Popular Ondo cleric, Prophet Samson Oluwamodede of the Prayer Centre Church of God (PCCG), and the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led administration, have clashed over the ‘poor condition’ of roads, particularly in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.

In a viral video by his church on Thursday, Prophet Oluwamodede lamented the worsening state of the Akure/Idanre (Oke Aro) road, describing it as a death trap for motorists.

He alleged that several lives and vehicles had been lost due to the deplorable condition of the road, which he said had become nearly impassable.

“Mr. Governor (Aiyedatiwa), you remember there was a time I called your attention to how bad the road is, and you promised to contact your S.A. on Infrastructure.

“But the road is now worse. If you see how people are dying on that road, particularly at Owe Akala, Idanre garage, and Abiodun junction to the new town area, it is terrible. Many commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) are dying, lorries continue to fall, injuring people and destroying goods,” the cleric lamented.

Oluwamodede, who said he had made several failed attempts to reach the Governor, added that if nothing was done by Sunday, he would mobilize resources to carry out ‘surface repairs’ on the road himself to avoid further embarrassment.

"I’m calling your attention to the road, Mr. Governor, because we still have the confidence in you. Do something now because the road is very bad. Painfully, this is happening within the street of Akure. I wish the governor could try and drive down to see what we are facing here. Please, Mr. Governor, I am calling your attention to the bad road.

“I have witnessed the administrations of Governors Olusegun Agagu, Olusegun Mimiko, late Rotimi Akeredolu, and now you (Aiyedatiwa) is the fourth. I want you to make a difference. This is not about politics but the suffering of people. If I don’t see action, I will bring in a grader for surface dressing,” he stressed.

The Akure/Idanre road leads directly to Prophet Oluwamodede’s expansive church.

However, in a swift response, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Mr. Ayorinde Abiola Olawoye, attributed the delay in the project to incessant rainfall, noting that construction is a gradual process with defined stages.

“At Oke Aro, the contractor, who began work less than six months ago, has already achieved over 8,000 meters of lined drains – about 4km out of the 10km stretch. This is an impressive milestone in such a short time,” he said.

Olawoye explained that road construction begins with hydraulic works like drains and culverts, followed by earthworks and then pavement structure, stressing that skipping stages would compromise quality.

“While the concerns raised by the prophet are valid, incessant rainfall has made grading or palliative works impossible. Such measures in the rainy season would worsen the situation. Now that rains are subsiding, the contractor has commenced palliative works to ease movement pending the completion of the full project,” he added.

Aiyedatiwa in April flagged off the dualization of the 10-kilometre Akure-Idanre road.

The project, designed to ease heavy traffic and boost economic activities, will feature a 28-metre-wide carriageway, modern traffic systems, and solar-powered streetlights. (The Nation)