Ikorodu-Sagamu: Who cares about this road?

It is interesting to see how long a people can cope with a bad situation: Ikorodu-Sagamu Road has been in a more than deplorable state for donkey years, yet no one in authority seems to be bothered. As for the commercial drivers who ply the road, they have resigned to fate. They are used to wading through mud and pools of water that cover the breadth of the road, which are deep enough to submerge a man lying prostrate. Ask any of the drivers how they cope and they will just tell you something like this: “The road is terrible,” “We are tired of it,” “Our vehicles are suffering for it,” “Government should do something about it,” and so on. But the question is when will these pleas and complaints be heard?

Economic Importance

The economic importance of this road is not in doubt: 42 communities and 45 industries are said to be situated on this road. Of note among the industries are PZ Cussons at the Lagos end of the road, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)’s Mosinmi depot, and Lafarge’s Cement factory at Sagamu. The Lagos City Polytechnic is among some of the educational institutes situated along this road.  The movement of essential goods and fuels take place along this road, and the arduous transit often leaves broken down trucks in its wake. The delays which result are significant economic losses for those involved. The road also serves as an alternate route linking Lagos to Ibadan. That this road is economically significant is an understatement.

While the Lagos State Assembly has added its voice to the calls for the repair of the road by the Federal Government, even as it has called on the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as a matter of urgency to carry out palliative repairs on the road, one cannot but hope that these calls will not fall on deaf ears or simply accorded lip-service.