Former Lawmaker Urges Sanwo-Olu To Fix Oke-Afa Bridge
Felix Kuyinu
Former Lagos State House of Assembly lawmaker, Jude Idimogu, has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to fix Oke-Afa bridge in Ejigbo LCDA.
Idimogu, who represented the Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II stated that there was an urgent need to fix the bridge in order to forestall loss of properties and humans plying on it daily.
The Two-time legislator under the flagship of the All Progressive Party, APC, disclosed that one of the importance about the bridge is that it connects the constituency to various parts of Lagos, revealing that it’s collapse would shut down so many activities in the area and Lagos as a whole.
He said that the bridge, connecting areas like Isolo, Cele, Jakande Estate Gate, Isheri, Ijegun, Egbe, Ikotun, Bucknor, Idimu and Oke-Afa Estate, among others, particularly the Canoe-Ajao Estate Road has become a deathtrap for motorists and pedestrians and makes transit to Airport Road taxing.
“The popular bridge, which is beside the Oke-Afa Memorial Arcade (mass burial site), where about 1,000 victims of the January 27, 2002, Ikeja Military Cantonment bomb blasts were buried, has developed serious deep holes; some rods used in constructing the bridge are exposed and often burst tyres of some motorists,” Idimogu began.
“A portion of the bridge, which caved in some months ago, has become a source of worry and frustration to thousands of commercial bus drivers, heavy-duty trucks and thousands of other road users, who ply the road daily and posed a threat to their lives.
“Lagos State Government should add this important bridge and Peter Agha Road leading to Canoe to the various roads it has mapped out for reconstruction in the current budget for 2024, which incidentally has a greater percentage of allocation for capital projects. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu should add the bridge and Peter Agha Road rehabilitation to the expansion and reconstruction of Isolo, Mushin-Oke-Afa Road axis.”
Reacting, some motorists, commuters and other stakeholders noted that the bad condition of the bridge and the road is causing gridlock along the routes, calling on the Lagos State Government to put an end to the situation.
A commercial motorist who identified himself as Ajayi said “The roads in this axis are synonymous with heavy traffic. The holes on the bridge have complicated the situation, as traffic around the axis has gone from bad to worse.”
He added that over 7,000 vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, commercial buses, private cars and commercial tricyclist ply the bridge everyday.
Others said that that bridge has become dangerous to be used as some portions have collapsed.
They called on the need of both the state and federal governments to take immediate action to fix the bridge, to avert the looming disaster.
