Miscreants have taken over the abandoned overhead bridge and the road that connects the community to Epe and Lekki in the highbrow Victoria Garden City and Ikota, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Our correspondent reports that residents claimed they were battling with miscreants because of the state of the road.
Residents lamented that the construction of the road and the overhead bridge, which were said to have begun about three years ago, had become criminal hideouts, subjecting them to harassment and theft during gridlock.
When our PUNCH Metro visited the community on Thursday, the entire area was covered by dust, with residents and road users covering their noses and faces, while others expressed fear of being faced with serious health implications.
Small business owners who spoke with our correspondent claimed that the state of the road was having negative consequences on sales.
A yam seller identified simply as Abigail said, “It is affecting our businesses. The dust is too much. We cannot stay outside here without covering our mouths and noses with masks or shawls.
“I have been here for over three years. Everything was not like this before. The market is not moving like before.”
Another resident identified simply as David said the state of the road had caused severe gridlock, especially when a truck broke down on the road.
He said, “The dust alone is killing our business. Look at all those people selling food. They are exposed to this dust. Traffic can happen any time of the day. As you can see, it’s not much.
“But any moment from now everywhere will be at a standstill. A truck can just break down on the side of the road, and the whole place becomes a mess.
“I can assure you that nobody is coming. Nothing will be done on this road. We have shouted and called for their attention, but nothing has come out of our efforts.
“Government officials pass these routes daily. They saw it and turned a blind eye. Let’s all continue to endure their mess. When they knew they were not ready for this road, why did they start and make a mess of the whole place?”
Our correspondent further observed that the traffic light meant to control vehicular movement in the area was no longer in use.
When PUNCH Metro asked David about it, he claimed, “They destroyed the traffic light because of the flyover they wanted to build. This is why they destroyed the light. They are not doing anything here again.”
A resident, who does not want to be mentioned for fear of discrimination, said the gridlock and lack of street lights and traffic lights had led some road users and residents to be subjected to robbery and harassment by miscreants who hide under the dark to perpetrate their evil.
Meanwhile, the Financial Secretary of the Ikota Community Development Association, Oluwafemi Omole, added, “The issue is that all this while, the government was supposed to have completed this road.
“Sometimes you will see the contractors working on the road, but a lot of the time, they won’t show up for months. We don’t really understand if the government is the one having problems or the contractors they gave the work to. We don’t know why they abandoned that project.
“We appeal to the government to come to our aid. Since they have started the job, they should please wrap it up for us. They should hasten the contractors; whatever challenges they have should be resolved and sorted out so that they can start the work and wrap it up as soon as possible.”
The Director of Media and Publicity at the State Ministry of Works, Mr. Adeshina Odunuga, was unavailable for a comment as his phone rang out on Thursday.
