By Omowunmi Sanni

The parlous state of the roads in Anjorin, Surulere, and the alleged shoddy construction work by the contractors have drawn the ire of residents of Anjorin Community Development Association (CDA), under Baruwa Ward in Surulere 2 constituency, who have petitioned their representative at the House of Representatives, Lanre Okunola, over the issue.

Residents stated that after the drainage was cleared in August 2024, preparatory to the road construction, the street, which is a major artery in the community, had been left unattended, with weeds growing along the roadside.

They alleged that even when the construction of drainages commenced after what they described as about two years of untold hardship, with their culverts and entrance slabs broken, the contractors engaged artisans without adequate experience and supervision.

In the petition signed by the CDA Chairman, Mr. Kehinde Okelade, the association noted that compared to the adjoining roads like Onadeko Street, which was constructed in 2025 by Itire/Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and completed within seven months, that of Anjorin, which commenced in 2024, has been stalled and is now being poorly executed.

“Sometime in August 2024, clearing of drainage commenced in Anjorin as preparation for the construction of the road. However, it was not until June 2025 that we noticed the breaking of culverts in front of buildings,” Okelade stated.

“Finally, the construction of the drainage commenced, and we observed that the iron rods used for the construction were so tiny and below the required specifications, and the work was being executed without any supervising engineer on site.

According to him, one of the notable CDA members from Ramoni Ward, by name Ayo, was supervising the construction, which prompted the association to raise an alarm because he is not an engineer and does not have any known qualification to handle road construction.

He added that at the time of filing this petition, the CDA had yet to meet with the project contractor.

“To our chagrin, Ayo instructed the mallams to dig up the Akanji road junction by Anjorin, thereby preventing residents of Akanji from accessing their street,” he added. “The action was taken without formally informing the CDA or the residents of Akanji Street.”

“The construction of Onadeko was attested by residents of our CDA as the best road construction in Surulere. Sadly, Anjorin Street, which takes more traffic flow, is being poorly constructed and will likely fail just as we are currently experiencing with Cole Street, which was constructed in 2024.”

However, Okelade urged the legislator to salvage the situation by paying an unscheduled visit to the area and ensuring that taxpayers’ funds are properly utilised.

He added: “As leaders within the community, we have been receiving so many complaints from residents regarding the state of Cole Street, and also Anjorin, about the poor construction and the slow pace of the construction, which has been ongoing for about two years.”