The Ojodu-Alagbole-Akute road closed almost three months ago by Chinese construction workers on the order of Ogun State government has been forcefully reopened.
ENCOMIUM Weekly gathered that the Ojodu-Alagbole-Akute bridge which serves over 30 communities in the area is now busy as motorists return to the route.
A source said a team of soldiers who allegedly stormed the road (last week) sacked the police and touts who had been extorting money from road users for them to directly access the bridge condoned off by construction workers.
Shut on Monday, April 21, 2014, to enable construction workers speed up work without obstruction of the bridge, the closure had unleashed hardship on residents and road users.
Before now, Alagbole had transformed to a border community as there was no longer a straight vehicle or motorcycle from Ojodu, Berger to Alagbole-Akute and vice-versa. The point at which the road was partially closed was termed a border as one would have to trek from the point of closure to the other end.
Some even had to park their cars at the ‘border’ (the Odo-United Estate end of the road) to access the Yakoyo side of Lagos State to exit or return to the area.
The Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun awarded the contact to expand the Akute-Alagbole-Ojodu road early this year. Properties worth billions of naira were demolished in the process. When finally completed, the road would have six lanes with two flyovers (one at Akute and another terminating at the Alagbole-Odo-Yakoyo end of the busy one-lane road). The road is being handled by Xian, a Chinese construction company.
It even got to a point that the road users started wondering why the governor’s good intention would be inflicting so much pains on them, especially when the Chinese companies awarded the contract were taking them for a ride.
The aggrieved residents had hoped that an alternative routes should have been constructed around the less than 200 metre length axis the flyover is being constructed.
Reprieve however came their way last week with the sack of police and touts who kept extorting money from them when the Chinese company has even vacated the construction site to press for more funds.
The road in question links no fewer than 30 neighbouring communities whose residents had not found it easy since its closure triggered off by the fire outbreak that razed an Oando filling station located few poles from Xian’s construction yard.
The Chinese company and Ogun State government had then claimed they feared the fire incident that damaged several vehicles might erupt again, given the fact that the environment was fuel-ladden.
They also cited obstruction of their work which they claimed was slowing them down.
Some of the communities affected by this insensitive directive included and not limited to Ogunlowo, Ogundele, Abule-Ojo, Ayawoele, Ajuwon, Akute, Lambe, Alausa, Oke-Aro, Giwa, Alagbado, Matogun, Legun, Ijoko, Oyero and Oyekan.
There were also Orulu, Adiyan, Osere, Ijoko-Orile, Ibaradan, Pare, Mapara, Aboro, Megi, Arepo, Maidan, Lisa and Akera, among others.
Even with the forced opening of the Ojodu-Alagbole-Akute road, the part of the road earlier closed is now in a terrible shape. In fact, the road is practically shut in the morning and late in the evening since it is now narrow and what remains of the original bridge poses a threat to the safety of commuters and pedestrians.
The fate of the road users and the people of the affected areas is also hanging in the balance as not even Ogun State government officials know when the construction workers would fully return to the site and complete the laudable project.
There are also speculations that the Amosun administration would play politics with the all important road. This way, work may only continue if the people re-elect him in 2015.
Efforts to speak with Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s men on this allegation was not fruitful as the State Commissioner for Information, Yusuf Olaniyan didn’t respond to ENCOMIUM Weekly when we called him on Monday, July 7, 2014, on the issue.
But a top politician in the state, who wished not to be named assured that the governor has the best of intentions and wouldn’t tie the fate of Ogun residents to their votes.
-UCHE OLEHI
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