Akure, the capital of Ondo State, once stood tall as one of the cleanest and calmest cities in the southwest. Its streets, landmarks, and markets reflected the dignity of a true state capital.
Today, however, that dignity is under siege. Indiscipline, neglect, and civic irresponsibility are dragging the city to a breaking point.
Nowhere is this decline more glaring than on Oba Adesida and Oyemekun Roads — the twin arteries of Akure. Once symbols of order and commerce, they are now zones of chaos, refuse, and danger.
At strategic points — Cathedral, Oja-Oba, Ilesha Garage, Adegbola, First Bank Junction, and NEPA Roundabout — refuse heaps compete with pedestrians. Trash left uncollected under the blazing sun releases stench, clogs drainages, and invites both floods and disease.
Pedestrian walkways have been turned into makeshift markets by traders and food vendors, forcing citizens onto roads where reckless drivers show no mercy.
Public car parks have been brazenly seized by private car dealers, turning government-designated spaces into showrooms. This act of impunity robs the city of order while portraying a capital where public property is up for private conquest.
Most disturbing, however, is the creeping danger on Oba Adesida Road: dangerous rectangular holes dug without warning signs. Already, motorists and pedestrians report near-fatal accidents. One driver fumed, “These holes are not just careless, they are criminal.”
That Akure residents must battle potholes is bad enough. To add uncovered, unmarked holes to the chaos is reckless governance at its worst. If urgent action is not taken, these holes will claim lives.
Equally alarming is the reckless driving culture of some youths, particularly “Yahoo Boys,” who turn city roads into racetracks. Their recklessness does not just threaten lives — it discredits Akure as a capital unfit for serious investment.
To his credit, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has signaled intent to restore Akure’s pride. Road rehabilitation has begun, beautification projects are underway, and traffic lights are being restored at strategic locations — a commendable move.
But governance cannot succeed if citizens sabotage their own city. A leader without disciplined followers is like a captain sailing a leaking ship.
The people of Akure — traders, transporters, residents, and youths — must understand that development is a shared responsibility. Government cannot endlessly clean up after a citizenry addicted to disorder.
At the same time, enforcement must bite. Warnings and appeals have failed. Only decisive action through environmental task forces, mobile courts, and urban patrols can restore sanity. Indiscipline thrives where there are no consequences.
Akure stands at a dangerous crossroads. Will it reclaim its dignity or surrender to indiscipline, decay, and dangerous neglect?
The time to act is now — before refuse, reckless drivers, and rectangular death-traps bury the capital’s pride.
Akure deserves better. Its people deserve better. Future generations deserve a city they can be proud of.
