Ekiti poly students, staff protest bad road

Angry members of staff and students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, on Monday protested the poor state of the Ado-Ikere Road leading to their school.

The protesters barricaded the road for upward of five hours thus preventing traffic from flowing on the ever-busy highway also leading to Afe Babalola University which also links the state with Ondo, Kogi, and Abuja among other destinations.

The protesters said the aim of the protest, which they said would continue for days in the week, was to call the attention of the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to the state of the federal road.

A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “This is the only road that leads to our campus. It is difficult to access the school or go back home after lectures daily as many of us stay off campus. The state of the road is posing danger to our lives. It is causing accidents and attendant loss of lives.”

Another protesting student said they had been coping with the situation, expecting that it would change soon, until a few days ago when scores of parents and newly matriculated students of the polytechnic had to trek the about 15Km road, back to the city, because of non-availability of vehicles to convey them back owing to the condition of the road.

According Online reports that due to the condition of the road, many vehicle owners have been groaning over the effects on their vehicles and well-being while commercial operators many times decline to patronize the route or charge high fares.

The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics, Mr Sunday Akomolafe; Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Mr. Adebayo Daramola; and the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, Adebayo Abubakar, who led their members to participate in the protest, said it was to call government’s attention to the plight of road users.

Akomolafe said, “The Federal Government should repair this road as a matter of urgency. Our staff have on several occasions, contributed from personal income to repair certain portions of the road, but its condition is beyond patching, it needs total reconstruction. ”

Last week, ABUAD Chancellor, Afe Babalola, at one of the activities marking the 6th year anniversary ceremony of ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, confirmed the development, said that out of frustration he had had to write the Federal Government on the need to find lasting solution to the pitiable state of the ever-busy road.