Lukmon AKintola
On Tuesday, the residents of Agbado crossing area of Ogun state seek help over the state of Olusegun Osoba road. This came on the heels of the severe hardship the residents face on daily basis.
Agbado crossing, which is governed by Ifo Local government of Ogun state is bordered by Iju Ishaga, Lagos state. In this vein, most residents of this area work in different part of Lagos states. Thus, it is a daily challenge for the road users.
In a brief interview with a commercial bus driver, Mr. Semiu Shittu (AKA Olowo), who expressed his disappointment in Governor Ibikunle Amosun. He noted that the road has parked up lots of buses. He further stressed the sufferings they go through when using the road.
“I do not even know how to start. I am so disappointed in Ibikiunle Amosun, he promised us heaven and earth but he ended up making us suffer. It has been so difficult for me as a commercial driver. I visit my mechanic almost every day, same thing with my colleagues too. Some people have even parked their buses. This is the major problem we are facing, we hope the government will come to our aid.” He said
Also speaking with our correspondent was Mr. Jimoh Wakil, a resident of Olomowewe, who stated that the poor state of the road and how it has affected the users. He further described the road as a death trap, where most users had to use drugs on daily basis.
“The road is so bad. As a frequent user of the road, we pay more for Bike men. Buses could not use the road anymore. On daily basis, I use Panadol extra for pain relief. Health wise, the road is a major challenge, the expenses is huge and the daily stress is too much.
“I hope Governor Ibikunle Amosun will come to our aid. We are not dogs, we deserved to be well treated and unfortunately for us, we still pay tax. This is injustice of the highest order.” He fumed
The Chronicle gathered that Governor Ibikunle Amosun commenced an overhead bridge in 2013, connecting Agbado crossing with Alagbole and Berger. The project has been on hold for over a year, making live more difficult for the residents of Agbado.
It was learnt that jobs have been lost due to the poor state of Agbado crossing road. Road side mechanics, vulcanizers and filling stations attendants have all been retrenched due to poor patronage from road users.
The Chronicle visited Rab Oil, a road side filling station in Agbado to discuss the state of their patronage for the past few months. An attendant who spoke to us base on anonymity complained low patronage. She stated that their major customers are now keg users as buses and bikes could not assess the road.
“Our customers are now keg users because bikes, buses and cars could not use this road. Some of my colleagues have been sacked because our sale is very low. We pray our government will do the needful as soon as possible.” She stated