From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A lawmaker representing Ado-Odo/Ota 1 State Constituency at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Aina Akinpelu, has raised the alarm over the deplorable conditions of some federal roads in the state, particularly, Lagos-Sango-Abeokuta Expressway.
Akinpelu, who stated that many lives had been lost and several property destroyed as a result of petrol tankers falling and exploding on the bad portions of the road, observed that palliative measures on the road could not work any longer.
He, therefore, said that the House had called on the state government to prevail on the federal government, on the need to start in earnest, the rehabilitation of federal highways in the state.
The lawmaker stated these in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Sunday in an interview with our correspondent.
Speaking further, Akinpelu, said apart from the Lagos-Abeokuta and Sango-Idiroko express roads, which were begging for urgent attention, the Sango-Ijoko-Akute-Alagbole road being constructed by the state government in the state constituency, other federal roads in the state required major intervention.
In this wise, he explained the House, through Resolution HR 138A/2017, had urged the Ogun State government to prevail on the federal government to fix important federal roads in the state and reimburse the funds expended by the state government to construct some federal roads in the state.
He added that though, he initiated the move for the resolution on the floor of the House with bad roads in his constituency in mind, other lawmakers joined him to include federal roads that needed serious attention in their respective constituencies, particularly Ilaro-Owode and Sagamu-Ogijo-Ikorodu roads.
“Many spots on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway are in a deplorable state, which of course have made things very difficult for the commuters and motorists. These spots are the Toll Gate area, the Sango Market area, Under Bridge, Joju junction, Oando Petrol Station junction, Owode-Ijako and Iyana Ilogbo, along Lagos-Abeokuta road. Then, when you come to Sango-Idiroko axis, you talk of Iyana Ota, Oju Ore, Fowobi Junction, General Hospital, Ota Junction as well as Ota High Court, Iyana Iyesi and the Bells area, within my own constituency.
“These have been giving my people sleepless nights and made business very difficult for them. Conveying goods and services have been a very arduous, and of course based on the complaints being made to me, I have to put across to the appropriate authorities as well.
“I want to tell you that on a particular spot around Owode-Ijako/Iyana Ilogbo portion of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, many lives had been lost, and property worth several millions of naira destroyed as a result of many petrol tankers falling and exploding on the road. Our people have been suffering on this road for the past six years, hence, it is high time lasting solution was found to the problems on the road”. The lawmaker explained.
Akinpelu, who pointed out that proper drainages must be constructed to drain the water from the road, maintained days of palliative measures by Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were over and advocated for total rehabilitation of the expressway, which according to him, leads to the industrial hub of the state.