Some residents in Lagos have urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu to consider their communities in the emergency repairs following the declaration of emergency on roads by the state government.
Residents around Ikotun, Ejigbo and Isolo axis said their community also deserved the same urgency on road rehabilitation.
Obiageli Michael, a 42-year-old media consultant said that Ikotun should make the list of those deserving urgent repairs of roads in the state.
“I have not seen any road as terrible as coming from somewhere like Cele to Ikotun. I’m curious; I honestly need to understand why no road within Alimosho constituency 1 makes it on the first list of roads to be rehabilitated.
“These roads are terrible, spending more hours than you should on the road is hazardous, because on rainy days it doesn’t matter when you leave the house,’’ she said.
Following the outcry of Lagos residents about the deplorable road network in the state, Sanwo-Olu on Sunday October 13, declared a state of emergency on dilapidated highways.
The roads mapped out for emergency rehabilitation are Ojota stretch of Ikorodu road, Motorsway-kudirat Abiola Way, Aponbon Highway, Babs Animashaun road, Agric/ Ishawo Road, Ijede Road in Ikorodu, Lekki- Epe Expressway from Abraham Adesanya to Eleko Junction.
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Prince Origbagbo, a realtor, said that the state government should have carried out the repair in an alphabetical order to ensure transparency in the selection.
“The thing is if it was done in an alphabetical order nobody will complain, by so doing all areas will be touched, the way they have gone about it, it will be easy for some areas to be forgotten unknowingly.
“They could have also considered the population of residents in these areas, truth be told if it was done in an alphabetical order nobody will have course to complain.’’ he said.
Ken Agbonkhese, a journalist, however, said it would not be realistic for the government to fix all the roads at once.
“The truth is all the roads can’t be repaired at once but they could have taken one road from each local government and local council development area, but their motivation is different,’’ he said.
Sanwo- Olu had said that in addition to engaging eight construction firms, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) would be carrying out repairs on 116 inner roads across the state plus 200 other roads already fixed.
James Lawrence, a 37-year-old lawyer, said that if the contractors are fast enough before another raining season most roads could be repaired.
“As long as the state government can guarantee that these contracts will be well executed and managed then it won’t matter if Abaranje road is left out.
“We won’t want situation whereby projects will be abandoned halfway and in the process making lives of commuters more miserable than it was in the beginning.
“If they will be dedicated and treat this with utmost urgency, everything will be fine eventually,’’ he said.
The construction firms engaged by the government include Julius Berger, Hitech, Arab Contractors, Metropolitan Construction, Salvagogu Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation ( CCECC) and RCF Nigeria Limited. NAN
