Less Than 7 Months After Rehabilitation Ikangba-Agoro (old Lagos-Benin) Road Caves in

CDWR Calls for Immediate Repairs of Damaged Portions and Construction of More Speed Breakers, Lighting and Road Signs

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) Ogun State Chapter, again wishes to draw the attention of the state government to the deteriorating state of the newly rehabilitated (?) portions of Ikangba-Agoro Road, otherwise known as the Old Lagos-Benin road, which are presently caving in, less than seven(7) months after completion of works!

This is as a result of poor construction works that were executed by the contractors on the said road. The CDWR demands the immediate recall of these contractors to site to commence repairs works of these failed parts by the authorities without delay, so as to save residents, motorists and other road users from unnecessary and preventable mishaps.

Meanwhile, the CDWR acknowledges the recent construction of five (5) bumps(speed breakers) on some portions of the road: two(2) at the Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Obalende, two(2) at the Molipa express road intercepts with Olorunsogo junction, and one at the Ikangba-Erinlu Primary School.

While we welcome this positive development, we are also quick to state that this number of speed breakers is hugely inadequate for the whole stretch of the road. It’s therefore important that more speed breakers be constructed in other sections of the road including Seico Secondary School, Ikangba community, Ikangba Secondary School and Giwa feedmill. This would help prevent avoidable accident. These aforementioned parts of the road are highly populated by residents, numerous schools with children and industries on both sides of the road. Providing adequate number of speed breakers, would help prevent reckless driving by motorists and also help caution other road users. It’s equally important, that lighting and road/traffic signs should also be provided. At the moment, only three road signs have been mounted. These signs are needed to indicate and caution motorists, that they are approaching speed breakers so as to limit their speed. Sadly, the identity of the firm that constructed the bumps and the agency that awarded the contract remains unknown to residents.

In addition to this, there’s need for urgent and adequate provision of lightings on the road, as the road is always very dark, deserted and desolate at night. The current state of the road may provide cover for some unscrupulous elements to carry out their nefarious activities. Road/traffic signs like zebra crossing etc, should also be provided for the sake of school children, who daily ply this route to and from the numerous schools located along the road.

The CDWR, ordinarily, views the provisions of the aforesaid quality execution of repair works on the damaged portions of the road, as the basic minimum responsibility, which the governments including the local area councils should undertake. However, this is not the case due to the corruption ridden contract systems. It’s for this reason and many others, that CDWR demands the abrogation of the policy of contract systems, as it has become a cesspit of embezzlement and mismanagement of public finance. Instead, we advocate the execution of all pubic projects using the public works department adequately equipped with modern machineries, well remunerated and highly skilled staffs, under the democratic control and management of the workers and the project hosting  community and other stakeholders within that sector. This way, there would be room for proper monitoring  of work done, to ensure execution of the projects to specifications, maintaining of standards and prompt address of concerns   from host community  on safety.

Recall that the CDWR in conjunction with residents have been at the forefront campaigning for the rehabilitation of the Ikangba-Agoro road, embarking on mass actions including protests, media campaigns etc. When the pressure of these campaigns eventually yielded positive outcomes, and the rehabilitation works commenced, we warned that the construction works being executed were poorly done. We called the attention of the state government to this through several press releases. Representatives of the community also embarked on assessment tour of the road, met and tabled their observed inadequacies, such as poor works done, use of substandard materials, lack of information on the length of road to be rehabilitated, and contract sum, lack of speed breakers, lightings and road signs etc, to the field workers and their supervisors, appealing for necessary adjustments and improvement.

Obviously, the governor Dapo Abiodun-led government ignored our warnings and the field officers spurned our appeals. Sadly as a result, less than seven (7) months after completion of rehabilitation, eight (8) preventable deaths due to road mishaps were recorded. This includes, but not limited to, a-70-year old Demion Chukwu and two female students of Seico Secondary School, Miss Aishat Mosaku and Miss Omobewaji Sanni, writing the SSCE, who were rammed over by an articulated vehicle on their way from the examination centre.

Once again the CDWR is calling on the state government to act expeditiously by ensuring quality repair works are carried out on the damaged portions of the road to prevent further deterioration, making them death traps. This is in addition to increasing the number of the speed breakers constructed thus far, as the five bumps provided as stated earlier, remain largely inadequate. Lightings and more traffic signs should also be provided. All this we believe if adequately attended to, would at least reduce the numbers, frequency and severity of any mishaps that may occur. We also demand the immediate commencement of rehabilitation  works on the Agoro/Okun-Owa/Odugbolu axis of the Old Lagos-Benin road. This should be linked with the construction, and rehabilitation works of all bad roads across the state, too numerous to mention, to ease the sufferings of the mass majority of working people and the poor.

We urge mass organizations including NLC, TUC, civil society groups and public spirited individuals to lend their voices, calling on the government to address the plights of the residents along Ikangba-Agoro road in particular and the people of Ogun state in general who are suffering under the weight of bad and inaccessible road network without delay so as to prevent  economic and social loses and avoidable accidents on the road.

Eko John Nicholas

Coordinator, CDWR,

Ogun Chapter.

E-mail: [email protected]