Wale Jagun with Kudirat Omotoyosi (SIWES Student)
-As residents continue to lament over the neglect of Afa, Igbe Laara Axis
HiTech Construction Company has resumed the construction of drainage system on the Igbogbo – Bola Tinubu – Igbe Laara Road, about four weeks after the construction company returned to the site.
Evacuation of the ground for the continuation of the construction of the drainage system which stopped at the Basorun Junction behind UAMC Eleja Primary School in Igbogbo, over a year ago was commenced on Wednesday (30th November) as promised by the company’s management.
Speaking with THE IMPACT, Mr George Nehme, the site engineer, reinstated his position that the company will be constructing drainage and curbstones on the left side of the road coming from Ipakodo based on the funds released for the project.
Meanwhile, the Afa Bridge section of the road to Igbe Laara has continued to pose serious challenges to the residents and other users as the road has become mud – filled making passage nearly impossible.
Both vehicles and pedestrians are forced to struggle through the thick mud, with passengers often exiting buses to find their way whenever it is impossible for their vehicles, tricycles or motorbikes to move out of the mud.
Many vehicles frequently get stuck, with people gathering to push them out of the mud. The state of the road with no help in sight has left residents and other road users constantly struggling and frustrated and they have continued to call on the government to release more funds to the contractor executing the road project to resume work on the Afa bridge and other parts of the road.
Their calls for action grow louder by the day as the community continues to endure the effects of a neglected infrastructure.
Tokunbo Adeleye, a former General Secretary, Banana Estate CDA, who was seen forced to highlight from a Keke NAPEP tricycle with others when it got stuck on the road, lamented the lack of response by the Lagos State Government despite several letters presented by the community in respect of the matter.
“The road is obviously not something to write home about. We have written letters to the Lagos State Ministry of Works and we have also been to the Alausa Secretariat over the matter.
As stakeholders, to examine the bridge, as a matter of fact, that bridge was meant to be lengthier than what we have there according to the contract, but when they were doing it, they had to reduce it, meaning that they actually cheated us. Even with the reduction in length, they refused to fix the road .
This road was commissioned for construction during Ambode’s tenure and eight years after, it has not made any headway. I am forced to board Keke NAPEP because we can’t use our cars.
Imagine from this short distance I am paying #1000 for transport. We are appealing to the government to come to our aid,” he explained
Idris Adaraloye also speaking with our reporters said that some car owners usually park their cars in his house because they cannot take them across Afa – Igbe Laara because of the state of the road.
He too appealed to the government to ensure that the road is completed in good time.
