government added.
According to the statement, the station complex was conceptualised to coincide with the development of its surrounding arteries, an integral part of the overarching scheme.
The statement added that in a recent development, the Federal Government approved the state government’s request to reconstruct the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road.
In September 2023, the residents protested the deplorable Olokuta-Abeokuta train station road linking the Prof Wole Soyinka area and about 52 communities under the Abeokuta South Local Government Area.
They expressed their frustration over the bad road, saying that it had not only led to fatal crashes that claimed lives in the past but had also paralysed socio-economic activities in the area.
They pleaded with the state government to urgently come to their aid.
Report gathered revealed that the poor state of the road had been making life so horrible for the residents.