Motorists plying the Mowo-Ikoga road in Badagry LGA of Lagos have expressed serious concern over the bad state of the road.
In separate interviews with journalists on Tuesday in Badagry, some of the motorists said the deplorable state of the road linking the town to Ado-Odo in Ogun had made driving nightmarish.
The link road connecting Mowo to Ikoga-Zebbe is plagued with numerous potholes, and the recent heavy rains have exacerbated the conditions of certain segments.
These include the Angel Gabriel Bridge, Iyana Ilogbo, Anospat, Alafia, and Avia sections, rendering them impassable.
Surajudeen Babatunde, a commercial bus driver, said that road users had been facing serious hardship on the road since the beginning of the rainy season.
“We have been facing serious hardship on the road, and we need help. We are calling on the federal government to help repair this road. About three months ago, the Lagos state government did some palliative work on the road, and driving was better for a few weeks,” Mr Babatunde said.
The driver added, “However, when it started to rain, everything got washed away. It has been a hardship on this road ever since.”
Mr Babatunde added that the Angel Gabriel axis of the road had gone so bad that movement on the part of the road was almost impossible.
Ganiyu Abidemi, a tipper driver, said the deplorable state of the road, especially the Angel Gabriel axis, was affecting businesses in the Mowo-Ikoga area.
According to him, several man-hours are lost in endless gridlock caused by the bad state of the road.
“I have been in gridlock since 8:00 a.m. because the road is bad, and I have to supply four loads of sand today. I spent four hours in the traffic for a journey of thirty minutes,” Mr Abidemi explained. “It is impossible for me to meet my target; I have to return some of my customers’ money.”
Another motorist, Adekunle Ajala, said the road had damaged many vehicles.
“You cannot use this road and not visit the mechanic twice or three times a week. The road is so terrible. We are appealing to the government to fix this important road once and for all,” said Mr Ajala.
Adetela Olaosebikan, a resident of Ikoga, said the road had become a nightmare for people living in the area. According to him, many residents are considering relocating to other areas owing to the hardships they experience on the road.
“The road is bad, and the Angel Gabriel axis is worse. You cannot move on that part of the road anytime there is a downpour. Today, more than three vehicles have gotten stuck on the muddy road, causing gridlock,” stated Mr Olaosebikan. I had to park my car and get on a commercial motorcycle to get out of the gridlock. The government must do something urgently on this road.”
(NAN)
