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Motorists decry congestion, hail of dust on Apapa-Oshodi road reconstruction

By Udosen Agnes
09 January 2020   |   4:06 am
Due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway with several sections of the busy highway cordoned off to road users, motorists plying the route along the construction sites are daily burdened...

Due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway with several sections of the busy highway cordoned off to road users, motorists plying the route along the construction sites are daily burdened with logjam and inhaling of dust on the reduced lane open to road users.
 
Mr. John Osemeke, who regularly plies the route lamented that the slow pace of work is making the alternative routes and available service lane degenerate daily, leading to traffic snarl. “You can imagine the congestion when a five-lane highway is reduced to one, where al manner of vehicles and trucks are forced to ply. This has left the road in a deplorable state.

“And it is a sad development especially for those not in an air-conditioned vehicle, as the cloud of dust from the construction sites leaves road users disoriented and unkempt after spending a long period in traffic. I will implore the contractors that while work is going on with the main carriageway, the available access route should also be kept in good shape to reduce travel time.”
 
Mr. Anthony Ezekiel, a tricycle operator, lamented that since the repair of the road, it has been difficult for him to ply his usual route as the dust from the sand used for the reconstruction has given him catarrh and cough despite being forced to use a nose mask. He said he finds it uneasy using that too as it makes him unable to breathe well.

Meanwhile, a medical doctor in Lagos, Dr. Tunji Akintade, has advised people to drink lots of water while fasting during the harmattan season, in order to avoid dehydration and damage to the kidney.
Akintade, who is also the chairman, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Lagos State Chapter, said fasting during the harmattan season could be dangerous if not properly done.

Fasting is the abstinence from food and drink, especially as a religious observance. Many religious organisations use the beginning of the year to fast and pray for various blessings.

Akintade said precautionary measures should be taken to avoid health complications during and after fasting.

“The harmattan weather by nature is harsh; with this harshness comes a lot of adverse effect on health and well-being.

“If you are fasting during harmattan season, it is better to apply wisdom because a lot of people are getting so dehydrated and are coming down with kidney problems. This weather is not friendly, it dries one up. People go to their offices, stay hours inside air-conditioned rooms, which leads to frequent urination because vessels in the body constrict.

“If you go out, it is double problem because you get more dehydrated, the throat is patched and everywhere is dusty.

“Dust is known to have a negative effect on health; it increases morbidity caused by diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract,” he said.

The physician advised people to drink a lot of water before and after fasting, use Vitamin C supplements or fruits high in the vitamin and avoid fizzy drinks.

He also advised that windows should be shut to prevent dust.

He also urged the use of masks and eye-glasses during outdoor activities.

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