The Owa-Onire community in the Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, has urged Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to abandon plans for a 21-kilometre road to the Owu waterfalls, calling the project wasteful.
In a statement from the Concerned Indigenes of Owa Onire Community, coordinated by Mr. Adebola Ogunbiyi and spokesperson Sunday Akanbi, the residents suggested that the government should instead complete the existing road project started in 2008 by former Governor Bukola Saraki.
This appeal came three days after the State Executive Council approved a new contract for the 21-kilometre road to the Owu falls, with the first phase costing over N3.9 billion.
The community argued that the initial project, already 20 percent complete, should be finished rather than starting a new route. The initial contractor, Bulletine Construction Company Nigeria Limited, had already asphalted three kilometres of the 15-kilometre road from Iwo/Sabaja-Isin to Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu falls. However, only three kilometres were tarred, leaving the remaining 12 kilometres from Oba-Isin to Owa-Onire-Owu falls unfinished since 2010 despite substantial investment.
The group claimed that misleading politicians had influenced the state government into approving a new contract. They noted that the 12-kilometre route from Oba-Isin to Owa-Onire is shorter and more direct compared to the proposed 21-kilometre road, and would benefit at least ten communities along its path, including Ijara-Isin, Iji-Isin, Owu-Isin, Sabaja-Isin, Oba-Isin, and Owa-Onire.
The community emphasized that the 12-kilometre route is less hilly and thus easier and cheaper to construct. They highlighted that this route is currently in use by tourists visiting the waterfall, reinforcing its practicality.
They reminded Governor Abdulrazaq of his December 15, 2019, promise to complete the abandoned 15-kilometre road. The statement called for the 12-kilometre road to be completed by a competent contractor to avoid further delays and ensure the project benefits the local communities and boosts tourism.
The Owu Falls, the highest waterfall in West Africa, stands 120 meters above sea level and cascades 330 feet down an escarpment, offering significant tourism potential for Kwara State, Nigeria, and the West African subregion.
