Mokuola-Ogba Residents, Businesses Battle Bad Roads, Poor Drainage

BY  ADEGUNLOYE OLUWATIMILEHIN, OLAIFA ESTHER, ADESINA KAFAYAT ADESEUN & JESSICA MADUKA

Residents and businesses in Mokuola-Ogba area of Lagos state are in agitating over the poor state of the roads and drainage in their area.

These environmental challenges have lingered for a long time to the discomfort of the residents, traders and also motorists.

Their constant complains and long wait for government intervention have yielded no result whatsoever, leaving the residents and businesses to battle it alone.

A road exists as a major route or open way for vehicles, persons, and animals to pass and connect other destinations of choice, but in Mokuolu, it is in such bad state that it can not serve such purpose.  

The bad state of the road here is an issue of concern as, it disrupts vehicular movement and affects businesses. Poor Road condition can cause a lot of issues that could be harmful to human lives, businesses and other part of human activities.

Mokuolu roads are in their bad states partly because poor drainage system.

Our reporters observed that a heavy downpour in Mokuola-Ogba causes major flooding and erosion in the environment.

Not only is the access road badly damaged, the drainage system was blocked with sewage and plastic materials and this has remained a major hindrance to the free flow of water..

In an interview with a trader Mrs Kemi Bello, she said ,“ The road is very bad and it does not allow customers to patronise us.

“ It becomes worse when it rains because there is an overflow of water;  it is too much.

“ This is caused by blocked drainage system, if you’re not careful when rain falls you might find yourself in the canal.

“ All of this makes it difficult for vehicles to ply this route, the flooding causes erosion and it damages the road”.

According to Mrs Bello, worse is that  “There are no street lights, the gutter breeds mosquitoes and other insects which make us close for business  as early as 7:30 pm”.

According to the Finance Manager for Branch B, Ogba, Oke-Ira car park, Kabiru Onola,  “ The bad road destroys a lot of things in tricycles.

“Many times, you end up using the money you have saved for other things to buy tyres.

“Because Mokuolu links different routes, big vehicles also ply this route and it damages the roads to an extent”.

What then is the solution to these environmental problems?

 “if the gutter from right to left flows well we won’t bother about flooding on the road”.

Further questioned what they had done to attract the attention of the relevant authorities, he said efforts have not been made to speak with the government.

But a s store owner, Omoje Confidence said “ the road causes bad business most especially when rain fall. It fils the road flood water and customers wouldn’t want to step out in the flooded environment. The water is always too much due to bad drainage and it affects the road and vehicular movement.

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She also appealed to the government to come to their aid so that entrepreneurial businesses in Mokuolu-Ogba could thrive. .

Dear Reader: Do you stay in Mokuolu-Ogba axis or anywhere else with such flooding experience? Share with us, to help draw the attention of the authorities. Thank you. —Editor