New Telegraph It appears tales of anguish on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, especially the Kara Bridge axis is something not to be over anytime soon. It has become the proverbial Yoruba adage, ‘deity that requires constant pouring of palm oil on it.’ It has become notorious for constant problems as OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI-SOLANKE reports
The death traps
The beginning\end of the Lagos/Ibadan Express road, inward Lagos by Kara meat market, has a deep hole in the middle caused by damaged expansion joint. The hole poses as danger to many motorists, who believe and have maintained a fixated view about the Nigeria government, especially Ogun State government, as insensitive and nonchalant towards the plight of their citizens.
For careless motorists or those not too familiar with the condition of that spot, they always fall victims to near fatal accidents. With the speed of an oncoming motorist towards the end of the bridge, there is no escape from the deep hole, which always threatens to jerk the steering either to the left or right, thereby causing confusion to oncoming motorists behind, who are on their right lanes.
The deep hole is one of the damaged Expansion joints on the Lagos/Ibadan Express road. Going to Lagos inward bound, there are about four damaged expansion joints, two terrible expansion joints towards the end of the Kara Bridge and with few pot holes on that side of the Expressway.
Also Ibadan outward bound, Mowe/Ibafo route, the beginning of the bridge; the expansion joint there is beginning to cave in deeply, also in the middle and poses danger to vehicles!
On that side of the express road, there are about eight damaged expansion joints down to Arepo axis. Down the expressway by Loto overhead bridge is the fearful sight of a large portion of the bridge threatening to tear off any moment. The silent prayers of both motorists and commuters is that let it not off the day they would be passing by.
Travellers recount losses
Ebere Abel, a nutritionist, who lives in the Magboro axis of Ogun State and works in Ikeja, Lagos State, plies the route at least five times a week. She lamented to Sunday Telegraph that the damaged expansion joint by the end of the Kara bridge is nothing but a death trap.
“I thank my God that it was only my front tire that I lost to that bad spot. I wasn’t aware of the exact location. So , I ran into the deep hole, which triggered the steering away from my hand. Luckily for me, I wasn’t speeding. Thanks to God that the car coming behind me was a bit far from me. So, I had enough time to turn the wheel back to right position,” she explained.
Ebere’s friend also told Sunday Telegraph that he lost two of his tires to the damaged joints. He said his left front tire got torn by the sharp edges of the expansion joint because the joint, which is made of rubber covering the sharp edges of the joints have been removed, exposing sharp wires. He explained that while one of the front tires got punctured, the other wheel cover of his right side tire flew off, thereby making his car swerve to left and right side of the road almost in between two trailers.
“I could have been crushed in between those two heavy trucks that day but mercy spoke for me and I managed to escape. Otherwise, it could have been a terrible accident,” he said.
Adamu Israel, a medical doctor, who plies the Lagos/Ibadan Express road daily corroborated Abel that the damaged expansion joint is a death trap in disguise. He told Sunday Telegraph that he has lost some nuts of his tires to the damaged joint.
“The hole is quite deep with iron sharp edges, which is damaging to our vehicles. “On Sunday morning, while rushing to the office, I totally forgot about the middle hole. I mistakenly ran into it and got my tire punctured with some nuts of the other tire scattering about. I implore our government to urgently carry out a maintenance repair on the Express road as more expansion joints are getting spoilt and becoming worrisome,” he said.
Warning
As a matter of fact, warnings are springing up on different platforms urging motorists to be cautious and how to drive safely on the Lagos/Ibadan Express road. If you drive along Lagos Ibadan expressway, kindly note down the following things.
“When approaching Kara Bridge inward Lagos, do all you can to avoid the middle lane. Keep to either left or right lane both at the beginning and end of the Kara bridge.
“When driving outward Lagos, still same Kara bridge, be careful on the fast lane while entering and exiting the bridge.
“On the long bridge outward Lagos, just before the second red roof, be careful on the middle lane. There’s a big pot hole that can damage your car. Watch out for it and avoid it.” The warnings read.
Some else explained that, “The iron joining the bridge on Kara bridge in all these places mentioned on Kara bridge are no longer there. So, this has created a very sharp pot hole at those points.
“And just few months ago, something like this caused an accident at Arepo/Punch bridge. Please let the appropriate authorities also look into this before it causes mayhem on the road.”
Another commentator addressed simply as Psalmist said: “It is sad that, we Nigerians vandalise public infrastructure, yet always call out the government for not providing the same thing we vandalise. It is the same issue that is being fixed right now on Ogudu/ Gbagada bridge as we speak. We steal iron bolts that secure rail track. We steal streetlight poles. We steal drain covers. We sell adulterated foods and drinks. We sell fake medications…but the government is always the problem. What a people we are?” He queried.
One Taiwo Durojaiye added his voice that. “This is very informative. It almost damaged my tire. It is very advisable that you slow down when approaching that particular point.”
Vandalism
Noticeable also on the Expressway, are the Solar street lights that are no longer functioning. Before the total fade out, the light was never bright enough; it was just a dim solar light before the total fade out. Around 11:30pm on a Saturday, Sunday Telegraph spotted a slim tall young man damaging one of the solar light poles at the bottom, removing some wires. Upon pulling up the car beside him on the expressway to ask him question, he said since the government could not afford him the opportunity to earn a living, he would resort to making a way for himself, which is by removing the iron for sale. He ignorantly explained that depending on what it weighed at the Iron market, the amount would fetch him at least, his next meal.
Not only the expansion joints and the Solar street lights need government attention, the earth roads on both side of the expressway are also calling for government’s urgent attention.
On the Lagos inward bound side of the expressway, there are many shanties of sort springing up along the earth road. The shanties were initially limited to the Kara stretch of the green buffer area by the earth road, but now the shanties have been stretched up to Wawa beside TA Gardens Estate, opposite Wawa village. The shanties are mainly occupied by Fulani herders. Sunday Telegraph always observes their women washing and spreading rag-like clothes and in the afternoon, their women hawk what is termed as ‘Magani’ meaning medicine, around the Wawa environ. They are medicine of sorts for hair growth, sexual enhancement (street-wise known as kayamata) among others.
Shanties, drugs, menace of bike riders
The shanties built with rusted aluminum, surrounded by rags of different colours and by evening, herds of cattle were seen grazing around their shanties.
And by early morning, the herders take their cattle either to the market, nearby stream or grazing in a richer zone. The shanties also share a flower-plant covered fence with TA Gardens, a highbrow residential estate also by and directly opposite Wawa bus stop.
The shanties are an eye-sore and dent to the sophistication of that environment and to the scenery of the expressway. Another eye-sore on the express road, both inward Lagos and outward expressway are littered dirt, especially that of used-flat-plastic bottles and used sachet bags.
Accompanied with the littered dirt is a stench, perhaps rain stagnated water floating on both sides of the express road outward Ibadan route, floating the dirt around.
Majority of the Solar poles have been vandalized at the bottom attached to the concrete edge of the Bridge; the cables have been removed, thereby rendering the poles useless mostly at night when the Bridge is usually dark except brightened by vehicular lights.
Opposite TA Gardens is the other earth road that houses some major industries like Mikano and other mushroom industries like a disorganised storage facility for used-plastic bottles, mechanic workshops and others.
The earth roads are slippery and dangerous, mostly when it rains and at night, when there is no light to brighten the road. The roads are rough and often times, vehicles get trapped in the mud because they are not tarred. Hence, motorists, once they get trapped call the herders, otherwise well known as Abokis around, for help to push their vehicles out of the mud.
Actually, vehicles don’t usually pass through these earth roads but when there is terrible traffic or accident on the expressway, vehicles take the earth roads as alternative routes out but not without curses from passengers to drivers and drivers to government coupled with sweats from both conductors and the Abokis, who always help in pushing the vehicles when get stuck!
Meanwhile, Sunday Telegraph learnt that there was a time that a circular was passed round residents of Arepo, Wawa down to Opic axis by the Ogun State government on the intention to grade, level and pour granite on the earth roads to make them alternative motorable routes but that intention hasn’t seen the light of the day.
But Sunday Telegraph gathered that Mikano tried to grade and tar some parts of the earth road but long to the earth road that leads to Opic Estate also to the Expressway.
However, there are also a few shanties habouring fierce and suspicious looking individuals.
From evening till late night, the crowd on this side of Wawa is large; they speak Hausa, Fulfude (Fulani language). First, they gather round a Tuwo seller to buy their dinner. After that, they smoke whatever makes them feel high and happy to dance their tribal music. Somehow, the community is used to them as they also do not constitute nuisance to the environment.
Majority of them are the motorcycle operators of that community from Wawa to Arepo, Magboro, Ibafo and other parts of Ogun State.
On this side of Wawa (Outward Ibadan expressway), there are many beautiful gated estates tucked in, far away from the express road but the outside close to the express road is a village with all sorts of lifestyle and businesses, ranging from food, to mechanic, car wash, motorcycle, car dealers stand, Beer parlour joints, where men and their friends relax after the day’s hard work.
But deep down the Wawa community, perhaps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) will have to station their men and van around this place. For the rate at which large numbers of individuals get high on whatever they smoke, daily is alarming.
One of the residents known simply as Chidi, explained to Sunday Telegraph that, although the community is peaceful on the surface, “it’s only a matter of time before the shenanigans underground boom to the surface. There are so many illegalities that go on around this place, ranging from oil bunkering to peddling of illicit drugs. In fact, I believe that the local part of this Wawa community accommodates criminals but luckily, they are not harmful to the community. Ironically, the police station representing government’s presence here has become enmeshed in the community, as such, they are not really revered,” he spilled.
Another resident, who pleaded anonymity, told Sunday Telegraph that as beautiful as the estates are, the lifestyles are not matching with the ‘sophistication’ of the estates.
Reason being that the community is too permissive of all sorts nonsense and high standard of fake life around, according to him.
He explained further that Arepo that would have been a bit sophisticated along with Forthright Estate is disorganised and permissive, especially with motorcycle otherwise called Okada.
“I will say Arepo and Forthright estates almost got the sophistication right, if they had limited the number of Okada riders in and out of the estates with identifiable uniform for them. Then, put all the commercials stores on one side of the estate instead of littered markets and supermarkets right from the entrance to every corner of the environments,” he said.
