Kunle Adelabu
-Demand urgent intervention
State of Bayeku road, Igbogbo in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA of Ikorodu Division. Photo credit: Atoyebi Akinpelu.
Five months after palliative measure was carried out on the collapsed Bayeku road in Igbogbo area of Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) by the residents and other stakeholders, the road has collapsed again and flooded, thereby, preventing movement of residents and other road users.
The residents, who faced severe hardship in passing through the road and moving in and out of their houses and shops after yesterday’s downpour, have blamed the Lagos State Government, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and the representative of the Ikorodu Constituency Il in the Lagos State House of Assembly, for their plights.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo – Olu had about a year ago pledged to fix the road when he came to commission the ultra – modern Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA Secretariat but nothing has been done so far by the state government.
Also, the pledge made by the Council Chairman, Builder Sesan Daini, after partnering with CDAs/CDC and Dredgers Association of Nigeria, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA chapter, to do the palliative last November, that he would ensure that the road is fixed, has also yielded no result as residents and other road users have been left to their plights.
Many of the residents spoke their minds on The Peoples Forum, a WhatsApp platform related to Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA on Tuesday (yesterday), calling out the government, both at the state and local levels, as well as the representative of the Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, and urged them to ensure that the road is fixed as soon as possible.
Atoyebi Akinpelu, who brought the matter up with a photograph of the road on Tuesday, cried out that the lives of residents in the area are in danger.
“Government , please, Save our lives! Our lives are in DANGER !!! Total collapse of Bayeku road, a big threat to Selewu residents. Selewu road remains the only lasting hope of Baiyeku residents and its environs as a result of today’s heavy downpour”, he lamented.
Oloye Salami Oluwaseun, who also lamented that nothing meaningful has happened on the road after the palliative last year, said that the state of the road is a national disgrace.
He blamed CDAs/CDC stakeholders for failing to engage the government appropriately, regarding the state of the road.
“The Bayeiku road is a national disgrace. I’m aware that the palliative measure was carried out on it by some stakeholders towards the end of last year and as usual, promises were made by the government that major work will commenced immediately after the rain but to my dismay, here is another rain and we are still on the same spot of complaint”, he said.
“I wrote a piece on the road last year but I was tagged as an anti-government agent for expressing my view on a matter that affected our community and even those who are directly affected were against me. Very Sad!
“In my own opinion,the government could only listen to us the very day we stop the sycophancy and praise singing politics as community developers”.
Samuel Bolaji, in his own reaction, strictly placed the blame on the state and local governments.
“Both the local and state governments have failed us. @Com SesanDaini, Sir, is this appealing to the eyes? Is this a thing to be proud of as our chairman?”, he asked.
“To say we’re disappointed is an understatement, Sir. But we hope you will lead us through by having this mess fixed ASAP, Sir”, he said.
God’s Child, who also commented, blamed Hon. Solaja for failing to facilitate the reconstruction of the road which he said is a state road.
“If we must care to know, the bigger share of the blame lies with our state assembly member for failing to facilitate the construction of the road because it is a state road. Let us all think about it deeply”, he said.
Adewale Gbadamosi, one of the CDA/CDC chieftains, while lamenting the fact that the road is back to its deplorable state, called on the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA Chairman, Builder Sesan, to intensify efforts in his appeal to the state government to fix the road and make lives bearable for the helpless residents.
“The state of Bayeku road is deplorable to say the least , irrespective of the huge synergy created last year through the collaborative efforts by the IBLCDA, the CDC and the Dredgers Association with the LCDA chairman releasing the sum of one million naira as part of its own share of the total costs of the palliative work which gulped about three million naira as cost of hiring machinery and materials used for the palliative works”, he said .
“It is, hereby, imperative for the executive Chairman of IBLCDA, to further intensify his appeal to the state government by leveraging on his contacts at the state level to fast track the quick construction of the road as contained in the plan of the state government, based on information released to us.
“Currently, life is unbearable for our people using that road due to the massive flooding presently on that road”, he added .
“This is a subtle appeal to the local government authorities not to rest on its oars until a positive result is achieved in this regard”.
Gbadamosi also charged the state government to be alive to its responsibilities, describing the terrible state of the road as injustice to residents.
“I also will like to call the attention of the Lagos state government, on behalf of the flat owners at the Adeboruwa Estate, usually referred to as Fashola Estate along this same road, who bought these flats from the Lagos state government but cannot access the flats after buying the property from the state government, as a result of the impassable state of Bayeku road”, he said.
“This is a serious injustice that should give concern to the state government and consequently should make the executive governor expedite actions on all processes stalling the construction of Bayeku road as promised when those flats were being put up for sale .
“Lastly , let’s appeal to all residents who have one contact or the other to engage the relevant agencies of the state government, both at formal and informal levels, to compel the government to attend to our call for construction of this road without further delay”.
A chieftain of Igbe CDA and social media commentator, Elder JK Alabi, also said that the road is a disgrace and called on the residents to start considering practical ways of fixing the road.
“The Bayeku road is no doubt a big disgrace. But how do we tackle this problem?”, he asked.
“We all use the road, especially those living in that axis, and they are our friends.
“Let’s come together and make some efforts towards initiating the repair of the road and before you know it, such efforts would become a challenge to the local government and they would take it upon themselves to do something meaningful”.
