Ejigbo residents decry bad road, govt neglect

Residents of Ejigbo in the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area say they are wondering if the community in which they live is on the map of Lagos State.

They said the area had yet to witness any developmental programme by the government. Chief of their numerous problems, they said, was bad road network in the area.

Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent, lamented that movement in and out of the area had become an ordeal, especially with the coming of the rain.

Our correspondent, who was in the area on Tuesday, sighted some people experiencing difficulty in moving on a waterlogged and slippery road at Ile-Iwe Bus-Stop.

The residents said many roads in Ejigbo were in a deplorable state, urging appropriate authorities to do something about it.

One of them, who identified himself as Azeez, said, “The roads in Ejigbo are bad. Vehicles can no longer move. Pedestrians can no longer move. Government should help us fix our roads.

“Due to the bad roads, economic activities here have declined. Once it rains, all the roads become waterlogged because there are no drainages. Even in the dry season, we don’t enjoy the roads.”

Another resident, identified simply as Rauf, also said, “I live at Agbede Street. All the roads from Agbede down to Folawiyo are bad. I am a commercial bus driver, but I cannot work because my vehicle has broken down due to the bad roads. “

When our correspondent went through the community , it was noticed that out of the three main roads that enter into the community ─ Iyana-Ejigbo, Idimu and NNPC ─ only the NNPC Road, seemed to be in a good shape.

Though some construction works were observed to be ongoing on the Ejigbo-Idimu Road, residents, however, said the project was moving at a snail speed.

A tricycle operator who plied Idimu-Iyana-Ejigbo road, Mazi Ozo, told our correspondent, “Government don’t care about Ejigbo. If you go outside, you will thank the government, but come to Ejigbo, we have been abandoned.”

A bus driver who plied Ejigbo to Cele Bus-Stop, identified simply as Desmond, said, “Ejigbo roads are bad. In short, Ejigbo doesn’t have any road.”

Another tricycle operator, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The road from Ebenezer to Lafenwa is completely blocked; no one is plying the road anymore. I don’t know the council chairman, but I heard he is the best chairman in Lagos, but if you look around you can judge by yourself whether that claim is true or not.”

Speaking on the telephone on behalf of the LCDA Chairman, Mr. Kehinde Bamgbetan, the LCDA Information Officer, Mr. Rabiu Hassan, said, “There is a construction work being done on the Ejigbo-Idimu Road by the Lagos State Government.

“Until that work is completed, nothing can be done about some other roads like the Ile-Iwe Road because it has to do with channelisation of water into the Ejigbo-Idimu drainage to be constructed.

“We have been putting pressure on the state government to hasten the job on the Ejigbo-Idimu Road. We appeal to our people to please exercise patience with us. Honestly, we are not happy about the situation. They should please bear with us; the end will justify the means.”