A SIGH OF RELIEF

Lagos State government is tackling head-on the challenge of bad roads across the state, writes James Adeleye

Since existence, roads have connected humanity. Whether it’s creating a path to a neighbour’s house, or as it is, in modern times, navigating the concrete jungle, the importance of the road to living has never dimmed. However, given the prevalent urbanisation drifts, roads in cities are under more pressure. And with Lagos State, carrying the blessing and burden as the nation’s commercial nerve centre, feels the challenge of providing good roads the most. That’s why interventions in providing roads in the state are always celebrated as a big deal.

And so it was on Monday, December 13, 2021 when the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inaugurated the upgraded/rehabilitated network of three roads in Victoria Island – Adeola Hopewell, Idowu Taylor and AfriBank/Church Gate Streets. The area which has suffered flooding in the past has subjected residents and motorists to hardship. But this challenge was reimagined and the improvements made. Upgrades on the roads included provision of drains and culverts, interlocking paving stones on walkway and carriageway, transverse and longitudinal service ducts, among others. According to the governor, the roads which house a lot of corporate offices including banks, serve over 200, 000 people daily and their reconstruction reduce traffic congestion and also boost commercial activities.

Speaking at the inauguration, Sanwo-Olu said: “The failure of many of the drainages and water channels on Victoria Island has consistently impeded the free flow of traffic, extending commuting time, causing damage to vehicles, low patronage for businesses, and generally poorer quality of life for the people who work and live here.

“As a responsive government committed to the fulfilment of all electoral promises, we knew we had to do everything necessary to address and reverse this issue of incessant flooding and all its consequences in the area.”

The governor also said road projects were ongoing in all divisions of Lagos and four roads in Ikeja GRA are nearly completed and would be inaugurated soon.

“A major focus of our Greater Lagos Vision is the prioritisation of urban renewal and the development of road infrastructure as a means of enhancing the collective wellbeing of Lagosians,” he said.

“We have adopted an all-inclusive and people-centred approach that covers rural and urban areas so that no part of Lagos State is left out.”

According to Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, the roads were previously in a bad state. She thanked the contractor, Messrs Hi-Tech Construction Company Ltd for delivering the project which was inked in February 2020 despite the delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also at the event, Chairman, Victoria Island and Ikoyi Residents Association, Mrs Wonu Folami, led others to thank the Sanwo-Olu administration for the project.

“We had terrible experiences for many years on these roads, which are located in the areas where major commercial activities take place,” said Mrs Folami. “With their rehabilitation by Sanwo-Olu, residents can now heave a sigh of relief and businesses that have suffered can now come back.”

But the Monday inauguration has been a trademark of the governor who is a busy body when it comes to executing projects. It is not for nothing that people on social media in his early days as governor tagged him as the ‘Pointing Governor’ as photographs captured him moving across Lagos, gesturing from one project site to the other. In June, the governor had commissioned four upgraded and rehabilitated roads in Ikoyi. The roads are: Mac Donald road/Lateef Jakande road, Milverton road and Thompson Avenue. During the commissioning of the roads, Sanwo-Olu approved immediate rehabilitation work on three other arterial roads in the area – Cooper Road, McPherson Road and Queen’s Drive. At that event, Sanwo-Olu also admonished residents to take care of the roads.

“Maintenance of these roads is the collective responsibility of the government and members of the community,” he said.

“We are ready to collaborate with the Residents’ Association and Community Development Association to develop and promote local initiatives for the community to participate in the maintenance of this network of roads to reduce road damage and infrastructure theft.”

In June, Sanwo-Olu also inaugurated the New Ijede Road in Ikorodu.

It should be noted that within two years as governor, his administration completed 51 roads which include the Pen-Cinema flyover, Lagos Ogun Boundary roads Phase II and the Lekki Oniru Traffic Circulation projects. His administration also completed a network of 31 roads in Ojokoro, Aradagun-Epeme-Iworo-Ajido, and Somolu Road network among others. As at the time the government marked two years in office, Mrs Adeyoye also announced that there were 43 road projects ongoing. Among the ongoing projects she listed included Oba Sekunmade Road, Agric Isawo Road, St. Finbarrs and Iwaya Roads, Lekki-Epe Expressway, from Eleko Junction to Epe T junction, and also Lekki Regional road project.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure said that road projects awarded included Hospital Road in Badagry, Construction of Muwo Jetty in Ojo, Abaranje road network in Alimosho, Reverend Braithwaite in Epe. Others are the reconstruction of Moshalashi Street, Shomolu, rehabilitation/upgrading of Ademoye/Alake Lakonko Street in Alimosho, reconstruction of Onilegbale in Eti Osa. At that event in April, Mrs Adeyoye had said the Lagos State Public Works Corporation maintained 632 inner roads covering 192 kilometres.

I find it satisfying that Sanwo-Olu has continued the Lagos State government’s drive in providing infrastructure, especially roads. With a population of over 20 million residents, Lagos is among the cities that must take transportation more seriously. This is because people would need to go to work, go to school, go to worship, relax, go on tourism and many other activities humans do. For a larger part, they would need roads. While the state is developing its waterways as well as its own light rails, the place and importance of roads can never be exaggerated. In olden times, stories abound of how roads facilitated economic growth and development because they make many activities possible.

Hence, I think it is commendable that Sanwo-Olu is not messing around when it comes to building and maintaining road infrastructure in Lagos. But I’m not surprised as under the THEMES with which he launched and guided his campaign, the T stands for traffic management and transportation. So, it is understandable why the administration holds road infrastructure dear to its heart and the governor has maintained the state’s inherited tempo in road construction and repairs.

Anyway, as the Lagos State government continues to provide good roads, the residents must wake up to their own responsibility concerning taking care of the public goods. Just as the government should not encourage random excavations or any other kind of actions on the roads, residents also should desist from damaging the roads and learn to act as whistle-blowers whenever any damage is being done on the roads. After all, the monies used to build, repair and maintain the roads are all sourced from tax-payers – you and I.