The residents of Ikorodu division have called for the State Government’s intervention in fixing dilapidated roads in their various communities, which expose them to a lot of hardships on a daily basis.
The residents of areas like Itajoto Ikunuga road in Offin, Sanni-Ajayi Street, Nimsa Street, Nosiru Atunwon Street, Ajulor Street, Ojokoro in Eyita, Igbopa in Ijede and Oke-Ogbodo in Adamo, have been recounting the agony and pains being inflicted on them as a result of the bad roads. While speaking to Oriwu Sun recently in Ikorodu, some of the residents lamented that movement of people and vehicle in and out of their communities have become a terrible nightmare, particularly during the rainy season. According to them, they had done a lot of palliative measures to address the situation to no avail.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Francis Aremoa, a resident of Offin, he disclosed that the deplorable condition of the roads in their area has existed for several years without Government’s intervention. He pointed out that the situation affects his business and usually gives transporters the opportunity to hike their transport fares. He called on the State Government and the newly elected Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA to do something about the roads.
Mrs. Victoria Gabriel, a teacher and resident of Offin, also bemoaned the negative effects of the road situation on her as a teacher in the area. In her words, “I leave my house very early in order to beat resumption time at work.” According to her, several appeals made to the council about the roads did not receive any response. Thus, she appealed to the State Government to repair the road, which she said has been a major factor hindering the development of the community.
A tricyclist, who did not want his name on print, complained that the road had cost him huge amount of money for repairing his motorcycle on a daily basis. Another resident of Sanni-Ajayi Street, Eyita, Mr. Oludele Aminu, recounted how car owners and motor cyclists have been suffering due to the deplorable state of the road, especially during rainy season. He disclosed that the road was initially tarred but was not completed, making the situation worse for residemts. He appealed to the State Government to intervene in repairing the road since the Local Government is not showing any interest.
According to Mrs. Abosede Oyekan, a resident of Nunsa Street, Eyita, the condition of the roads in the six local councils in Ikorodu are very embarrassing, as they do not befit a territory created to be a model for the state. She called on the authorities concerned to do something very fast. Mrs. Ola Adeniran, who owns a shop at Nasiru Atun Street in Eyita, told Oriwu Sun that her business had been affected as she spends more stocking her shop with goods due to the bad road. She also lamented the health implications of dusty environment on the residents and urged the State Government to quickly intervene.
Also explaining how the bad condition of the road affects him, another resident of Ajulor Street, Ojokoro, Eyita, Mr. Ayodeji Samuel, said he had formed the habit of leaving for work very early to avoid being held up in traffic. He also appealed to the State Government to make the road passable for the residents.
While also speaking, the former Chairman of Ose-Oluwa Community Development Association (CDA), Igbopa community in Ijede, Mr. Adesanya (aka Ose-Oluwa) said the roads in the community had been neglected by the Government for the past five years and as a result, constant erosion had washed off the surface of the road due to lack of drainage system. According to him, the residents plan to construct a drainage system to prevent the road from being flooded when it rains and urged the State Government to help in reconstructing the road.
The Chairman of God’s Community Development Association (CDA), Oke-Ogbodo in Adamo area of Ikorodu North LCDA, Mr. Olayiwola, explained the various combined efforts he made with others to salvage the road to no avail. He appealed to the newly elected Chairman of Ikorodu North, LCDA, Hon. Adebisi Banjo, to live up to his electoral promises to the people of the area by seeing to the proper construction and maintenance of the roads. He also appealed to the residents to stand up to their responsibilities by paying their taxes and assisting the community financially whenever the need arises.
Also, residents of Aruna area of Ikorodu have decried the deplorable state of the ever busy Sulaimon Soderu road.
The residents, while recently speaking with our reporter who visited the area, alleged that the road had been awarded four times by the Lagos State Government yet, nothing has been done. They also claimed that contractors have always abandoned the road while record at the state ministry of works indicated that the contractors had since completed their work.
They informed Oriwu Sun that the last contractor to work on the road is Eko Ekete Engineering Company, which they said abandoned the road after doing twenty (20) percent of the work.
More so, the residents, while explaining the significance of the road, said that when reconstructed, the road will serves as short-cut in and out of Ikorodu from Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Itokin and other communities outside Ikorodu, adding that it will afford most travelers and motorists plying these routes the opportunity to avoid heavy traffic snarls at peak hours normally find at Ikorodu garage round about.
A resident of the area, Adekunle Felix Banjo and the Baale of the community, Alhaji Sulaimon Soderu in separate interviews with our reporter, urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to quickly intervene and salvage the road as its current condition has put economic activities in the area in total collapse, while adding that motorists and commuters who ply the road are not finding things easy at all.
They also urged the governor to deliver them from the unbearable situations they are facing over the road as residents find it difficult going in and out of the community with their vehicles.
Also, the Chairman of the Community Development Association of the area, Eng. Akin Ogedengbe (JP), in his own reaction said, “For over three years, the contractor has refused to explain to us the reason for the delay and we have done everything possible to speak with the Engineer in charge of the project but all efforts have proved abortive.”
He, however, implored the governor to visit the area the way he had done to other places with such problem, in other to feel their pains and soothe it by reconstructing the road as soon as possible.
Chief Olaoluwa Ajayi, a landlord in the community, said the residents are unable to move freely in the community due to the state of the road.
He also said that many tenants had moved out of his residence as a result of the bad drainage construction near his house which often makes flood to flow into their apartments.
In the same vein, residents of Gberigbe in Ikorodu have also called for the immediate rehabilitation of the Gberigbe – Ikorodu road.
In an interview with chairman of Gberigbe Oke-Owa Community Development Association (CDA) Mr. Korede Amos, he explained that despite informing the state commissioners for information and works about the delabitated state of the road, nothing has been done.
He also stated that on the part of the residents, they have held several town hall meetings where pressmen were in attendance in a bid to discuss how to fix the road and also draw the attention of the state government to the suffering of the residents, motorist and the passenger plying the road.
Mr. Amos lamented that since the condition of the road has degenerated, motorist and okada riders have been extorting passengers by increasing transport fares while people now spend more time commuting on the road than before.
He also claimed that the bad state of the road is really affecting the economic activities in the area as traders are now spending double money to convey their goods in and out the community due to the increment of transport fares by the motorist.
The CDA chairman while explaining the effort he made residents in fixing the road which include construction of drainages, he implore the state government to assist in full repair of the roads with provision of well-constructed drainages to appropriately channel erosion during rainfall.
Another resident Mrs. Owoiya Yemi who is a food seller in the area complained about the expensive transport fares she is been charged by motorist whenever she goes to the market to buy things due to the impassable nature of the read, adding that the situation has forced her to increase the prices of her good which has made her loose many customers.
She, however, urged the government to help in fixing the road to give relief the people of the area.
Mr. Aliu, a commercial driver who plies the road daily complained that the bad condition of the road is negatively affecting his business adversely as he could no longer meet up with the money he deliver to his boss every day.
He argued that it is not proper for a road that connect more than four communities to be left in such condition and implored Governor Ambode for urgent intervention.