Hoodlums take over failed portions of Oshodi-Mushin link road
18 May 2023 |
4:40 am
There are growing concerns over activities of hoodlums, who are taking advantage of failed portions of Oshodi-Mushin link Road to wreak havoc on unsuspecting motorists and commuters in Oshodi.
Failed portions of the road yesterday. PHOTOS: ENIOLA DANIEL
There are growing concerns over activities of hoodlums, who are taking advantage of failed portions of Oshodi-Mushin link Road to wreak havoc on unsuspecting motorists and commuters in Oshodi.
The road links Agege Motor road from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Oshodi-Oke office ,and transverses Terminal three of the Oshodi Transport Interchange corridor.
Another reason for harassment and robbery on the road is the lack of streetlights along the road. Daily, motorists are robbed and harassed by hoodlums, while trying to manoeuver the crater-sized potholes and gullies that dot the failed portion of the road in front of the Oshodi interchange, to connect Agege motor road.
A motorist, Damilola Akorede, who was harassed by hoodlums on her way to make a U-turn from Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, said the potholes smack of bad governance or poor leadership on the part of government.
Apart from harassment by hoodlums, she also complained that the failed portion has affected her vehicle badly as she visits a mechanic every two weeks to check the shock absorbers. She said: “It is a major concern for motorists. It does not matter how big or expensive your car is, it can’t stand the road challenge.
“All over the world, one of the most visible indices of development is the state of roads, in Lagos and other parts of the country, not only are the roads bad, they are annoying and frustrating, but the major concern has been major roads like Oshodi-Mushin Road, being left to deteriorate, further calls for concern.”
Lamenting the situation, a motorist, who identified himself simply as Wale, said the situation is the same across the state.
“The road is bad everywhere. Who should we call on since the government had failed to fix roads?
“This is a major road in Lagos, so, why should it be neglected and no one seems to care about it? People get robbed in the night and no arrest has been made,” he added.
A hawker near the scene, Mama Biliki, said the road was poorly rehabilitated in January 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari visited Lagos, but soon, it degenerated, leading to gridlock during the day and a red zone at night.
According to her, increased rainfall has also worsened the situation. An officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), who was controlling traffic on the spot yesterday, said their presence deterred the miscreants from attacking or robbing motorists, but said the agency cannot control what happened after 10:00p.m.
“We have not recorded a robbery for a while, but we are doing our best to control the traffic and prevent gridlock on the road,” the official said. When contacted, the General Manager, Lagos Public Works, Ayodele Somide, said the agency is managing resources available to it as well as dealing with the issue of lack of drainage in the area.
He said: “Our duty is to maintain existing roads, but as far as that place is concerned, we have worked on the area that is problematic, but the problem is drainage.
“We have a drainage problem around the spot close to the terminal. Let me tell you, if we are to do any repair work and there is a drainage problem, it means we will be wasting government money because asphalt does not like water.
“ The water will continue to undermine the foundation if any repair is done in the area. So, with the little resources of the government, I only ensure that I repair roads where there are drainages to sustain the money and whatever I am doing will stand the test of time.
“We worked on that place when the president was coming to Lagos because that was the route he took. But if the place is bad again, I will send somebody there, then we will look at it and see what we can do. I have spoken to my colleagues in the other ministry and they have assured me that they will work on the drainages and as soon as they do that, we will continue to do the needful.”
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