Kunle Adelabu
The Lagos State Government has assured residents of Ikorodu Local Government and other road users of Ikorodu – Mile 12 road that have been facing hardship due to the bad portion of the road at the Mile 12 section that their dally warries would soon be over.
The government stated that the damaged portion has been captioned for rehabilitation and will be rectified soon.
This assurance came from the Deputy Governor of the State who is also incharge of the Ministry of Works, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, who was quoted by the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade in a release today.
Hon. Agunbiade personally signed the statement from his 14 – day compulsory quarantine centre which is the second he issued since returning back to the country last week.
The statement, which was titled, “That Bad Portion On Mile/Ikorodu Road”, read thus:
“I did not know until few hours ago, when someone intimated me during a chat that a portion of the Mile 12/Ikorodu road has gone terribly bad again. I did not know because I have been away on medical grounds for about two months now.
“I can figure out what the situation of traffic will be on the road and the consequential effect on traffic flow, wasting precious economic time and human energy.
“Sequel to the chat, I forwarded a message to the General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, from my compulsory quarantine centre, pleading for urgent intervention. A copy of the message was escalated to the Deputy Governor, who oversees the Works Ministry in the state.
“In his usual prompt response pattern to issues of state, the Deputy Governor replied my message, assuring that the very portion of the road is already noted and captured by the state under a rehabilitation contract that will soon be executed.
“With this assurance, I will want to plead with you all the regular users of this road, to please be a bit more patient and bear with the state government while efforts are on to fix this road in a more intensive and permanent form. This is what we have been pushing for and now, we are going to get it.
“I feel your pains and the harrowing experience on this road daily. I share in all of these mentally but can only thank you for your usual cooperation and understanding. It can only get better”.
Meanwhile, a critic and social media commentator, Mr Monday Ohi Obadan, has commended the effort of the fourth term lawmaker who is still recuperating from surgery and at same time undergoing 14 – day quarantine since he returned to the country last week after spending over 2 months abroad.
While stating that there is need to have good insight into the problem that has been causing traffic and loss of man hours daily, Obadan also suggested permanent solutions for the government.
“So emotive and emphatic public statement from our recuperating Majority Leader. It shows resilience and great concern for his constituents”, he said.
“Having said that, it would be expedient to have a concrete insight into the “permanent” nature of the work that would ameliorate the traffic hardship. Reason being that sometimes ago, almost three years when the concrete median was been constructed including relocating the Mile 12 market to Agbowa, we were reliably informed that it would be a kind of “permanency” to daily traffic logjam and gridlock. Some of us screamed on the shoddiness, tackiness, tardiness that construction was embarked upon without making provision for drainage channels resulting in that road’s yearly deplorable condition”, he recalled.
He suggested that the Mile 12 market must be moved to another location permanently for any lasting solution to the perennial traffic.
“If you may permit to suggest since we don’t have a clear insight into the public statement to the nature of what would constitute “permanent”, it would be advisable that viz:
“Mile 12 market be entirely relocated and the road expanded.
“If the market cannot be removed and relocated entirely, then the setback should be extended inward or backwards and the perimeter fencing should be completely removed and both sides of the road expanded.
“Enough said”, Obada stated.
