‘Why We’ll Fix Roads Connecting Ogun with Lagos’- Dapo Abiodun

Sunday, June 23, 2019 7:59 am

L-R:
Former House of Assembly member,Hon Aina Nurudeen Ado-Odo/Ota,The Deputy Gov, Engr Noimot Salako and Ogun state Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun

-Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo Residents Want the Governor to Visit and Assess their Roads Too

By Adejoke Adeleye

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has assured the people of Ota, in Ado- Odo Ota Local Government area of the state of governments intervention at ensuring that roads within the local government that connect the state with other neighboring states would be repaired, making room for connectivity and mobility of the people within and outside the state.

Gov Abiodun who made this known while on inspection to some of the roads in the Local Government that share close proximity with Lagos, said that the visit was in line with the campaign promises of his administration to the people to lay emphasis on rural and township roads.

He also emphasised that the essence of the visit was to look at roads that connect the state with its neighboring states, adding that his administration was determined to make it easy for people to move with relative ease between Lagos and Ogun State.

” We appreciate the fact that one of the biggest advantages that we have is that we are able to provide services for neighboring states, particularly Lagos state, a lot of people want to leave in Ogun and work in Lagos and we promised that we are going to ensure that we do that so that our people can move between Lagos and Ogun with relative ease.

” So for us connectivity and mobility is very important, so we are starting with the connecting roads that connect us with Lagos state, and we have seen three of those critical roads,” he said.

The governor however promised that his administration would begin the process of ensuring that the Department of Public Works starts work on the roads, calling for calm from residents of the local government area.

On the state of accident on the toll gate, Ilo- Awela road, the governor said that speed breakers would be installed on the roads to slow down their speed, calling on car users who park along the road to desist from the act.

Immediately the Gov Abiodun called on the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to include in their plan, Provisions for market, bus stops and speed breakers so that the road would be wide enough to accommodate the traffic and also help reduce accidents on the road.

Some of the roads visited include, Ikola, Navy, Itele, Ikoro- Otun, toll- gate,and Ilo- Awela roads.

That Governor Abiodun acknowledged the suffering of the people living in the communities that are close to Lagos (Ota, Ope Ilu, Sango, Adiyan, Agbado, Oke Aro, Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo, Olambe, Akute, Ajuwon and others) is a welcome development. That he went further by visiting one of the areas is, according to observers, laudable.

However, the residents advised that Gov. Abiodun should not limit his visit to Ota alone. He should visit and assess the situation of things in these areas too.

A resident of Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo told TheNEWS: “If not for the initiatives of the leaders of our community, Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo would have been completely cut off from the rest of humanity. Our leaders here are mobilizing to put palliative measures on the roads pending the time the Ogun Government will come in. Our Governor should visit our area too.”

True. Leaders of Matogbun/Araromi Oke- Odo have actually started mobilizing, raising funds, buying materials to fix their road. See photos.

Leaders of Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo working on their roads

Matogbun/Araromi Oke-Odo community leaders on the road

It is their hope that soon, the Ogun State Governor will help.

According to Chief Taiwo Olusegun, “although Matogbun is most populous, yet the ideal was initiated and being carried out by Araromi/Oke-Odo under Engr. Tanimowo Femi.”

Of great concern to the people also is the Oju-Odo Alausa-Ekun bridge. It is after Giwa going to Olambe junction. The bridge is crying for completion like others on the stretch of road from Ope Ilu to Yakoyo Sabo on the way to Ojodu Berger.

People have been making use of the uncompleted bridge with communal palliative method.

According to Kazeem Agunbiade, Chairman,Joint Oju-Odo Bridge Committee (JOBC), “this is the valley of death at the construction site of the Chinese Contractor handling the unfinished Ijoko-Berger Expressway and the mega highway conception of the outgoing Governor Ibikunle Amosun.”

Agunbiade added: “This is the death-trap contraption the Chinese Contractor made as alternative passage for a Community with estimated population of 200,000 people. Anytime there is heavy downpours peoples’ lives are endangered and deaths are recorded. No Contractor can do this in Europe or China.”

“Yet a completed Bridge “A” is up there that was left unfinished with asphalt for more than two years in spite of the fact that Government and Contractor know the harrowing experience citizens go through in this valley of desolation and lamentations.”

“While Community leaders were planning a TAKEOVER of the Bridge “A” relying on the report of the Community Structural engineers regarding the structural soundness of the target Bridge of the twin-Bridges under construction, a slight downpours from the skies transform the alternative route contraption into what you are seeing in the picture below.”

People were tired of driving under the new bridge. So, they took over the new one!

He revealed further that on Saturday morning of 4th May, 2019, when motorists got to that spot and saw death staring them in the face, “they sped back in anger, determination and newfound boldness to breast the tape of the dreaded completed Bridge “A”. Thus was the TAKEOVER effected by irate motorists.”

However at a meeting that JOBC held with the company’s representative, he acknowledged the need of the Community for access to their homes and works but “his major concern in the now OVERTAKE situation is that disability damages are not done to few sensitive parts of the BRIDGE.”

JOBC made the emissary understand that the Community share the contractor’s concerns and promised a joint identification, inspection and spelling out of what things are to be done for prevention of damages.

Meanwhile, there is the Lagos, Ogun Joint Development Commission, which Governors Abiodun and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos proposed, even before they were sworn in last month. It is to address the problems of the communities that are contiguous to Lagos.

Read two stories on the proposed Commission below: