Osun residents, APC condemn PDP for ‘needless blockage of roads’ over Atiku’s campaign
TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The major opposition political party in Osun State, the All Progressives Congress and some residents of the state have bemoaned the Peoples Democratic Party over what they termed needless blockage of roads in Osogbo, the state capital as a result of the presidential campaign of the PDP.
Busy roads in the heart of Osogbo such as Aregbe to Ola-Iya, stretching to Freedom Park, the venue of the campaign, Oke-Fia areas were blocked with vehicles of security agencies as early as 7am on Wednesday.
The PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar had stormed Osogbo on Tuesday for his campaign.
The blockage of roads caused serious traffic snarl in Osogbo as motorists, motorcycle riders and other road users faced difficulty in negotiating alternative routes owing to the unannounced shut down of the roads.
Traders in the affected areas complained of low sales as travelers couldn’t arrive their destinations on time.
Speaking, a motorist at Olaiya who simply identified himself as Aderin Dada, described the decision to block the road as wicked and needless.
He said, “this is pure wickedness on the part of the PDP. Even when the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari was in Osogbo sometimes ago, the situation wasn’t as bad as this. There is no justification for this blockage of roads.
“Many people have been affected including us, Korope drivers. The sale has been very low and the traffic is annoying.”
A trader, Mrs Tomilola also frowned at the development saying it was a bad and unnecessary action.
“What annoys me most is that the venue they chose for the rally is wide enough to accomodate all the people that came for it. I don’t see any reason why theee busy roads should be blocked. Government should ensure and consider safety and comfort of the masses at all time and not doing things that will portray them as anti-masses,” she said angrily.
For APC in the state, the untold hardship created for the inhabitants of Osogbo through the blockage of some major roads because of the rally was condemnable.
A statement by the Osun APC media director, Kola Olabisi, said, “motorists and pedestrians in Osogbo, the state capital, woke up this morning to observe that the road from Onisekere to Okefia and Lameco to Okefia were blocked by the police who are acting on the authority of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“There is no justifiable reason for Adeleke to have deliberately subjected the innocent and peace-loving people of the state to untold and avoidable suffering because of the visit of an individual whose mission in the state has nothing to do with the government’s business.
“It is more worrisome that the new administration in the state could flagrantly choose to add to the economic suffering of the people of the state who have to pay cut-throat fares because of the scarcity of fuel that is ravaging the state.
“The blockage of the roads is an indication that the Adeleke government is insensitive, inconsiderate and glaringly oppressive. Why must all the inhabitants of Osogbo be made to go through this harrowing experience because an individual, Atiku, carried his campaign train to the state capital?
“The most pathetic aspect of the development is that the blockage of the two roads have debilitating effects on smooth vehicular movements in all other parts of the state capital. What qualifies the roads to be closed because of Atiku’s visit when he is not yet the nation’s President but a presidential candidate?
“If this is the way the PDP wants to be running the administration of the state without having feelings for the comfort of the people, it means the people have a lot of hazzles to contend with. It is a fact that Atiku’s campaign is not such an official business of government that could warrant blocking of roads and depriving the masses rights to go about their lawful businesses.
“He is not yet a president. It is nauseating and embarrassing that the PDP is being sold to the public in this way without a modicum of the display of empathy for the people of the state,” the statement read.
