Jimoh Ahmed, Ikare Akoko.
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Youths and elders in Akoko area of Ondo state under the aegis of Akoko Concerned Group for Survival have now gone spiritual over the incessant fatal accidents on the flash points like Okerigbo hills, Akungba Akoko, Okealabojuto and Oke Okorun in Ikare Akoko and Oke Oka.
It was gathered that in the last four months, no fewer than 28 people had been killed in auto crashes along Ikare – Akungba Akoko road, a source at the Federal Road Safety Corps disclosed to The Hope.
However independent sources in the university town said no fewer than 38 people have died in the last five months as a result of accidents in the Akoko community.
Efforts to get the actual figure from the Acting Unit Commander of the Ikare Akoko Unit Command of the FRSC was not successful.
A youth leader, Danjuma Sikiru said the death of many students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba in the recent accident pushed them to seek the face of God to stop such killings and calamities.
Danjuma posited that since it is only God that has the final solution to all issues, it then became imperative to call on Him
A retired Anglican Church cleric who is also an Ikun Akoko community leader, Reverend Cannon Foluso Ogunsuyi described period like this as time to seek the face of God with fervent prayers, fasting and revival in order to reduce calamities in Akoko land.
The Seriki Musulumi of Akungba Akoko, Chief Saliu Awesu also disclosed that apart from interdenominational prayers in Akungba, they have also relocated markets close to the roads to the inner parts of the town.
He urged the Federal government to, as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate the abandoned Orita Ipele/Idoani/Ifira/Isua/ Kabba road to reduce lorries passing Akungba, Oka and Ikare Akoko which are mountainous terrains.
Meanwhile, there have been various calls by concerned indigenes of the town for a lasting solution to incessant accidents.
A lawyer and politician, Tolu Babaleye called on the state government to dualise the road as it has done in Ikare Akoko.
Babaleye who said the lives of the people are too precious to be wasted want the federal government to be alive to its responsibilities by doing the needful to salvage the situation.
The former Chairman of Akoko Southwest Local Government also want government to construct an alternative road in the plains between Akungba and Uba Oka to cater for heavy duty trucks.
Similarly, leaders of Akungba Akoko have also called on the federal government to intervene in the matter.
Dr Bode Iwaloye who spoke on behalf of the leaders appealed to the State Government to proffer enduring solutions to the accidents by realigning the sections of the road between Okerigbo hill and Tunji and Tunji filling station and AAUA Guest House (Annex) and Police post, Etioro.
He equally called for the widening and dualising of the main road between Okerigbo hill and Etioro to give more space for vehicles that lost control.
The Alale of Akungba, Oba Sunday Anjimo also called for the dualization of the road and cordoning of its corridors to prevent traders from coming to the roadside to trade.
Oba Anjimo called for the construction of the Akungba/Uba Oka road, which falls on a plain ground to serve as alternative route, especially heavy duty trucks that could not maneuver the hilly Okerigbo section of the Akungba/Ikare.