• Commend Baale for rehabilitation
Residents of Ijeododo, a suburb in Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ojo Local Council of Lagos State, have lamented the deplorable state of the road in the area.
They stressed that long neglect of the road had made commuting a nightmare.
According to them, the untarred road, which connects the area from Ijegun, is in a poor state, constituting a death trap to those who use it daily to eke out a living.
Some residents, who narrated their ordeal, called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to expedite action on the major road and solve the problem.
One of them, Michael Adeolu, asked the governor to come to their aid before they are cut off.
Adeolu, who works in the Island, said he normally stayed with a relative in Isolo whenever it rains. He said many residents are forced to park their vehicles at home because of the deplorable state of the road.
Kingsley Madu, another resident, who deals in electronics at Alaba International Market, Ojo, lamented the near abandonment of the community by the state government.
He said before now, residents had been contributing money for maintenance of the road.
Madu also commended recent efforts by the Baale to lessen the burden of motorists and residents on the road.
A commercial motorcyclist, Tony Asonye, lamented that he replaced his motorcycle spokes and chains often because of the muddy road, adding that this reduced his take-home income.
According to him, despite hiking fares, he still found it difficult to survive due to the deplorable state of the road.
Asonye expressed excitement over the recent rehabilitation of the road by the Baale of the community, Chief Jelili Abu Ododo, saying it will enhance the economy of the area.
Also, the Central Community Development Association (CDA) chairman, Pastor Babatunde Olusegun, said before the intervention, residents lived in fear of death as a result of the poor state of the road and heavy flood that comes whenever it rains.
He commended the Baale for putting a smile on their faces through the grading of roads in the area.
Speaking, Chief Ododo, lamented the plight of the residents, saying most people now take longer alternative routes to avoid the trauma that comes with using the road.
He said his intervention was to reduce their pain; grant easy access to other communities; and ease transportation of goods to markets in the area.
He said: “We are basically at the heart of Lagos, but we are isolated because of the poor state of our road. If our road is properly done, it would help address the traffic situation in Lagos State.
“You see people going through Ikotun and Oke-Afa. The congestion there is so much. But if this road is in good shape, it would ease transportation of people and goods.
“We appreciate what the government did (government) in the past, but we want more from them. So, we are appealing to Governor Sanwo-Olu to come to our aid.
“We have been trying to fix the road for a long time. But there’s nothing much to show for it. What has been sustaining us, till now, is communal effort.”
