Abule Egba Jubilee Bridge: Our nightmare is over —Commuters

It was still a carnival-like atmosphere, hours after the  Lagos State governor,  Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, had commissioned the brand new 1.3km Jubilee Bridge, with a water fountain, at Abule Egba, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State,  last week Wednesday, May 17.

Prior to the governor’s arrival, as early as 8 am in the morning, residents, associations, especially trade unions and others desirous of witnessing the epoch-making event had thronged the venue of the commissioning, to actually see what many have termed the state government’s ‘gift’ to the people of this area, as the state’s celebration of its Golden Jubilee anniversary reached a fever-pitch.

And, interestingly, neither  the scorching sun and the harassment from street urchins, that temporarily turned the place into a theatre of war’, immediately after the commissioning, by the state governor, could deter people , from far and near to have a glimpse of this latest ‘sensation’ in the area and celebrate late into the night.

The reason for such enthusiasm was not far-fetched: Abule Egba community had ‘thirsted’ for developments for so long and they were ready to savour every bit of the moment when such finally materialized.

“The significance of this is that this is the first time in a long while this area would be witnessing this type of event. So you can’t blame anybody if the whole community empties itself today,” noted a resident, Mr. Bolaji Olawoore, who resides on Olaniyi Street, a neighbourhood not too far from the venue of the event, in a chat with Nigerian Tribune.

Olawoore’s claims may not be far from the truth! Abule Egba is one of the communities, considered very strategic to the advancement of the economy of the state, especially those of people living in the axis.

Besides almost sharing a border with Ogun State, through the Sango-Ifo axis, Abule Egba also provides a gateway to the neighbouring Republic of Benin, a proximity that had, in the past years, resulted in some small, but thriving, imported second hand material markets, such as Katan Gowa and Jankara on the axis.

But in spite of this immense potential of driving the economy of the state, the community is considered to be topmost on the league of communities in the state that had seen the least of developments, in the past few years. For instance, besides the adjoining Ekoro Road in Abule Egba, that witnessed a reconstruction during the immediate past regime in the state, many are of the opinion that developments in infrastructures in the area have been, rather, slow in coming.

Little wonder the music from the several bands the various associations, had hired to welcome the state governor would not stop blaring long after the event was over. Summing the general feelings of the people in the area, Kazeem, a commercial bus driver, who ekes his living on that route, believes no amount of celebration would be too much to mark the occasion.

“For many of us that use the road, it is a dream come true. In the past, one would always develop goose pimples moving around this area anytime of the day. It is as bad in the daylight as well as at night, especially at that junction where vehicles coming from the Agege end of the area, run into those coming from Iyana Ipaja and Sango. The gridlock was always very unbearable. And, honestly, the situation seemed hopeless before this intervention,” Kazeem stated enthusiastically.

Perhaps unknown to Kazeem and others, one of the strategies the incumbent governor had put together to really enhance the economics of the state is through infrastructural development.

And if Abule Egba and other communities in the environs must develop,  the issue of traffic gridlock in that area which had continued to slow down social and economic activities in the area must be dealt a fatal blow. For the number one citizen of the state therefore, commissioning the bridge was a dream come true.

“Today, we all have cause to rejoice as the Jubilee Bridge is delivered. This bridge is one of the interventions we embarked upon to ensure that free flow of traffic, stimulate commercial activities and create opportunities for our people. Lagos means business and today, Abule Egba is open for business. This bridge signposts the beginning of a new era of development that would enhance the standard of living of the people in this axis with the provision of this infrastructure,” the governor had stated at the commissioning of the bridge.

Describing the bridge as a ‘creative solution  by his administration to address the perennial traffic associated with the area and boost economic activities on the axis, the governor noted that the project was borne out of his government’s efforts at making life easier and better for the people.

Little wonder as the whole of Abule Egba now wears a new look with a  well-illuminated sprawling 1.3 km bridge enhanced by a state of the art water fountain and street lighting,  activities within the area, which had been paralysed for more than one year, of reconstruction, had begun to gather momentum. But, curiously, residents are scared that the new infrastructure might throw up some set of new challenges too.

But as residents and others position themselves for the new opportunities the infrastructure presents, not a few are however scared that the new infrastructure might throw up some set of new challenges too, and would rather want both the government and the citizens of the state, especially those living on that axis to brace up for the new challenges this latest development might bring.

“I think what is needed here next is a 24 hour surveillance, since the place is being opened up to different kinds of people,” observed Adenrele, a local government staff in the area.

For Adenrele, government should not allow hoodlums to take advantage of those that might want to avail themselves of the opportunity the new facility presents. Curiously, Adenrele’s observation might not be far-fetched. The dust raised by the governor’s entourage’s exit from that venue had hardly settled on Wednesday, when hoodlums took over the scene, and it took the intervention of the men of Op Mesa in the state to quell the fracas that lasted for close to one hour in the area.

Perhaps to reinforce the position of people calling for more security surveillance, a pick pocket that had succeeded in jumping down from the topmost part of the bridge, after successfully snatching a phone from an onlooker at the event, was apprehended by the crowd and handed over to the police.

“It is good that we are witnessing all these now. It simply prepares our minds against what to expect as the Jubilee Bridge opens for activities. The fact remains that the landscape is more complex now, hoodlums might want to take advantage of this, but we should not allow this. We need to collectively resist this as a people by being more vigilant,” argued Adenrele.

But while growing concerns about security in the area, especially around the new infrastructure, seem intractable for now, other challenges induced by the construction of the new bridge seem to be much-needed attention from the state government.

For instance, in response to residents’ plea, the governor had promised to fix the inner roads within the neighbourhood, damaged during the period the highway was closed to public use.

The roads, such as Charity, Olaniyi and Agbe, were used as alternative routes all through the period the major highway that links Abule

Egba with other communities in Lagos and Ogun States was shut down for reconstruction.

Even with the new issues, Abule Egba residents believe all these pale into insignificance when compared with the transformation the infrastructure has brought to the community. For them, social and economic lives in the community will never be the same again, and they are ready to focus on the opportunities such development would present, rather than be held back with challenges.