Kunle Adelabu
Residents and other road users have called on the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the chairmanship of Hon. Adeola Banjo, to save the Federal Low Cost Bypass Itoikin Road, Ikorodu, from total collapse.
Most parts of the road, which contracts were awarded by the administration of Hon. Shukurat Adewunmi Okeowo, former Sole Administrator of the council, in 2016, have totally collapsed and need urgent attention.
THE IMPACT visited the road on Thursday evening to see the state of the road.
The road, which was part of the 114 roads executed about five years ago under the administration of the former Governor, Mr Adewunmi Ambode, in partnership with councils across the state, was constructed by a local construction firm, DHV Nigeria Limited, which did a shoddy job.
Following the report of THE IMPACT on the collapse of several parts of the road due to heavy downpour before it was commissioned and the public outcry that followed, the Lagos House of Assembly summoned the contractor.
Thereafter, the contractor patched the collapsed portions to make it ready for commissioning.
Unfortunately, the same sections of the road that were washed away five years ago and patched alongside other parts, have again collapsed, making the road unmotorable.
Most affected is the stretch of the road from where it connects the Ikorodu – Shagamu road which is under rehabilitation/expansion.
A section of the road was seen covered with stones.
A truck driver who was passing through the road when our reporter visited on Thursday, charged the council chairman to fix the road before it would totally collapse.
“It’s unfortunate that despite having state and local governments, this is still happening. This is something that a reasonable government should have done repaired since two years ago and prevented the road from degenerating to this level. Unfortunately, they ignored it and look at the situation now”, he said.
“This is a local government road and the Ikorodu Local Government (Ikorodu North LCDA) Chairman should, as a matter of urgency, come in and fix it before the entire road collapsed”, he charged.
A resident of the Federal Low Cost Housing Estate, who identified himself as Segun, also speaking with THE IMPACT, called on the Council Chairman to rehabilitate the road.
“The present state of the road right now has defeated the whole essence of constructing it in the first instance. It is expected that a council which cannot give us a new road should be able to maintain the existing ones”, he said.
“They do pass through here and see that the road that they constructed a few years back is now deteriorating and adding to people’s suffering instead of alleviating it”.
Former Sole Administrator of the Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Okeowo, handed over the leadership of the council to Hon. Adeola Banjo who first came in as an Executive Secretary and was later elected as the Executive Chairman.
Speaking on phone with Hon. Adeola Banjo, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, on Saturday, he said that Public Works has already commenced work on the road.
“If you go to the Shagamu road axis of the road, you will see that Public Works has already commenced work”, he said.
