Traders, residents lament poor state of Olodi Apapa road

Traders at Auto spare parts market, Industrial road, Olodi Apapa area of Lagos, and residents of the area have lamented the deplorable state of the road.

The Guardian learnt that the potholes-ridden road, which has been in poor state for years, is the major link road to Trinity Bus Stop along Apapa- Mile 2-Oshodi expressway.

Chairman of the Trinity Market Association Task Force, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nnama, said people in the area have been suffering because of deep potholes that developed over the years due to government’s negligence.

He said the Industrial road has become a danger zone and an eyesore for their customers, while goods-laden vehicles, always, could not ply easily without breaking down while making deliveries.

Nnama expressed worries over the danger of plying the road during the rainy season because it is always flooded.

He noted that goods and property worth millions of naira have been lost to flood, which entered their homes and shops.

He said: “Our businesses have nosedived over the years because of the bad state of the road. We are pleading with Lagos State government to come to our aid and rehabilitate this road.

“If this road is rehabilitated, our businesses will improve because some of our customers always turn back once they discover the deplorable state of the road.

“The association spent millions of naira every year to fill the potholes with stones and gravel, but our self-help efforts have not yielded much, hence the need for government’s intervention.

“We cannot do more than our capacity as traders, but we plead with the government to help us fix this road and clean the drainage so that the flood will be controlled,” he added.

A trader, Mr. Tochukwu Ndefo, lamented that politicians always come around with a promise to fix the road during campaigns, but recanted later, after elections.

He said: “ Even the present Lagos State administration promised to fix the road. We are therefore calling on government to come to our aid and save us before the rains intensify.”

Another trader, Mr. Simon Izuka, said: “The suffering is too much for us; traders here contribute money among themselves to make the road better but we need support from the government.”

A resident, Mr. Donald Oluwaji, said commuters spend unquantifiable man-hours on a daily basis because of the deplorable state of the road.

According to him, residents have written several letters to the government, informing them about the poor state of the road, but there was no response.

He said: “We need government to repair the road and put an end to the traffic people face when going to work or returning because it is becoming unbearable.

“We are all taxpayers, let government come and address the issue, so that the road will be better again.”

Another resident, Mrs. Kafayat Lawal, lamented that they have been abandoned to their plights without government presence.

When contacted, the General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Lateef Ayodele Somide, said the road needs massive works, which include drainage and reconstruction, which the agency cannot afford because of limited resources.

He said the Agency has been working on limited resources in recent times.

Also, spokesperson for the Agency, Mr. Samuel Adetutu, told The Guardian that the road requires total reconstruction, which is outside the corporation’s specifications.