The Forgotten Ogun Roads!
1. Shagamu-Papalanto Road...
2. Shagamu-Ikorodu Road...
3. Atan-Agbara Road...
Each of the roads cited above has, to my knowledge, been in a sorry state for upwards of 20 years... How come? Utterly unbelievable!
Agreed these roads lie on the limestone belt..
Agreed they are probably classified as federal roads...
So what!
Even if Nigerians are of an extremely meek breed, must their peace-loving disposition be so taken for granted by their government?
I recall an occasion when I made a visit to Ikorodu. Having completed my assignments in the town, I had already bid my hosts farewell only to be confronted by a traffic gridlock on the Lagos-bound road. So, I felt taking a long detour through Shagamu would offer some relief and save time...
Afterall, since my final destination was Sango in Ogun State, going en route Shagamu wouldn't have been such a dumb option, would it?
First, I observed the cab driver and some passengers purchasing masks from hawkers at Ikorodu motorpark...an aside I flippantly ignored!
The journey proceeded relatively smoothly through the many towns along the way...Odogunyan...Ita Oluwo...Ogijo...until we reached the long stretch of the road at NNPC and Portland Cement in Mosinmi...
I now fully regretted not buying a mask when I had an earlier offer...
That I had earlier ignored the mask sellers at Ikorodu was my undoing...for I was soon fully covered in fine dust as we got on this stretch of the road!
I was so enraged by the time we reached Shagamu that I was nearly swearing!
My initial travel plan was to connect Ojota through Shagamu, but on a sudden flash of inspiration, I made enquiries about getting a bus to Sango from Shagamu...another wrong decision!
I was directed to take an Okada to Oja Balogun where further enquiries informed me that I could only get transport to Papalanto..from where I should board another bus to Sango.
But the Shagamu-Papalanto axis was another cup of tea. Like the journey from Ikorodu, we enjoyed a relatively smooth ride till we had gone past Igbogila junction and past most of the neophyte housing "estates".
Suddenly however, the terrain briskly transformed into another powdery affair as we all had another round of dust bath!
My fellow passengers....mostly returning students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro...did not bat an eyelid. I guessed they were already used to this mess!
I disembarked at Papalanto with a firm resolve never to use that road again!
The Agbara-Atan Road is another kettle of fish. With patches and potholes here there...and practically everywhere, it looks more like a human scalp infested with ringworm! This road has also been so uncaringly abandoned to the elements...for decades...notwithstanding the fact that it serves the Agbara Industrial Estate....a major industrial complex that generates huge revenue for the Ogun State Government of Nigeria!
And that's the crux of the matter!
If this estate makes so much money for a state, why can't that same state maintain this road. Why reap from the proceeds of a venture only to step aside at maintenance time...and yell...
"It is a federal road!"
Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.