More than a month after Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, gave the order for the rehabilitation of all bad roads across the state, repair works seem to have been carried out on many of the roads.
Many of the roads across the state have remained in deplorable condition with residents, commuters and motorists groaning under the situation.
Governor Ambode had assured Lagos residents that all the inner roads and alternative routes that can ease the free flow of traffic in the state would be repaired with immediate effect, disclosing that the exercise would last between three to four
weeks.
Investigations by our correspondent have, however, shown that the condition of many of the roads has remained in the same deplorable state.
Residents in communities across the state have, therefore, continued to decry the terrible state of the roads.
I have to pass through Ile Zik to get to my shop in Ikeja and every time I’m stuck in hold-up for hours, I end up getting to my shop late and make few sales at the close of work,” she
lamented
They argued that having sent pleas and requests to the state government to help in rehabilitating the roads, they expected a change in the condition of the roads, saying that it seemed no effort was being made to implement road rehabilitation across the state.
They expressed regret at the chaotic traffic jam and loss of valuable man hours caused by bad roads in the state on a daily basis, including Sundays.
An inspection of the roads in places such as from Ikeja Under Bridge leading to the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway by the railway line and Sule junction in the Mangoro area of Agege leading to Cement Bus-stop revealed that these roads have become so
bad.
The roads in Iyana Isolo, Lamina Lawal in Isolo, Kogberegbe Street, Ilasamaja road, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway are nothing to write home
about.
The Isolo road in Mushin is dotted with potholes to such an extent that it has become more difficult for drivers to ply them. Whenever it rains, these roads become impassable for motorists and commuters.
A resident, Mr. Femi Okoya, queried the sincerity of the state government as regards the order for the potholes to be
filled.
“I doubt the sincerity of the state government that passed an order three weeks back or thereabout for the potholes to be filled, but up till today, we have places like Asade Market to Railway Line and the Guinness roads still littered with many potholes. If the governor meant what he said, he would have asked the local government chairmen to do the needful or he would have pushed out the staff of the Public Works Corporation (PWC) and private contractors saddled with the responsibility of filling these roads to work!” he said.
For Alhaja Muinat Obaleye, a trader, getting late to her shop everyday due to the bad state of the roads, caused her to record low sales on a daily
basis.
“I have to pass through Ile Zik to get to my shop in Ikeja and every time I’m stuck in hold-up for hours, I end up getting to my shop late and make few sales at the close of work,” she
lamented.
The experience of motorists and commuters in Orile Agege Local Government Area of the state is not different. Many of the roads in this part of the state are also in dilapidated state. The roads in Igbayilola Street, Oko Oba Road and Powerline areas are such a terrible state that residents find it so hard to drive on
them.
A resident of the area, Niyi Adewole, who lives in Igbayilola Street, said that whenever it rained the roads in the area would become impassable.
Adewole said, “Whenever rain falls, the large potholes are filled and there isn’t a path to walk on. We try walking on the planks over the gutters, but the fear of falling into the gutter is terrifying. Please, let them tar our
roads.
“It’s about time the status quo changed and the people got the change they have always been clamouring for. One would be amazed when one juxtaposes highbrow areas like Magodo, Lekki, Victoria Island, where the roads are well-tarred, smooth and given prompt attention, to places like Egbeda, Agege, Mushin, Cement, Ipaja, among others. It’s about time people stopped believing those at the helm of affairs are doing them favours whenever they implement a plan. Rather, they should know that they are there to serve them. Besides, they get their pay at the end of the month! What are they really showing as their achievements to deserve the pay?”
But the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, at the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Shina Thorpe, said it was the duty of the local government chairmen to fix these inner
roads.
