Like many national assets, Festac Town in Amuwo Odofin Local Council of Lagos State is rotting away with government paying little or no attention to maintain its facilities. Road infrastructure is a major asset in any residential or industrial estate. But like other facilities within the Festac Town, a residential estate built by the Federal Government in the late 1970s, majority of its roads are in deplorable state, inflicting pains on not just residents, motorists but also businesses, who are made to bear extra cost or suffer some loss.

But rather than the federal, state and local governments paying attention to its roads, majority of the roads are left unattended to by the three governments with multiple sizes of potholes dotting Festac roads, but the most hit among the roads include First Avenue Road, 2nd Avenue Road, 6th Avenue Road, 7th Avenue Road, 23 Road, and 52 Road. Surprisingly, 41 Road housing the Amuwo Odofin Local Council secretariat is not immune from the roads with multiple potholes.

A section of 2nd Avenue Road towards Alakija has been abandoned by motorists as a r. oute to help connect the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. There are different sizes of craters within the less than 200 metres section of 2nd Avenue Road that majority of vehicle owners and motorists who used to ply the road now fear driving through principally because the craters are covered with stagnant water and vehicles often get stuck there. When The Guardian visited, some boys were seen lurking around the corridor, waiting to help any driver whose vehicle gets stuck in the marshy road for a fee.

A resident, Taiwo Adebowale, said that many vehicles had got stuck while trying to navigate through the spot, especially at night.

But it is not only that section of 2nd Avenue Road that stretches from Festac First gate to Alakija, about seven bus stops in between, that is dilapidated. Across that road, a drive of five seconds is often not possible without running into multiple potholes of varied sizes.

It was, however, observed that some residents in the bid to ameliorate their pains pour rubbles and sand excavated from drainages to fill some of the bad spots to make it a bit better passable for motorists.

Also commenting, a resident, Seun Igbalode, said that it is really frustrating seeing FESTAC roads in the awful state they are.

“As a FESTAC resident, it affects my movement, affects my finances, as I have to visit the mechanic to fix my car due to the negative impact of the bad roads. And now, taking ‘one way’ is now a regular on some roads, especially on the 2nd Avenue stretch. No doubt, it will negatively impact some businesses.
“I think the government bothers less about our plight, because they have not felt any real repercussions of their actions. If you visit the Amuwo Odofin’s Chairman’s Instagram page and the local council’s official Instagram page, you will see FESTAC residents complaining about the appalling state of the roads.
“Residents usually call their attention to the bad roads, but I think the government cares less, because I don’t see any real move to repair the roads. Once in a while, the local council officials patch the roads with tar, but with time, the tar wears off and we are back in the same state. Perhaps, this is a personal opinion, maybe the local government feels it is the job of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to repair the roads. That is perhaps the only logical explanation for the local government’s lethargic disposition towards the bad roads in FESTAC and its environs.”

Igbalode, however, noted that the local government chairman drives around FESTAC, and he must have seen how badly and virtually impassable some of the roads have become.

“I would say “what legacy will you want to leave behind?” He said.
“For the state government, I would say pay closer attention to the local governments. That is the government closest to the people. I would urge the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to pay an unscheduled visit so he can see the level of degeneration himself,” Igbalode stated.

While taking a tour of the entire festival town, it was noticed that some persons claiming to be local council representatives were at the three entrances to the estate demanding from articulated vehicles and all consignment bearing vehicles for payment of levy.

This is why a resident, Elizabeth Timothy said that residents of FESTAC have been made to be orphan with the Federal, state and local governments not paying attention to their plight. She said this is despite majority of the residents pay one form of taxes to the three arms of government.

According to her, the state government cannot shy away from providing road infrastructure for residents of FESTAC because a number of them, their Pay As You Earn are deducted and paid to the state government, just as the Amuwo-Odofin Local Council collects one form of taxes from residents and businesses within FESTAC.

“So, what justification do they have not to repair the roads, even if it was the Federal Government that owns the estate. Majority of those living in FESTAC pay taxes to the state and local council not even federal. The state and local councils are just playing politics with the lives of FESTAC residents.”

Another resident, Dayo John, said that he changes his car’s shock absorber almost every three months principally because of the bad roads within FESTAC, wondering what set of leaders superintend over FESTAC Town and its environ.

He said that rather than help fix the roads around FESTAC and its environ that are in dilapidated state, the council chairman, Mr. Valentine Oluseyi Buraimoh is building a gigantic secretariat.

Sikiru Adebayo said that the last time he tried to drive through one of the bad sections on second Avenue towards Alakija, his car’s exhaust got damaged, just as the front bumper got broken. “Since then, if I am going towards Iyana-Iba, I connect the expressway through second gate or go through 22 Road to link 7th Avenue which is only a little better because it has ripples of multiple potholes too.”

Attempts to get the Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Council, Mr. Valentine Oluseyi Buraimoh to speak on why the majority of roads in FESTAC are in deplorable state were not successful. He did not pick his calls neither did he respond to the message sent to his phone via WhatsApp.

Also, the Lagos State House of Assembly member, representing Amuwo Odofin 1, which included Festac, Mrs. Foluke Osafile, was contacted. After briefing her on the complaints of FESTAC residents about the state of the roads within the estate, she asked that The Guardian send the questions to her WhatsApp, which was complied with, but she was yet to respond as at press time.