The new Ado-Iyin road under construction. Photo credit: Femi Artdaguodo

By Femi Artdagunodo

Like any Hollywood blockbuster film, there is always a spectacular process involved, just as in the case of the ongoing construction of what is now popularly called the new Ado-Iyin road.

The earth shaking concussion generated from the blowing of colossal rock monoliths running deeply underground along the path of this new road is a spectacular event.

Unless you venture out of your comfort zone to entertain your eyes, inform yourself and personally witness the actual scale, and size of construction work actually taking place beginning right from Ado Ekiti onwards towards Iyin Ekiti, Igede Ekiti and Aramoko, you would always need to be told.

The pace of work here is breathtaking and the sheer amount of rock debris being generated through blasting and soil moving is intimidating.

Rock giving way for the new road. Photo Credit: Femi Artdagunodo

For the records, there is a permanent presence of a sprinkle of people; farmers, market women, villagers and kids who are already witnessing this project every day, bonding with, and observing the hundreds of construction engineers on this emerging massive autobahn and their massive rock cracking engines of various shapes and sizes.

These people, however remote or impressionable, will never forget the wonders they are witnessing right now. They are ready historians whose memories can be trusted and whose judgement would be tempered by the honesty of conscience.

As the road construction progresses beyond Iyin Ekiti towards Aramoko, remarks of surprise are already being made in praise of the engineers that have successfully overcome the first rock of Gibraltar between Ado and Iyin Ekiti.

Cursory observers are already expressing sympathy for the engineers concerning the clear obstruction posed by the second, potentially more difficult rock. But their fears are being allayed by those who witnessed the battle that led to the overrun of the first one.

The new Ado-Iyin road under construction. Photo credit: Femi Artdaguodo

Records are being kept. Videos are being made and photographs are also being taken of all these happy developments. JKF is working all around Ekiti. Those who have not found the time to see them would ultimately be confronted with their magnitude in due course.

There is no escaping the impact of JKF’s positive transformation of life and living in Ekiti. You will either travel on these roads, or you will drink the water that is being drawn into Ekiti towns from our three resuscitated dams of Ero, Egbe and Ureje, or one day soon, your children or their children will regale you with how they have been enjoying themselves at the massive, world class Civic Center located opposite the Adekunle Fajuyi Park in Aso Ekiti.

The spectacular efforts that is going into the opening up of our great state to greater access and economic opportunity under the John Kayode Fayemi administration will be impossible to ignore or deny now and in the future. But it is educating to see for yourself.

All well wishers of Ekiti ought to get up and go out there now to personally witness things for themselves.

-Femi Artdagunodo is the Special Assistant on Photography to Governor Kayode Fayemi