KnoRights, Stakeholders of Aboru, Akinola, Aringbala Commend Gov. Sanwo-Olu, SSG Abimbola Hundenyin Over Removal of the Dilapidated Ige Bridge
….solicits alternative routes while reconstruction of Ige Bridge is ongoing.
By Onome Naomi
In furtherance of a letter dated 17th of September 2024, the committee on Canal Dredging of Residents of Abule Oki, Akinola, and Aboru stakeholders, led by Alhaji Kamorudeen Alade Bamidele, under the able leadership of His High Chief Adebayo Oki, the Baale of Oki Kingdom, Iyana Ipaja, and the Board of Trustees of Know Your Rights for Justice, wishes to express their appreciation and profound gratitude to Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo Olu for being an impregnable fighter for the less privileged. His endeavors for Lagosians living along the path of Abule Oki Onajola, Akinola Raji Rasaki, Alabede, Aboru, and others to remove the dilapidated ige bridge, which has become a death trap to motorists and passersby, following the January 16th, 2025 mandate is applaudable.
The aforementioned stakeholders and Human Rights Group wish to commend the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo Olu, for the provision of good governance to the inhabitants of the aforementioned communities. This simply shows he wishes comfort and stability for residents of Lagos State: “staying with the people, knowing their pains, abolishing their poverty, and providing solutions to their problems.”.
The Aboru community applauds Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s listening ears to their plights since 2019, when he assumed office as Governor of Lagos State. During this period, the people of the Aboru community have suffered flooding due to blocked canals, dilapidated bridges used as passageways, and construction projects abandoned; the interference of the Lagos state government has brought succor to the Aboru residents as the projects were accomplished one after the other, remaining but a few completions.
These various projects from 2019 in the Aboru community suffered some setbacks due to the lackadaisical attitude implored by the contractors even after government officers and assembly members’ visitation on the projects for record purposes. The intervention and strict adherence of the Lagos State government, who upon hearing the situation stepped in to ensure consistency, led to the completion of the various projects.
It is commendable that the secretary of the Lagos state government, Mrs. Abimbola Hundenyin, treated the various matters arising in the development and safety of Aboru residents with kid gloves by ensuring her principal create solutions to the predicaments befalling the Aboru community.
It should be noted that the contractors awarded with the removal of Ige Bridge, Truerete Solutions Limited, hurriedly did a rickety construction of the Abule Oki segment from the confluence of Fury to Ige Bridge, which was supposed to bring relief to the communities but had turned awry with an increased flooding. The timely intervention of the secretary to the Lagos State Government (Mrs. Abimbola Hundevin) and the Commissioner of Environment led the Lagos State Government to revisit the construction.
On the 27th of February 2024, the government listened to the yearning of the inhabitants by demolishing the dilapidated Jimoh Bridge, giving way to the 70-meter expansion of the canal dredging and concrete lining from the confluence of Fury to Ige Bridge.
Moreover, the intention to remove Ige Bridge by the Lagos State Government had livened residents as they witnessed the erecting of a signboard by the state commissioner for the environment with the inscription “Road Closed from January 16th, 2025, to March 2025. Kindly make use of alternative routes.” The problem there lies in the nonavailability of alternative routes.
The community would like to suggest a few considerations as follows:
*The road should be constructed from the bridge on Jimoh Street to link Raji Rasaki Junction, which will serve as an alternative access route for motorists and pedestrians. This will lead to the Alagbede junction route to the Aboru axis, which will serve as an alternative access route to the Akinola axis.
* The aforementioned leaders believe in the expansion of the road from Jimoh Bridge to Jimoh Street to Abayomi Street Junction to link Oki Major Road, which will serve as an access route from the bridge to Iyana Ipaja Expressway and Akinola Axis.
The construction of the Limon Bridge to Jimon Street to the Abayomi Street junction to link Oki Major Road and the Lyana Ipaja Expressway to the Akinola Axis will consume some houses illegally built without following Lagos State town planning, which should be demolished to give way for the accessibility of Jimoh Bridge.
It is interesting to note that the communities have signed an M.O.U. that states as follows:
“We wish to bring it to the notice of the Honourable Commissioner that all cornered communities have agreed that all impediments along the path of project execution should be cleared solely in line with the dictates of the state government.”.
“We are appealing to our able, indefatigable governor to implement our suggestion on the accessibility of the newly constructed Jimoh Bridge as stated above.”
In view of the above, KnRights and the aforementioned stakeholders want the government to ensure that the contractor keeps to his promises that by January 16, 2025, Ige Bridge demolition will commence and be completed on March 16, 2025, as well as the accessibility of the Jimoh Bridge.
