Four communities along Idi-Mango/Onipetesi to Dopemu under bridge on the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway have appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to create a ”U”-turn on the road to ease difficulties and ensure safety of lives.
Chairman of Onipetesi Community Development Association, OCDA, Elder Kunle Amosun made the appeal at a press conference he addressed at the secretariat of OCDA at Onipetesi over the weekend.
He also called on the Federal Government especially the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to intercede on “this matter of urgent public importance.”
The communities concerned are: residents of Onipetesi, Onilekere, Cement and Santos Layout with a population of about 980,000.
Amosun said though the communities have been agitating for the “U”-turn since 2001, they are however stepping up the agitation because of the on-going construction of BRT lanes in the axis, so that government could take advantage of the construction to creat at least two “U”-turns for the communities.
This he said would save residents coming from Oshodi the difficulty of having to go as far as to Egbeda, a distance of about 5km to turn back to their homes or for residents who want to go to Iyana Ipaja to go to Agege Motor road, a distance of about 2km to turn.
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“It is important to know that the expressway was constructed many years ago without regard to the fact that there would be rapid development with the adjoining communities and they are disadvantaged because of location as it is bounded to the East by Murtala Mohammed International Airport, making the expressway the only route that leads to the community”.
The chairman wondered why their case should be different because “similar projects like the Lagos/Ikorodu road and the Agege Motor road have “U” turns almost at every Bus stop.
“Our frustrations are premised on the fact that if the construction continue without a “U” turn in our axis it will creat untold hardship for residents.
“A lot of man-hour will be wasted, lives have been lost as a result of traffic gridlock in the expressway as many patients who would have ordinarily be saved have died in such traffic gridlock and furthermore the traffic on completion of the BRT lanes will be heavier than experienced at present”,
“We strongly believe that one or two “U”-turn along this axis will save citizens the needless hassle of facing agonising traffic to Dopemu and beyond, it will also alleviate the traffic gridlock for those going beyond our communities to destinations such as Egbeda, Idimu, LASU, Abule Egba, Ota etc.”, Amosun said.
Speaking on efforts the communities have made before now, Amosun said a lot has been done in the area of sensitization and correspondences with the relevant authorities.
“Two former Ministers of Works were contacted with promises to look into the issues but to no avail”; they have also written to the state government on the matter but the “commissioner of works gave flimsy excuse in one of his replies that a “U”-turn in the axis would further worsen already heavy traffic on the road; this is false, on the contrary it will ease traffic.
“We met the contractor working on the road but they said there was nothing they could do as they were working on a plan given by the Lagos state government, their client”, though they said “U”-turn can be created if they are so directed, Amosun said.
Present with him at the briefing were other prominent elders and exco members of OCDA like: Mr. Sam Emiowele, a chartered quantity surveyor, Chief Victor Oyolu, a chartered accountant, Ayo Omobowale, Engr. Jimi Taylor, vice president of OCDA etc.
