Lagos residents lament hardship over collapsed road

Deji Lambo Commuters plying the Bogije and Kajola ends of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ibeji-Lekki,  Lagos State, have lamented the poor condition of the road. They told PUNCH Metro that the road usually created traffic which lasted hours every morning and evening. A resident, Monsurat Quadri, said she once trekked in the rain because she could […]

Deji Lambo

Commuters plying the Bogije and Kajola ends of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ibeji-Lekki,  Lagos State, have lamented the poor condition of the road.

They told PUNCH Metro that the road usually created traffic which lasted hours every morning and evening.

A resident, Monsurat Quadri, said she once trekked in the rain because she could not cope with the traffic.

The 45-year-old said, “We want the government to repair the road for us because the traffic generated by the poor condition of the road is serious. With or without rain, the road is not good. I was once stuck in traffic from 6pm to 8pm. That day, I had to alight from the bus and trek from Malete to Kajola. The bad road is our major problem in Ibeju-Lekki, especially from Bogije to Kajola. We want the governor to come to our aid.”

Another resident, Femi Farinloye, said the traffic had affected business in the area.

The Osun State indigene said, “The road is not motorable because of potholes. The traffic has paralysed many businesses in this area. The traffic usually starts from 6am till 11am when people are going to work and then around 4pm till 11pm when people are coming from work. In fact, some people were travelling for a party but were held in the traffic. It was inside the traffic that they started eating their food because they could no longer meet up with the party. Everywhere was totally blocked.”

When PUNCH Metro visited Bogije community, a food vendor, Olajumoke Ojutiwan, said her children usually go to school late because of the traffic.

She said, “We don’t have a good government in this country; this road is not good, they should help us to repair it. The traffic this road causes has made people to lose their jobs for resuming late at work. Also, children usually get late to school and their teachers think it is because they play around on their way to school.”

A driver, Richard Kyei, whose bus reportedly developed a fault due to the collapsed road, said someone had donated some interlocking stones to fill the potholes.

He said, “This is what we face every year. When it is dry season, the government would patch it, but during the rainy season, the road would spoil again. My vehicle got stuck in one of the potholes, and when I tried to move out, the shaft of my car got damaged.

“A Good Samaritan, who sells interlocking stones ordered his boys to fill some of the potholes with the stones so as to reduce the traffic. About 20 vehicles got stuck this morning and the owners had to get tippers to tow them away.”

A businessman, Okpobrisi Othuke, told PUNCH Metro that he had been filling some of the potholes with interlocking stones for over four years, adding that the Ibeju-Lekki Residents Association had taken up the matter.

He said, “When I see people suffering on that road, I feel pained; I want to provide a relief to them. I have been filling the road with interlocking stones for the past four years. Then about two or three other places along the road, I had constructed culverts.

“The contract of the Lekki-Epe Expressway was awarded to Strong Tower; the firm is supposed to construct the road from Ajah to Eleko junction. The company should also expand the road and provide facilities for it and make it six lanes. But I don’t know what has happened.”

Efforts by our correspondent to reach the spokesperson for Strongtower Infrastructure and Development Nigeria Limited proved abortive as of the time this report was filed.

The Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Tunji Bakare, said he would call back.

He had yet to do so as of press time.

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Source:Punch Newspapers

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