Keke operators, others decry Ajao Estate roads

Tricycle operators popularly known as Keke Marwa riders, in Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Area of Lagos, have decried deplorable state of roads in the Estate.

Speaking to The Guardian, commuters and motorists called on the state and local governments to rehabilitate the roads to make mobility easy.

Keke Marwa operators plying the area revealed that members of their union had at various times filled some of the bad spots with broken blocks to make the road passable.

One of the riders, Mr. Chinedu Mbagwu, noted that the sorry state of the roads have affected their business, as it has slowed down movement and inflicting damage on their vehicles.

“The potholes have caused delays in our operation. A journey that used to last between 10 and 20 minutes now takes 50 minutes or more. Before, we used to charge N70 from Ajao Estate Junction to Bridge Link (canoe), but now it is N100.

“Junction to Ajao Estate Police Station used to be N50, but it is now N70. This has also made our daily returns to nosedive because passengers find it difficult to pay,” he said.

Prince Adebayo Farubi, one of the officials of Keke Operators Association in the area, informed that the roads have been in bad shape for a very long time.

Appealing to authorities concerned to come to their aid, Farubi said: “This is where we find our daily bread and if the road is rehabilitated it would go a long way to improving other local businesses, aside our keke.”

Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA), Ajao Estate, Elder Francis Makinde, disclosed that the association has written series of letters to the local government council and Lagos State government complaining about the bad state of the roads in the Estate, especially whenever it rains, but nothing has been done.

Makinde said: “When Governor Akinwumi Ambode listed 114 roads to be constructed in Lagos, one of our roads was on the list, but we were later denied this benefit. Members now contribute money to buy gravel and sand to fill potholes and engage hands to clear the drainage.

“We want the roads from Stella Sholanke Street to Ajao Estate Police Station and the one leading to Ajao Estate Bridge Link tarred, as well as repair collapsed drainage for easy flow of water,” he stated.

The CDA chairman also disclosed that his association has taken the matter to their representative in the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate, but none of them seem to be doing anything.

When The Guardian took the matter to the Sole Administrator, Isolo Local Council Development Area, Ms. Abimbola Osikoya, said: “We shall be doing the roads little by little, because of insufficient fund. Those concerned should be patient with us; we feel their pains, we all use the road, but the situation is beyond our control, which is the reason we cannot complete the road rehabilitation.”