OPINION…Lagos Roads: From Potholes To Boreholes, By Adeoba Michaels

(Adeobamich@gmail.com)

Driving on Lagos roads had never been this hellish.

Aside the chronic gridlock occasioned by lack of strict enforcement of traffic laws, potholes have widened to become ‘boreholes’ on Lagos roads.

I often shudder when people who have been fed with overdose of propaganda hailed the embattled and outgoing governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode as a great performer.

In my honest estimation, the governor is a big failure when I place the humongous resources in Lagos vis-à-vis the quality of service people get.

Anyone hailing Ambode as a performer could either be sincerely naive or mischievous.

Reason is simple. Students don’t fail examinations for scoring nothing but not scoring enough.

Back to dilapidated Lagos roads, it is worrisome and utterly embarrassing that Governor Ambode could not maintain roads which was a walkover for his predecessors.

The Lagos State Public Works Corporation which is saddled with rehabilitation of failed or collapsed portions of roads has since been castrated under Ambode’s watch.

The embarrassing, deplorable state of trunk A roads like Ikorodu Road, Lagos/ Abeokuta Expressway among others calls for serious concerns.

Many motorists have been sent to early grave on Lagos major highways.

A visit to Ojota opposite Gani Fawhinmi Freedom Park inward Ikorodu will confirm this writer’s claims.

This writer miraculously missed a massive gully about two feet deep on that spot few days ago.

Many less careful motorists might have crashed into the massive ditch.

The above sad tale is a daily experience on Lagos roads. Yet, Ambode appears helpless and incompetent too to fix the bad portions.

Commuters and motorists plying Ikorodu axis cant just wait for Ambode to pack his loads and leave Lagos for a more able governor.

On that axis, a whole stretch from Mile 12, Kosofe through Ketu is completely broken down.

Consequently, hellish gridlock makes an hitherto stress-free trip a nightmare.

The massive deplorable state of Lagos roads was largely caused by the vindictiveness of Governor Ambode.

Drain Ducks and other drainage clearing firms that were clearing the drains during Babatunde Fashola era had been sacked by Governor Ambode.

Hence, massive floodings on roads whenever it rains which further worsen the roads.

A consortium of local bricklayers would have done a better job on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway to what Ambode’s Strabic Construction is currently doing.

Strabic had done more harm than good from Oshodi to PWD areas.

The roads and bridges Strabic and other small holders construction firms are constructing are void of shapes and aesthetics.

The company appears inept and lacks experience in road construction.

It is high time tax payers in Lagos lifted the veil on who own these incompetent Special Purpose Vehicles, SPV firms that Ambode awarded billions of naira contracts.

Governor Ambode also compromised traffic sanity by seconding his private secretary, Wale Musa to Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA as General Manager.

Musa knew nothing about traffic management. I doubt if LASTMA GM can manage low traffic in his EPE town.

Yet, Ambode brought him to manage complex traffic of Lagos. The governor is a power drunk and often acts irrationally.

For how long are the people going to put up with the failed governor? May 29, 2019 is just too long. Many things would have irredeemably degenerated!

Adeoba Michaels, a Public Affairs Analyst Writes from Lagos via adeobamich@gmail.com