The recent coverage by Channels Television on the deplorable road in Igbogbo-Bayeku is a reportage that may appear shocking to people living outside Ikorodu. But to those living in the division, the road and many other roads are painful burden they wriggle in everyday.
Motorists, workers, business owners and travellers who journey through Ikorodu metropolis live in anguish of these deplorable roads.
Many have whined and wailed over the lousy conditions of the roads to the point of banality. Many residents have resigned to their fate and face the harrowing task of making their daily trips on these roads.
Coming from a national broadcast news media like Channels Television may have a major effect on the plight of the people of Ikorodu division over the bad roads they have endured over the years. The Bayeku road in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA is one of the many bad roads in Ikorodu division needing urgent attention from concerned authorities. The recent report only serves as a springboard to bringing the plights of the people to the fore.
There are many lousy road networks in Ikorodu division currently posing big challenges to residents. There is one which an eyesore along the Agric-Oriokuta axis where several kilometers of the road portions are in total mess. The Agric-Oriokuta road, during rainy season, constitutes serious problems for residents in that area. Usually after torrential rainfall, some portions of the road become impassable and people are forced to stay home for the rest of the day. A similar case also exists along Imota-Sabo axis of Ikorodu.
Also, the Odogunyan-Sabo axis has not been completed for years. These outlined roads are the popular ones where hundreds of thousands travel through on daily basis.
The Gberigbe-Ijede-Itamaga axis was one of the bad roads until Governor Sanwo-Olu intervened. Some of the aforementioned roads in Ikorodu have received government’s attention at some point, but work seems to drag at a snail pace.
For instances, the Agric Road has received government’s attention for years now and attempts are being made to enlarge and dualise the road. However, for over three years now, the road project has not improved neither has any significant portion of the road has been completed.
Another prominent road that has received attention from the government is the Odonguyan-Ikorodu road.
The federal government road has claimed many lives, especially on the spot close to LASPOTECH First gate. For over four years now, the road is not near completion. In early 2021 alone, accidents have claimed many innocent lives on the road due to the precarious state of the infrastructure.
The Imota-Ikorodu road is another terrible axis with problems of bad road. The road is also a federal government road and has received little attention from the federal government. The state government at some point intervened to mend the potholes and clear clogged drainage channels; however, the road is yet to receive full attention. It is one of the axes where obnoxious traffic problems occur every morning and evening in Ikorodu.
Footage of the Baiyeku deplorable road revealed some sections of the road overflowed with water and it looked like a murky river. Vehicles struggled to drive through the murky pool of rivers intersecting the road. At some points, some concerned residents would mount diesel powered-machine, sucking water off the mini gorge retaining large amount of water.
Smaller cars suffer as water level of the murky pool rises as high to the level of car doorknob. While wriggling through, some cars got stuck in the pool of water and the drivers and passengers would be forced to alight in the murky pool of water. These are the reality of those living in that axis.
Journeying on that road is a mystery no one would pray to live with everyday.
Other related problems of the deplorable road are deterioration on cars plying that road on a daily basis. Many testify to the fact that such road condition usually wreck havoc on shock absorber of vehicles. There are cases of causing car bodies to corrode easily.
These are aside problems of lateness to work or place of business. The bad roads causes people to slow down at ridiculous pace and make them get to their destinations late (that is if their cars do not break down on the way).
Commercial transporters and motorcyclists are also taking advantage of the situation to exploit people by charging exorbitant fares.
This nightmare of a road has caught the attention of everyone who ever visited the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu division by automobile.
The incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has visited the road on some occasions and is quite aware of the situation. As a matter of fact the governor saw the state of the road when he commissioned the ultramodern council secretariat earlier this year. While delivering his formal speech, the governor, on his own volition, told the people of Igbogbo that the road is bad and he would look into the matter. However, since he left about six months ago, things have not changed. The reporters who covered the recent news package visited the special adviser to the governor on Work and she explained that the resources at its disposal limit the government. According to her, the governor mapped many structural projects across the state but could only accomplish the ones his budget could afford.
The many deplorable road networks in the Ikorodu division is not new to people as those who live and visit the second largest and most populated division of Lagos could openly see the roads. Some concerned politicians like Honourable Jimi Benson and Senator Tokunbo Abiru have earnestly launched a campaign to fix most of the roads. Hon. Benson, particularly, has been working hard for the past four years to accomplish his mission. He has built inner streets road connecting many communities in Ikorodu. He have also been championing the cause of the Odonguyan-Ikorodu road at the National Assembly. If only there are more of their kinds making proportionate efforts from every side, most of these roads in Ikorodu would have been fixed by now.
Though, in recent times, the Ikorodu Local Government chairman has embarked on some infrastructural projects, many pray he continues with the works while urging other grassroots politicians to join forces on the quest to provide good roads to the people of Ikorodu