Kunle Adelabu
Concerned residents of Ipakodo who are the immediate beneficiaries of the ongoing rehabilitation of the Sekumade (Port Authority) – Ogolonto road in Ikorodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, have set agenda for the Lagos State Government and the construction company handling the project, Arab Contractors.
While commending the Lagos State Government for deeming it fit to reconstruct the road after several years of its collapsed with the attendant effects on the residents and thousands of other road users, they expressed their concerns over the details of the contract before the contractor commenced work.
They spoke with THE IMPACT about the features the road should have and how the road should be maintained upon completion to ensure that it serves road users for a very long time.
Oluwafemi Odulaja, a businessman, former aspirant, House of Representatives, Ijebu Central Federal Constituency and a resident of Ipakodo who is one of the Cooedinators of the group that spoke with THE IMPACT at a parley, commended the government for its decision to rehabilitate the road after several years of its collapse.
“We need to appreciate the Lagos State Government for taking up the reconstruction of the road. Though, I am not too sure if the road belongs to the federal or state government because there used to be this issue of which of the tiers of government actually owns the road”, he said.
“It is commendable that the state government, having seen the state of the road, has decided to come to the aid of the people by rehabilitating it, probably considering the fact that it is a major road”.
He said that as concerned residents, they would like to know the details of the project and ensure that necessary features of a modern road construction are factored into the project.
“Concerning our expectations, though, we do not have the full details of the contract, but we know that palliative measure to cushion the effects of the reconstruction on the road users is ongoing.
“As concerned residents, we will like to know the distance that the contractor will be covering. I am personally concerned about the period that the construction work is going to take. For instance, I saw on the signpost for the Mile 12 – Ketu rehabilitation project that the work will take 8 months. What that means is that Ikorodu road users will have to endure for eight months.
Odulaja, however, called for the deployment of modern technology in road construction in the state.
“But with the evolving technology, it is expected that we can do better than this” he said.
“Before drawing conclusion on the Sekumade road project, we will like to know the technology that the contractor would be deploying for the construction work – are we tarring or using concrete? I’m asking this question because I have seen the contractor working on the Mile 12 road applying concrete. I don’t know why we should still be pouring concrete on our roads at this modern day”, he asked.
“We have seen road construction in modern day where they do a pre – fabricated concrete. So, it is when we are presented with the details of the contract for the project that we can know the form the construction work will take”, he said.
While appealing to other residents and road users that sacrifice would be required from them during the duration of the construction work, Mr Odulaja also charged government to ensure that there is regular presence of the officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) to direct traffic and provide alternative routes to ensure residents have unhindered access in and out of the community.
“For any major road construction, there is always the need to sacrifice. However, there is need to put some things in place to lessen the hardship on the people.
“We are told that they are doing palliative on a particular section of the road to create means for motorists and other road users to move which is okay, but the government should also consider deployment of enough LASTMA officials on the road to also control traffic.
“Is the government also considering another access road into that area? Why don’t they work on the Ikorodu road to Lowa, especially the bad spot around that area, to link Ayangburen road in order to create an access road?”, Mr Odulaja asked.
“If that is done, so many people would prefer to go into Ebute through Lagos road connecting Lowa-Ayangbure road to Ebute-Igbogbo and other areas , thereby reducing traffic on the Sekumade road while the construction work is ongoing.
“Government really need to look at this and other possible access roads before the rehabilitation of the road fully commenced. I also hope that they will consider the volume of the traffic and the number of vehicles that ply that road”.
He also raised the challenges posed by the heavy duty vehicles that ply the road.
“We also have vehicles from the Nigeria Port Authority and dredgers that ply that road regularly as well as heavy duty equipment that are being moved on that road regularly too”.
On the durability of the road after the completion of the construction work, Mr Odulaja said, “a Yoruba adage says: “if a building will stand the test of time, its foundation must be properly laid”.
He also called on the government to ensure that necessary agency responsible for the maintenance of roads in the State is prepared for the challenges of maintaining the road after construction by equipping such with modern technology.
“As a country, we do not have a system. The government needs to look into the capacity of the relevant agencies responsible for road maintenance in the State to ensure that the Sekumade road is well maintained and sustained after its construction”.
We also have to put into consideration things that could damage the road during rainy and dry seasons. Those things have to be properly taking care of while drawing up the design for the road.
“I am very sure that by the time you start to dig five metres, you will come across water. In this situation, what are the technologies that we are going to use for the construction in such a situation?
“Relevant agency should also be prepared to re-assess the road from time – to – time after construction. This is lacking in our country and that’s what has been affecting most of our bridges. They were left unattended to and after so many years, they will just wake up one day and say that they want to carry out integrity test on them”, he said.
“There is need to have short, medium and long term integrity plans for the road. There is need for the government to increase relevant agency’s capacity in this regard in terms of technology to enable them to perform.
“We need to institute a process of road maintenance and also empowers relevant agencies with the right tools and necessary technology to enable them perform. On paper, I know that there will be plans to sustain and maintain the road but is that same in practical?“, Mr Odulaja said.
Another leader of the group and a professional in construction business, Mr Olorunfinmi Bailey, also speaking at the parley, said that residents and other road users have suffered due to the collapse of the road which he said is important to the economic and social lives of the people in the area.
“From time, the Sekumade road is a very important one to our trade and movement in and out of Ikorodu. It is the most important road for us. It leads you to the main express when you are going out of Ikorodu and also the route to help you back home”, he said.
“It has been very challenging for the people of Ipakodo and other residents of Ikorodu division that are plying the road on daily basis since the road collapsed.
“We have been making use of alternative road that most times take us hours to even get to the main road. This problem, coupled with the fact that there is a port around the area, has been very challenging. Also, the activities of the Dangote company’s big trailers and that of the other heavy duty vehicles also caused lots of damages and heavy traffic on the road and this forced us to use Lagos-Ikorodu garage road (which is a longer route) as alternative .
“I commend the Lagos State government for deeming it fit and considering it necessary to rehabilitate the road.
“I also hope that l will still be able to commend them when they complete the project. Telling us that they want to start the rehabilitation of the road is not what matter because they can bamboose us with that and end up not doing anything”, he said.
Speaking on the expectation of residents of Ipakodo and other road users regarding the project, Mr Bailey said:
“We, as residents of this area, want the contract for this project to be given to a good contractor with the capacity to deliver good work.
“Also, our expectations are that we will like to see walkway, drainages and streetlight on the road. We will like to see a road that conforms with all engineering standards and that would last for a long time and makes the residents happy for paying their taxes”.
According to Bailey, the concerned residents said that they want the government to allow them to be part of the monitoring team for the project.
They said that as stakeholders in the community, they want to assist the government in monitoring the construction work since the project is being done for their own benefits, stating that they cannot just sit back and leave the construction to the contractor alone.
“We can parley with them to see what they are doing and work along with them. Community involvement will help us a lot”, Mr Bailey stated.
The building engineer also called on the government to ensure that alternative route is created for Sekumade road users during the period of the construction.
“Looking at the terrain of the area, the alternative road will be to go through Benson which is bad. If government can repair this road, it will be easier to pass through Ogolonto and enter Benson to connect Ayangbure road, from there, you can link anywhere”, he said.
“If this can be fixed, we can enter through Benson to connect Ayangbure road, from there, you can link anywhere”, he re-emphasized.
“If this road can be fixed, we can use it as alternative route to our areas instead of passing Sekumade while construction work is still going on”.
On the maintenance of the road after construction, he suggested that the contractor should be allowed to maintain it for at least ten years.
“The road cannot be tolled because it’s short. Since you mentioned that the road has been awarded to Arab Contractors, the same company that did a very good job on Ibeshe road and they are still maintaining it whenever there is any issue on there or complaints by the community. Arab Contractors always go back to the road they construct to address any issue there.
“Government should factor into the contract the need to allow the contractor to monitor and maintain the road for about 10 years before given it back to the government which is also expected to continue its maintenance through its agency”, he said.
On the activities of heavy duty vehicles from Port Authority, Dangote Company and dredgers, Mr Bailey said that they should be made to park on an allocated land and enforcement put in place to ensure that they do not park on the road.
“Activities of heavy duty vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Port authority, Dangote Company and dredgers are posing lots of hazards to the road users and the road itself and this is the same situation in areas such as Apapa , TinCan and other areas where there are ports.
“This is a short road and we have port along it. However, instead of the trailers parking on the road, a park should be created for them and it should be ensured that they move into the port when they want to load. A taskforce should be established to monitor this”, he said.
Superior Evangelist Samson Adams of the Celestial Church of Church, Ayo Igbalami Parish, Dele Kuti, Ipakodo, who was among the members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that attended the commissioning of the road during the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that the road was only motorrable for about four years before it collapsed.
He blamed contractors in the country for doing shoddy work and charged government to parley with the community to ensure that the rehabilitation of the Sekumade road is solidly done
“I thank the Lagos State government for its good work and concerns for the people of Ikorodu with the plans for the rehabilitation of this road and others across Ikorodu division”, he commended.
“We are happy that the government is rehabilitating the road and the Arab Contractors Construction Company, which has been contracted for the project, happens to be one of the best construction firms around”.
He said that many people have been complaining over the state of the road over the years and charged government to ensure that walkway, streetlight and other modern features of road construction are factored into the contract for the project.
“Many people do come to me and our church from different parts of Lagos and they have to pass through the road. They always complained about how hectic it is to access the road and that most times, they had to pass through the Ikorodu garage which is a longer route with incessant traffic.
“We want the,government to factor drainage, streetlight, walkway, bus stops and other important features into the road contract.
“As concerned residents, our duty is to charge the government and the contractor in ensuring that quality work is done and in good time too.
“We, as community stakeholders, are willing to assist the government in monitoring the project. We have professionals that know about road construction to do monitoring and also can be saddled with the task of ensuring its maintenance”, he said like others that spoke before him.
“Government can also include maintenance as part of the contract to be signed with the Arab Contractors for project. At least, the construction firm should maintain it for a minimum of ten years in conjunction with the community committee”, he emphasized.
