Motorists, commuters recount ‘hell’ on Ikorodu-Ogijo-Mosinmi-Sagamu road

Motorists plying Ikorodu-Ogijo-Mosinmi-Shagamu expressway, a 25- kilometre road linking Lagos and Ogun States, have been in pains since the contractor handling the project abandoned work.

Although the N22 billion project, financed under the Sukuk bond, is about 75 to 85 per cent completed, the remaining 15 to 25 per cent, spanning from Sotubo to Lafarge Cement, Coca Cola to Sagamu, the terminal point, has left commuters in pains since March when the project was abandoned immediately after the conduct of the general elections.

Following the hardship experienced by road users plying the route, particularly at Sotubo, where there is always gridlock frustration, due to high volume of articulated vehicles and other heavy-duty trucks plying the axis, aggrieved commuters have called on President Bola Tinubu, Senators Tokunbo Abiru, and Gbenga Daniel, representing Lagos and Ogun East, respectively, to come to their rescue.

The downpour, last Sunday, compounded commuters and motorists’ woes, as articulated vehicles, commercial buses and cars, operating between Ikorodu- Ibadan and Ikorodu-Ogijo to Sagamu were trapped at the bad spot in Sotubo for several hours. A 22-seater commercial fell but no passenger died. On several occasions, Lafarge Cement company is forced to open its premises for motorists to pass through to ease gridlock on the road.

Speaking in frustration, one of the drivers, who has been in traffic for more than three hours, said several appeals were made to the contractor to grade the bad spot for easy passage, but he declined.

Aside from staying for hours at the spot, there are also reports of armed robbery and kidnapping on the road, especially at night.

Commuters, who were unfortunate to be at the spot till late in the evening, always have a sorry tale to tell.

An angry commercial bus driver, who identified himself as Segun, berated the Federal Government, and both Ogun and Lagos state governments, as well as Abiru and Daniel for being insensitive to their plight.

He said there are several flaws in the construction of Ikorodu-Ogijo-Mosinmi-Sagamu expressway, which has become a death trap for both commuters and motorists.

He said: “Besides what we are experiencing at Sotubo, there is no setback for bus stop or terminus right from Ikorodu to Sagamu. For instance, we usually experience harrowing traffic at first and second gates, Odogunyan, Ita Oluwo, and Ogijo. These are places we spent hours in traffic because of vehicles trying to load passengers or make u-turn. There is also no roundabout except the one at Ikorodu and another one at Sagamu.”

He said even when completed, the road could only solve part of the problems.

Recall that the project was scheduled to be completed within two years when it took off in 2018, but five years down the line, the project is yet to be completed.

Also, Abiru had recently said that the journey from Ikorodu to Sagamu, which used to take almost two hours before the construction, now takes 30 minutes.

He made the comment while inspecting the job alongside the contractors and other top government officials.