In June, this year, a video went viral on the sorry state of the 64km Oju-Ore/Ota-Idiroko highway in Ado-Odo Council, Ogun State. This road is one of the most important in the country. Aside from linking many towns in the corridor to Nigeria’s major industrial cluster; it is also the gateway to the country, as it directly linked to Cotonou, Benin Republic.

In the video, taken during a heavy downpour, which cut the road into two owing to the ongoing flyover construction at the Oju-Ore roundabout, the forklift of the construction company was seen lifting stranded pedestrians at the middle of the erosion to dry land.

The entire area – the ever busy expressway, motor park, shops and others were waterlogged – as the axis turned to a mini river owing to the activities of the construction company.

The most painful aspect is that whenever it rains, it leaves pedestrians, travelers and traders in disarray, as they are always cut off temporarily. For the residents of the area, especially the road users, it has being a trying time as many have been forced to abandon their appointments or offices whenever it rains because it is always a arduous task maneuvering through the route whenever it rain.

Sadly, four months after the viral video, the situation has not changed. From The Guardian investigations, the incessant rains of the last few weeks have made the road a ‘no-go-area’ for travelers. And to say the road users and residents are currently passing through hell is to say the least. There seems to be no end to their plight as the contractors handling the construction work seems to be ‘asleep’.

Owing to its status as a federal road, the construction of the flyover and the rehabilitation of the stretch are being undertaken by the Federal Government and not Ogun State government as rumoured in many quarters.

Investigations showed that the construction is being undertaken by Laralek Contractors. The Ota-Idiroko road, a critical link between Ogun State and the border region, has been deplorable for years, severely affecting businesses and daily commuting.

The Guardian learnt that the road was initially awarded to telecom giant – Globacom in 2021 under a tax credit arrangement. However, after three years without any visible progress, the Ogun State government requested the revocation of the contract, a move which the Federal Government granted.

In a fresh bid to ensure the road’s completion, the contract was awarded to another contractor with a budget of N15b approved for the project in January 2024.

The project is one of the major road works outlined in the 2024 budget following the increase in the Ministry of Works’ allocation to N1.03tr. The project scope includes asphalt pavement, bridges at critical locations such as Oju Ore, expansion and reconstruction of the road and construction of adequate drainage systems.

The project, which started on July 2024, is expected to be completed in 24 months, with the first 10 kilometres slated for dualisation.Though the construction of the flyover has been on at the roundabout for several months, but road users have decried what they termed the slow pace at which the contractors are handling the project.

When The Guardian visited the area few days ago, it was noticed that the project is still causing significant traffic congestion, worsened by dearth of alternative routes, reducing the travel hour on the axis.

“Whenever it rained, the axis always become near-impassable for motorists and pedestrians and those who dare when the water level is still high always have themselves to blame as it has caused serious damages to their vehicles,” said a trader in the area. Who gave her name as Sidikatu.

A motorist, Alhaji Dauda Delano, who described the construction work as the right intervention considering the importance of the highway, said the slow pace of the contractors is negatively impacting their business along the axis.

“The level of traffic on this route in the early hours of the day and closing hours is always terrible daily. The travel time from Sango to Idiroko, which usually take us about 2 hours is currently taking us at least four hours because of the traffic congestion caused by this project.

“Within the axis alone, we can spend one hour trying to manoeuvre our way out. The situation becomes terrible when it rains. The last four weeks has been terrible owing to the incessant downpour. We are appealing to the contractor and the Federal Government to ensure a timely completion of this project, to alleviate the hardship experienced in the area daily,”

“Before embarking on this project, the contractors should have deem it fit to provide alternative routes to decongest the traffic jam experienced on this axis,” said a civil servant, Mr Joseph Eboh, whose office is around the Bells University bus stop.

He narrated how commuters and other road users have been suffering endlessly on the route since the construction work started. “We have suffered enough on this road, the commencement of this construction is a welcome development and should have brought a kind of succor but instead, it has worsened our plight. We cannot continue like this, despite the fact that their pace is very slow, they have refused to make alternative route.

“Traders are getting it difficult to get to the market, workers are agonising on daily basis, students are getting to school late and motorists are counting losses. We plead that the contractors expedite action and make things happened on time.”

To Madam Abike Odejinmi, a trader, who sells fruits, and other road users have had a bitter-sweet experience on the road. “We always pray for rain not to fall, when it falls it is certain that we won’t be able to transact business until the water dries, which may take up to three days.

“The last four to five weeks have been terrible here; even those who usually transport our goods here no longer want to come near Oju Ore because of the incessant traffic jam. We just pray that by the time the flyover project is completed, we wouldn’t have been forced to relocate from here because the current agony is no more bearable.”

All efforts to speak with any officials of the construction company failed as majority of those on ground during the visit are security officers. But one of the workers on duty, who spoke off record, said the project will be completed within the 24 months duration.