National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Stakeholders in the educational and business sectors in Lagos have called on government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, so as to alleviate the plight of commuters.
They said that the expressway, on which resides several educational institutions and business outfits, has been the bane of road users, especially in the rainy season.
They urged government to accede to the demands for a rehabilitation of the road.
In an interview, principal of the Federal Government College Ijanikin, Dr. O. A. U Essien, expressed displeasure on the state of the road, which she said posed serious hazards to both staffs and students of the school. According to Essien, entrance and exit to the school on a daily basis, has always put them on edge, due to the volume of pot holes, and bad spots, which disrupts vehicular movements, and often compels motorists to drive against traffic.
She said that the activities of these motorists, has been a source of serious concern to the school, adding that in 2017, a student who was sitting for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Certificate, was hit by a vehicle.
She said that more recently, a member of staff was also knocked down by a vehicle on the same road, as these motorists often scramble with pedestrians for a more accessible route. “On the school’s visiting day, we encounter the usual traffic on this road, which hampers the activities of motorists; some day students and even teachers, arrive late to school due to the bad roads.
“I have simply tried to make the confines of this school a safe haven for me, while I beckon on the authorities to expedite action on this road,” she said In the same vein, a former Chairman of the Ijanikin Market Shoe Bag and Textile Traders Association (SHOBATEX), Hon. Titus Agha, described the state of the road as a death trap to users. He said that the dilapidated roads and resultant accidents, has claimed the lives of some traders, who resorted to commercial motorcycles in order to avoid the traffic congestion which had become a “notorious feature” of the Lagos-Badagry expressway.
“From Badagry to this Vesper market use to be N200, but following the continuous wearing away of the roads, transport fare has now risen to as much as N400. “There are several lucrative businesses situated along this road which is a major business route and its bad state has negatively affected our businesses; our customers from the Island find it difficult plying this road.
“This road is even a major access point to neighbouring countries like Benin Republic, and we cannot afford to keep mute, while we suffer and smile. “I, urge the relevant authorities to come to our aid and make this major business route accessible for all,” A trader at the Aspanda Tradefair complex, Mr Joshua Ibitola, said that the condition of the road is worsened by rainfall and the resultant flooding. He said: “I sell here at Tradefair, and our closing time is 5pm but whenever it rains, I ensure I close by 2pm just to avoid spending the night on the road. “The condition of this road is very unbearable to us, and we sincerely wish government can come to our aid,” Mr Samuel Ojelade, a student at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) also situated along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, described the state of the road as a “headache” According to Ojelade, he spends a minimum of 2 hours on the road to school from his residence at Shibiri, due to pot holes, adding that he pays about N1500 daily on transportation.
“Whenever I wake up and think of going to school on this road, I get “emergency headache. “Please o, let the authorities do their best to keep this road in a good condition,” he said. Ford to produce vehicles that automatically warn of emergency ahead On her part, Miss Thelma Adebisi, a student of the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, said the road was her worst nightmare. Adebisi who resides at Alakija, said that she sustained bruises on her legs and elbows, due to repeated falls from commercial motorcycles, which had become her only workable source of transportation to school. According to her, boarding commercial buses will only result in lateness for her lectures, since the buses were forced to go at a very slow pace, due to the volume of bad spots on the roads. She urged the authorities to consider the students and provide accessible roads for them to school. Other outfits located along the Lagos-Badagry expressway includes: Ojo Military Cantonment, Postgraduate College of Medicine, Federal Road Safety Corps, as well as several schools and business concerns
