Residents of Ifedola Estate, Meiran-Ilewe, in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, have called on the state government to urgently complete a drainage project in the community, saying its prolonged construction has worsened the condition of several roads.
The residents said the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources project, which commenced more than three years ago and was initially scheduled for completion within 12 months, had caused serious disruption to movement in the area, particularly during the rainy season.
During a visit to the community on Sunday, it was observed that sections of roads had been excavated, while heaps of laterite and sand were left along some routes, narrowing the roads and making movement difficult for motorists and pedestrians.
A resident, Kenny Bamgbose, said students and other residents had been particularly affected by the poor state of the roads.
“The government needs to hasten this work and ensure it is completed very quickly. Students have suffered on this route, especially when it rains. The entire community also suffers because you cannot use your vehicle properly,” he said.
Bamgbose said several roads connecting the community, including Supo Gbabe Street, Unity Valley and Tunde Oginni Crescent, also required urgent attention.
He urged the government to properly monitor the contractor and ensure that the project was completed to the required standard.
“We need to feel the presence of government in this community. Rain is coming, and we cannot wait. The government needs to hasten the project and deliver it on time,” he added.
The Chairman of Ifedola Meiran Community Development Area, Oluwaseyi Ogunbo, said the drainage project had initially been awarded with a 12-month completion period but had continued for more than three years.
According to him, the first contractor made substantial progress before the project was reassigned to another contractor.
“When the project started, we were told by the project board that the duration was 12 months. But since then, the project has been dragging,” Ogunbo said.
He said the current contractor often returned to the site after repeated appeals by residents, only to carry out limited work before leaving again.
Ogunbo added that excavated portions of the roads and construction materials had significantly restricted movement, with some roads that previously accommodated two vehicles becoming too narrow.
He said residents had resorted to minor backfilling through self-help efforts to make some sections passable.
The community leader also said the disruption had affected schools in the area, with some teachers forced to park their vehicles away from their school premises because of the condition of the roads.
A business owner, Banji Akanni, confirmed that work had recently resumed but expressed concern about the quality of the work.
He also complained that slabs removed from the entrances of some residents’ houses during the construction had not been restored.
“The quality of the work they do now has reduced compared to what they did when they started. The contractors also removed the slabs at the entrance of our houses, and they promised to return them but, as we speak, they have refused to do so,” Akanni said.
Another resident, who identified himself as Taiwo, drew attention to the poor condition of Baale Street and inadequate drainage in the area.
He said the road was particularly important because it served several government secondary schools, exposing large numbers of students, teachers and residents to difficulties whenever it rained.
“This is Baale Street, adjacent to Unity Valley, where we have three government secondary schools. You can imagine the number of students, teachers, parents and other residents who use this road every day,” he said.
Taiwo urged the Lagos State Government to intervene, monitor the drainage project and ensure that both the drainage and affected roads were completed to specification.
Residents also pointed to other government projects in the area, including the reconstruction of a secondary school on Baale Street and the construction of a technical college, but said the state government should also address the deteriorating roads around the community.
When contacted for a reaction, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, could not be reached. A text message sent to him had yet to receive a response as of the time of filing this report.
