Traders and residents of Agura-Gberigbe in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State are seeking government intervention after a Saturday downpour ravaged the entire community leading to a shutdown of businesses.
Some traders and residents who spoke with PUNCH Metro said the entire road in the area from Wall Post down to inner parts of the communities in Agura-Gberigbe had become impassable for motorists.
The victims, while lamenting their situation, said the rainy season had left many businesses in ruin and several shops shut, adding that other residents and businesses who could no longer cope with the disruption being caused by floods in the area were seeking accommodation elsewhere.
A resident, Mrs Funke Ogungbe, said all the entry points to the area have been flooded by the downpour, leaving many residents, traders and motorists stranded on Saturday.
She said, “There is no longer an entry point to Agura-Gberigbe. The only street that motorists were managing to navigate their way into the area has now been flooded. When I was coming back on Saturday, the driver kept looking for an alternative route into the area but to no avail.
“All the passengers had to disembark from their buses and started walking through the flooded road, while the buses turned back to Ikorodu. Now, the majority of the people have left the area especially those that are working. And even drivers that could manoeuvre the flood would charge passengers as high as N1,500 before one can get to Ikorodu.”
A retiree, Mrs Funke Adenekan, explained that the state of the roads had caused a spike in the prices of food items in the area.
Adenekan explained, “We cannot buy things like we used to buy before. The few traders who were able to go get their wares into the area have now doubled the price. Things have become hard in this place for everyone. They started the construction last year and promised to continue the construction after the general election. But we have not seen anything since then.”
Contacted, a source in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, explained that the roads had been awarded but contracts could not continue work because of rain.
He added that the contractors had since begun pre-casting work, adding that the state government had further mandated the contractors on palliatives on the roads.
“The community should be assured that work will never be stopped on the roads. We have even directed the contractors to provide palliatives on the roads pending the time a major work will begin,” the source said.
