Deplorable Lagos-Sango-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway deserves attention
The importance of good network of roads to building a virile economy cannot be overemphasised. In fact, road is one basic infrastructure that makes commuting of people, goods and services from one place to another so seamless without which life will be so difficult, tiring and economic prosperity becoming a mirage
Because of the invaluable place that good road occupies in our day-to-day activities, it is often described or likened to arteries which carry oxygenated blood into the heart which give life to human beings and energise them to work.
It’s however an open secret that one critical challenge confronting our dear nation is bad road. Our 36 states are replete with bad roads despite the report of humongous resources that are committed annually by both the federal and state government towards addressing this challenge.
Lagos-Sango-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway is one of the critical roads helping to drive the country’s economy that has for only God knows when been left to be a death trap for thousands that commute daily on the road.
The 81km road which was constructed under the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo connects both the commercial nerve centre of the country, Lagos as well as industrial estate around Sango to the outside world. One of the earliest cement plants in the country, Lafarge at Ewekoro is also built along this highly important road.
It is however unfortunate that this road has for many years become a thorn in the flesh of the thousands who have to travel this road daily for whatever reasons.
So many sections of the road like Ijaiye to Sango- Toll gate, Itori, Ifo, Ewekoro, Papa, Joju and many others are riddled with craters and deep holes that make one wonder what sins people plying the road have committed that had made the federal government refuse to fix this road.
The attendant effects of the worrisome state of this dual carriage way include fatal crashes with loss of lives, terrible traffic snarl that could make you cover a journey of less than 20 minutes in five hours among others.
The federal government had always talked about rehabilitating this road but the promise had always disappeared just as soon as it was reported in the media.
This was why Gov. Dapo Abiodun on assumption of office because of the importance of the road as well as the pain the people making use of the road had to go through, especially during the raining season pledged to get the road fix in a matter of time.
But for whatever reason, President Muammadu Buhari has refused to let Ogun and Lagos State join forces together to fix the road.
Yes, the road actually belongs to the federal government but what sin is there if the two States where this road is domiciled agree to work out a plan to fix this road to make life easier for their people who bear untold hardship whenever they have to make use of this road?
Gov. Abiodun deserves great commendation for so many palliative works and interventions he had been instrumental to carrying out on the road otherwise the story would have been more pathetic.
We are already in May, the country will begin to witness the torrential rain and the situation of this road will be worse off with possibly fatal consequences.
This is the reason why the incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as soon as he takes over on May 29 should support Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and his counterpart in Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approval and release of fund for the reconstruction of this federal highway.
The people have suffered enough on this road and should not be allowed to suffer one day more before serious work of reconstruction begins as soon as the new helmsman, Asiwaju BolaTinubu assumes office. Let it be one of the projects to be showcased in one y
