Businesses in the Amje/Estaport community in the Àgbàdo/Oke-Odo area of Lagos State have been grounded as residents express frustration at finding alternate routes to access the Lagos-Abeokuta Motorway and other surrounding communities following the community’s bridge that collapsed due to recent flooding.
The residents expressed fear over the deplorable condition of the collapsed bridge, despite the state government’s repeated promises many months ago to reconnect the community with surrounding areas.
According to them, the bridge’s condition has left them stranded, preventing residents, students, and business owners from leaving the community to reach their respective destinations, especially during the rainy season.
PUNCH Metro reported that hours of heavy rainfall on May 7, 2024, caused severe flooding, which destroyed the bridge and disrupted the residents’ means of livelihood.
Some residents, fearing abandonment by the state government, told our correspondents that the bridge had become a “death trap” despite a visit from members of the Public Works Corporation on May 12.
In an earlier report published by PUNCH Metro on May 8, the state government assured the residents during an interview with our correspondent that the bridge would be repaired, though no timeline was provided.
However, two months after the state government’s assurance, residents and business owners lamented that its deplorable condition had only worsened.
A resident who sells soft drinks, Madam Temitope Adesina, said, “The bridge has caused a lot of injuries. We don’t go out once the rain starts to fall. We will be stuck in the house.
Those who had already gone out won’t be able to return until the next day. We no longer have alternatives.
“The bridge was distressed before the flood collapsed it. Now, it has become more dangerous. We cannot send our children to school during the rainy period since that’s the only road in the community. There was a time when some government officials came, but we have not for almost two months now.”
A store owner identified as Madam Remi informed our correspondent that she had started considering moving her businesses out of the community due to the danger posed by the bridge.
She said, “I can’t go to the store once the rain starts because of fear of the bridge. If you come here when it’s raining, you will have a better understanding of our challenges. It was not as bad as this when it collapsed in May. We need the government to come to our assistance as soon as possible,”
The Public Relations Officer for the Community Development Association, Sam Adeyemo, told our correspondent on Monday that several letters sent to the state government requesting urgent intervention and palliatives had gone unanswered.
He said, “We have written to the government for assistance. But before I say anything about the government’s response, I think it’s fine to hear from the government because maybe they are trying to fix some logistical issues before commencing the project. But it’s safe to say that the government is aware.”
In a statement shared with our correspondent on Monday, the CDA Secretary, Oredola Adeola, pleaded with the government to consider the plight of the helpless residents and provide them with relief.
He noted that some residents had been forced to move out of the area, while businesses were mostly halted, especially during the rainy season.
He said, “Despite the placement of barricades by state authorities, no action has been taken by the Lagos State Government to repair the bridge.
“Since May, the situation has only worsened, with properties around the collapsed bridge deteriorating.”
“The damage inflicted by the torrential rains has left the bridge’s pillars damaged, its foundation weakened, and the surrounding drainage supports eroded.”
When contacted for a response on Monday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, did not answer the call on his mobile phone.
Meanwhile, Olufemi Daramola, Special Adviser on Infrastructure to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, assured the residents during a telephone interview on Monday that work would commence “in a week’s time.”
He said, “The work is ongoing. The Office of Drainage Services will start doing the repairs anytime from now on. They will start the repair in another week’s time.”
