This Man Has been fixing pot holes on Okeho/ Iseyin road for 20 years

 

By Bola Olalere and Salau Bashir 

If you are have ever traveled on Iseyin/ Okeho road in the last 20 years, you must have seen him. He usually stays at Elewure end of the road, towards OKeho and everyday, he does his bit of the community  service. Mr Akintola Ajedokun Raji hails from Alusekere compound , Gbonje Okeho. Before November 1999, he was into transport business. He had a vehicle plying Okeho to Oyo. The business was flourishing and he could pay his bills until he had a ghastly accident on the road. 

The bad road apparently was part of the causes of the accident and unfortunately for him. He could not raise the money to buy another vehicle because it was badly damaged and according to experts it is beyond repair. But he decided otherwise, since the road was responsible for his  ordeal and the government is unwilling to fix the road. He saw a better option than going to the motor park to beg for alms and he return to the road that took his car to manually fix the pot holes and make the road more motorable. 

"When I started, I was expecting money from my friends and colleagues in the  transport business, but as time goes on , even people who drive private cars also started giving me money. When they see the impact of my  efforts, no mater how small . This is what I have been doing everyday for the last 20 years " He told OkehoNews .

"My family  and children did not like it when I started, especially my children. They gave me money but I have developed passion for this and I continued until they all left me alone."

"I don't force people to give me money, but people give voluntarily, even sometimes when am not on the road people leave money for me with Okada riders and villagers and I am always grateful to them "

Baba Raji does not wish to do this work for the rest of his life. He believes that the road will be completed one day. And when OkehoNews asked him what he will be doing when there is no more pot holes to fix on the road, he said he has no plan yet. 

"There was a time I went to the local government and pleaded with them to employ me as labourer or even securityman, they promised me, but no one has called me since. I wish and pray that they finish the road on time. because I know the evil bad roads can cause."

My story is one. But to be honest, I don't know what I will be doing after the completion of the  road. That is why am using this medium to appeal to  the local government and other well meaning individuals to assist me with a decent job. I am not lazy and I don't like begging. That is why am here. I resume here 6 am and close by 6pm everyday, except  Sunday. So, I can do any work they  offer me", he concluded.