Residents across Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states are groaning over what they describe as abandoned or bad roads littered across the states, which they allege have been causing untold traffic hardship to motorists and commuters.
This was confirmed by Nairametrics during interviews with some states’ residents.
According to them, productive hours are spent in traffic across many major roads in the states simply because of bad roads. While there are dire implications from the time spent in traffic congestion, lost appointments, vehicle owners also recount the cost implications of frequent repairs due to damages caused by the poor state of the roads.
Some of the abandoned roads across Ogun State are the Akute Road, Magboro Road, Agbado Junction (bridge and road), Ijoko Road, and Lambe (bridge and road) areas of Ogun State. Some of the bad roads across Lagos are Abaranje Road, Community Road (Ijegun), Araromi road; while in Ibadan, Ojo, Iwo Road, Toll Gate to Iwo Road axis along Iwo Road expressway can not be ignored.
What residents are saying about bad roads
Ogun
Banji Oni, a Chartered Accountant and a resident of Magboro called on Governor Dapo Abiodun not to abandon any of the several infrastructural projects started by former Governor Ibikunle Amosun across the state. He called on residents and community leaders in the state to rise and save Ogun State from further socio-economic damage.
According to him, littering the state with abandoned projects was a clear signal that there “is a problem with policy direction,” and events in the last decade are pointers to the fact that the state needs to be rescued from the era of wasting resources on the construction of several bridges that would not add any economic value to the state and the people.
He said, “Abandoned projects have made life more difficult for residents and investors in the state as they spend more on transportation of goods and maintenance of their vehicles, especially during the rainy season.
“Residents are the ones bearing the brunt of the state of the projects as the cost incurred on car maintenance and transport fares in the areas have gone up by over 200% in the past years. When it rains, some residents have to rely on men who carry them on their backs like babies or are compelled to use canoes.
“For instance, one effect is that a project that was supposed to be completed in 2013 at N100 billion (when the naira/dollar exchange rate was at N150/$1), would be completed at about five times the cost in 2023, (when naira/dollar rate might hover between N750 and N800/$1)”.
Adekunle Afolami, a Computer Engineer and resident of Agbado Station, Ogun State, said, “It is appalling that after more than 10 years, this administration and its predecessor have not completed projects it promised to finish in two years. Initially, they blamed the delay on the economic recession caused by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) but one should ask the governors how come the recession didn’t affect the commencement and completion of other bridges they constructed across Abeokuta within the same time.
“There is secrecy in the preparation, enactment, and implementation of the budget in the state, as well as a pervasive lack of transparency, conspired to keep citizens in the dark as to what their government owes them.”
Lagos
Also, Christopher Ngiga, a resident of a Satellite Town in Oriade Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of Lagos State, has pleaded with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to fix the roads in the community.
He said, “We are pleading that the governor visits Satellite Town, a once choice area, to know what it has become following deliberate neglect by past state and sub-state governments. Anytime it rains, we are cut off from the Lagos-Badagry Expressway as movement becomes impossible, not even on foot. Sadly, this area is a host to many senior citizens who meritoriously served this nation in top capacities in the civil service.
“Daily, they sadly watch as their once beloved area is speedily becoming an urban slum. Our governor, we are aware that construction work has begun on Marwa Road and Navy Town Road, but the contractors have abandoned the sites. We are appealing that you fix or prevail on the Oriade LCDA chairperson to fix Constitution Road, which is a major artery linking various parts of Satellite Town. Next to it is Community Road.”
Ibadan
Dolapo Osho, a resident of Iwo Road, recalled that Ibadan used to be serene with free-flowing traffic but lamented that the situation has now become almost as bad as that of Lagos.
According to her, the government is currently constructing several roads at the same time, probably like Lagos, creating a ‘mess’ out of the traffic situation across the city, as he alleged that motorists (both Ibadan-based and travellers) now spend hours on the roads.
She said, “The recent efforts to fix parts of the roads were merely an afterthought; there is a need for a holistic approach to saving citizens of Ibadan from the harrowing experience of traffic congestion occasioned by bad spots.
“The ongoing construction on Toll Gate to Iwo Road axis along Iwo road expressway has been frustrating to motorists across the city and travellers are also having their fair share of the pain. The pains motorists go through along Beere Oje Road, very close to Mapo hall are unbearable, as there are bad spots that cause traffic most times.”
What agents of state governments are saying
The chairman, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency, (OYSROMA), Ogunlade Busoye Soladoye, who visited roads earmarked for rehabilitation, had said that the agency will live up to its mandate of maintaining and rehabilitating roads in Oyo, adding that it would go a long way in easing the movement of traffic and creating a better environment for the populace.
He said, “Governor Makinde is responsive, contrary to the negative narrative of the opposition in the state. This is one of our feedback mechanisms concerning the deplorable condition of roads during the rainy season.”
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, had given his assurance of the timely completion of the ongoing constructions, especially the Ishasi-Denro-Akute road in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Abiodun, who spoke when he inspected the project site recently, said since the construction was of utmost importance to the residents of the area, his government was committed to ensuring its early completion.
He said, “This is a community that adjoins Lagos State. The border here is completely non-existent; it is important that in line with turning the push factor into a pull factor, we ensure accessibility between our people here and those in Lagos.
“This particular road that leads to Ijoko is probably one of the worst experiences these constituencies have had. There is a bridge here that has been abandoned for five or six years.
“However, since the government is a continuum, we have resolved to ensure that any meaningful project that the commonwealth of Ogun State has been invested in must be completed.”
