Lamentations over state of roads in the Mainland

Lamentation alone is not enough to express motorists, traders and residents’ reaction to the deplorable conditions of roads in Mushin, Ajao estate and other areas in Lagos especially, the Airport road, Five star and Toyota Busstops including Daleko market areas on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

Incidentally, these roads are of great economic value to the state, as they service the nation’s premiere International Airport Ikeja, Apapa/Tin Can Island ports and the popular Ladipo spare parts market and also the Daleko commodity market. Commenting on Daleko road, a rice dealer at the market, Moshood Amodu said both sides of the road leading to the market are in a terrible mess, constituting a nightmare to motorists, especially trailers, which bring rice and other commodities to the place. Amodu said: “The long neglect of the road is affecting commercial activities in the market as motorists and customers now shun the place like a leprosy zone because of the bad condition of the roads.”

Another trader, Mrs. Adeola Mufu, said it is very disappointing that even the palliatives work that was being done on a section of the road, especially near Daleko Police station, had been abandoned.

According to her, it took the hiring of a towing van to rescue her bus laden with flour last Wednesday when the bus fell into a ditch towards Iyana Isolo side of the road, as it tried to pass through a bad spot on the road.

While urging Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to urgently come to savage the area, she said it would even get worse as we enter into the rainy season proper. Maduabuchi Stephen, a spare part dealer at Ladipo auto spare parts market, said the condition of Five star road  is the worst as not even heavy vehicles could go through it now because of its long neglect.

Daleko Road, Mushin, Lagos

According to him, even the governor witnessed the deplorable state of the road during his campaign tour, which made him to promise to do something if he won the election.

He said: “ My brother, no vehicle passes through the Five Star axis because of its deplorable state, all the vehicles that come to Ladipo now use the Toyota road, leading to the congestion of that side, even the Daleko road that used to be an alternative had also gone bad. “

Governor Ambode, in company of the former governor Babatunde Fashola, had, during during their electioneering campaign visit, promised that the APC government would continue to provide opportunities for residents of all backgrounds to succeed in their different endeavours and live better lives.

“During the visit, Fashola had said a number of interventions had been planned for the market and that they could only be executed with an APC successive government.

“ Ambode had pledged that because Ladipo market is an important market in the state in terms of business volume and the jobs it had created for hundreds of traders, he would do his best to transform the place to enhance its economic value, if elected,” he said.

A market leader, who pleaded not to be named, said the only work done in the market after series of complaints was carried out in March 2013, when the Lagos state government deployed its men to commence work on Ladipo Street and Alhaji Akinwunmi Street.

He, however, regretted that despite assurances given by the Chairman of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Mr. Gbenga Akintola that all road networks in and around the auto-spare parts market would be comprehensively rehabilitated; many roads leading to the market are still left unmotorable.

On the road at Ajao estate, a resident, who simply gave his name as Paul, said the estate has never been treated well by previous governments in terms of road construction and therefore urged Governor Ambode to come to their rescue. He said though there was an attempt to do some works around the estate especially with the construction of the Ejigbo Okeafa link road but the effort suddenly fizzle out.

“We need the urgent assistance of the governor to repair the roads in this place so that residents and motorists, who have been subjected to great pains can heave a sigh of relief,” he said. But there are indications that the government may soon commence the rehabilitation of some of the roads.

It was gathered that the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) has earmarked about 90 roads for maintenance and rehabilitation. The affected roads are those in the metropolis, where there is high vehicular movement and a large number of commuters.

The new helmsman at the LSWPC, Mr. Ayotunde Shodeinde, said the present poor state of roads occasioned by the rainy seasons has become a source of concern to the state government, hence the preparation to work on the 90 roads, which have been scheduled to be fixed within the next two weeks.

He appealed to Lagos residents for patience even as he expressed regrets for the inconveniences that the repair works may cause. Shodeinde said already, road maintenance works had begun on some of the roads and these include Dopemu Road, Agege, Ojo road, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Old Abeokuta road, Agege, Iyana Ipaja-Egbeda Road, Alimosho, Shasha Road, Alimosho, Old Ojo Road, Kuye Amuwo-Odofin, Mowo-Ikoga Road, Badagry, Osho and Olubote Streets in Epe, Lagos-Abeokuta Express way, Obafemi Awolowo way, Ikeja and Oyemekun road, Ifako-Ijaye.

Also listed for maintenance are Ipaja Road, AP-Alagba, Agege, Kikrikiri Road, Olodi, Apapa, Ikotun-Igando Road, Alimosho, Ikotun-Egbe Road, Alimosho, Liverpool Road, Apapa, Badagry, Ketu-Ejinrin Road, Epe, Ogunnusi Road, Ojodu-Ogba, Ikeja, Alausa roads Network, Ikeja, Allen Avenue/Opebi Road, Ikeja, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway (Cement-Ile Zik Axis) and Owolegbon Street, Atunrase Estate, Gbagada Ph1, Kosofe.

Others to be fixed include Aradagun-Ajido-Iworo road, Badagry, Ajah-Ado-Badore Road, Eti-Osa, Ahamadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Ojo-Igbede Road, Ojo, Agege Motor Road, Mushin, Herbert Macaulary Way, Lagos Mainland, Bush/Ajike Faromobi/Thomas Laniyan/Anthony Village Road, Kosofe, Itire-Mushin Road, Surulere, Tokunbo Street, Lagos-Island, Apapa Road, Ebute-Meta, Lagos Mainland, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway (Abule Egba-Toll Gate Axis) and Agege Motor Road, Ladipo-Cappa Axis.