Residents Seek Government Intervention Over Alahun Osunba Estate Access Road
Residents of Alahun Osunba Estate in Maza Maza, Oriade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, have appealed to the state government to accelerate the reconstruction of the estate’s access road and address the deteriorating infrastructure in the community.
The residents said the deplorable condition of the road had persisted for several years, making movement difficult for residents, businesses and motorists, particularly during the rainy season.
A resident and lawyer, Mr Emeka Aneke, who has lived in the estate for more than nine years, said the road becomes muddy and almost impassable whenever it rains.
Aneke attributed the deterioration to inadequate maintenance, increased economic activities in the area and the heavy-duty vehicles that regularly ply the road.
According to him, the road was originally constructed during the administration of the late former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, but had gradually deteriorated due to years of poor maintenance.
He said residents had been forced to complement government efforts by contributing to infrastructure development in the area.
Aneke disclosed that the landlords’ association, after obtaining government approval, embarked on interlocking part of the road from the estate gate, with landlords asked to contribute at least N1 million each towards the project.
He, however, expressed optimism that the ongoing reconstruction of the road from the old Ojo Road through Maza Maza would eventually be extended to the estate gate.
Another resident, Mr Iliromah Ufomaa, who said he grew up in the estate, recalled that the road was previously in good condition before regular maintenance was discontinued.
Ufomaa said reconstruction work commenced last year but expressed concern over the slow pace of the project.
“Although we are grateful that work has finally started, the pace and level of work are not impressive. We want the government and the contractor to put in more effort so that the project can be completed before the next rainy season,” he said.
The residents identified heavy container traffic, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal and inadequate maintenance as major factors responsible for the deteriorating condition of the road.
They said the growth of port and terminal-related activities around the area had increased the movement of trucks and containers on roads that were not originally designed to withstand such heavy traffic.
The residents also raised concerns over inadequate desilting of drainage channels, saying blocked drains had contributed to flooding and water accumulation on the road during rainfall.
They said several complaints had been made to relevant government authorities through the Community Development Association, landlords’ association, local government authorities and their representatives at the state level.
The residents urged the Lagos State Government to intensify supervision of the contractor, accelerate the reconstruction work and ensure that the project is completed before the next rainy season.
They also called for regular maintenance of the road and drainage infrastructure after completion, stressing that sustained maintenance would be necessary to prevent the newly rehabilitated infrastructure from deteriorating again.
