Ajao Estate: Residents charge council on road rehabilitation

Residents and road-users in Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Council of Lagos State have urged the government to rehabilitate roads in the estate.

They said their roads have been taken over by potholes and craters.

“Whenever it rains, pools of floodwater on the roads prevent free-flow of traffic.

Even pedestrians find it difficult to meandre through the murky waters,” they said.

When The Guardian visited the estate, it was observed that almost all the inner streets had collapsed.

They include: Asa Afariogun; Stella Sholanke; Akinola Sholanke and Cobham streets. They were all in bad shape.

Potholes, many of which have widened and deepened into craters, were common sights in the area.

Some of the streets were still affected by last week’s heavy downpour.

The residents remembered when almost all the roads in the estate were in good shape and passable.

Comparing those years to the situation at present, they begin to wonder what could have gone wrong.


Perhaps, their disappointment with the poor state of roads is heightened when they remember that local council officials regularly received allocations but the funds have not been judiciously used.

 

Speaking with The Guardian, a resident, Mr. Walter Duru, said the residents read in the national newspapers that the council officials had received allocations, yet nothing had been done to put the roads in good shape.

He said almost all the roads in the estate were in bad shape and they were impassable whenever it rained. 


Duru said: “The road becomes very bad for those of us who live here, especially when it rains.


At the slightest rainfall, the road becomes impassable.
 Pedestrians have to walk along our shop corridors to avoid the muddy pools.


It was not like this when we relocated into this estate some years back.


“Some local council officials came around to repair these roads but they abandoned the project. They did not complete the rehabilitation of the roads.

A commuter, Muyiwa Balogun, said his trucks fell when his driver tried to maneuvre through the bad portion of the road in the estate.


Balogun said: “I loose a lot of money here, especially as my vehicle usually break down due to many potholes.

We have written letters on several occasions to the council, informing them about the bad state of the road.”


“It was a few months ago that we saw some people cutting the road and de-silting the drainage channels. 
Everybody rejoiced that, at last, the government had remembered us. 

“ But our joy was short-lived, when, soon after, they left the site without completing the job. We thought they would return after the rains but they did not. 


“In fact, because they had cut so much of the earth on the road, it was much easier for the road to be completely washed away.


“It has been getting worse since then and we have not seen those workers back on the road”, he said.              


“Till now, nothing has happened and it appears the project has been forgotten. The roads have broken down and we are paying the price.


Another resident Mrs. Fumilayo said: “I have changed the shock-absorber of my car on several occasions.

There is compelling need for the state and local councils to rehabilitate the roads to restore the glory of the estate.

Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA), Ajao Estate, Elder Francis Makinde, disclosed that the residents had written letters to the local council and Lagos State governments, informing them about the bad state of the roads in the estate, but nothing was done.

Makinde said: “We have been denied the dividend of democracy because road network should be the priority of any responsible government.

Community members contribute money to buy gravels and sand to fill the potholes.

They also cleared the drainage channels, but their efforts are not good enough.

“We want these roads to be tarred, especially those ones that are in very deplorable conditions.”

“We have reported the bad state of the roads to our representative at the House of Assembly, as well as our member at House of Representatives.

The senator representing our Federal consistency is aware of these roads. We are waiting for them to act.”

“We have not benefitted from the dividends of democracy.

We have been denied our dividends, but people who live here pay their taxes to the Lagos State government.”