By Helen Ovbiagele Woman Editor

One keeps learning every day.  It was from the reaction of one of the readers who wrote in on the above subject that I  learnt that a bill has to be passed by our lawmakers that would enable people to sue the government on the state of our roads, before that action can be successfully taken.

By sheer coincidence, the piece was published on the Sunday that an all-day downpour in Lagos, heralded in an almost week-long of heavy rain and floods which virtually sacked many parts of the city, bringing sorrow to many.  Many roads were impassable, with people trapped in their homes, vehicles and offices.  The saddest part of it was news that several children on their way back from school were swept away in the flood and they got drowned.  Those were very great losses!   May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may the Lord console their families.  Amen.

It wasn’t just in Lagos that heavy rains brought tales of woes, other parts of the country were affected too.  The question on many lips was, ‘Couldn’t these losses have been prevented if the relevant governments had prepared their roads very well for this time of the year?’

We know about natural disasters, and the fact that God controls everything and all situations, but surely we’re not waiting for God to come and repair or rehabilitate the roads we’ve built. Are we?

Accidents do happen even on very good roads and in excellent weather condition, but surely, common sense tells us that leaving our roads in a terrible state, is inviting terrible accidents, especially during the rainy season.

Also, we know what time of the year the rainy season comes, and we know that if we don’t build proper drains and carry out essential repairs on our roads before the rains start, there’s a strong likelihood of these roads being flooded by rain water that has no outlet to leave the roads.  We can’t pretend that we don’t know the history of our roads, and what attention each requires.  The country is awash with experts on roads.  Why aren’t they consulted?

Right now, on some major roads that are flooded, feeble attempts are being made to clear the gutters!   In the thick of the rainy season!  Workmen use their shovels to scoop out the mud blocking the gutters, and they leave it by the roadside right by the gutters they’re clearing.

Light rain comes and the mud is washed right back into the gutters, and it gets blocked, waiting for the rain to fall and the area flooded again.

This attitude on the part of our rulers is immature and doesn’t show seriousness of  purpose.

Serious road repairs should be carried out extensively during the dry season, and there should be no abandoned road project. Maybe we should legislate on this.  Bad roads is a serious and persistent issue in our lives, so, there’s no harm in passing a bill that road projects, once commissioned and started, must be completed.  Otherwise the government and the company handling the contract can be effectively sued.

Our piece generated a lot of  responses, and we thank all those who took the trouble to text in their views.  Regrettably, we  can only publish this lot.

‘Madam, thank you for your piece about getting a court order to fix our roads.  However, isn’t it a shame that our government doesn’t show enough sense of responsibility concerning this issue, and we will have to seek a court order to force them to do their job?  I hope experts in Law will do all it takes to see that groups, or individuals, like in the South African case you mentioned, will be able to sue government at any level to ensure that they put our roads in good order.

Here’s hoping that our judges will be neutral enough to enforce a ruling against the government. –   Adeoye,  Ife.’

‘Madam H.O., thanks for your write-up on how one can use court order against government to repair  bad roads. Governments at all levels in Nigeria are wicked, selfish, greedy and primitive, and that is why they don’t care about the people they claim to represent.  They also know that Nigerians are docile and cowards.  –  Vincent.’

‘Helen, there’s no way our judges, even the most radical, will ever give judgment against the government that pays their salaries, promotes them to a higher level, and give them hefty pensions when they retire.  They, in my opinion, will always put their own personal interests above those of our citizens.  This is not their fault.  It is the Nigerian factor in our lives, and judges, like other professionals, are part of us.  So, their attitude is just typical of Nigerians. The way forward is for our citizens to confront the government and force it at all levels of governance to repair the roads in their custody.

There’s nothing wrong in NLC calling for a strike to force the government to respect human lives and rehabilitate our roads. If they have the courage to do that, and the citizens cooperate, I’m convinced that the government will find the money to repair our roads, and keep them safe for us always. Thanks.   –  Soji, Abeokuta.’

‘Mrs Ovbiagele, why does everything have to be a struggle in this country?  Any reasonable person knows that good roads are of very useful importance to any nation, not only for the safe movement of citizens, but it also shows its level of  development. Good roads are one of the things that we go abroad to enjoy during our holidays. I doubt if there’s any one in government, or among our lawmakers who has never been abroad.  Why can’t they apply what they see there here so that we can gradually become a developed country?  Our roads are a disgrace. Anything that can push our government to make our roads safe is welcome; including sending negligent government officials and erring  contractors to jail, if necessary.  Thanks, Willian,  Agege, Lagos.

‘Madam, some months ago, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, called on the members of the National Assembly to pass a bill that would enable individuals to sue governments on the state of our roads.  He was ignored because they are more interested in their approved and unapproved jumbo salaries and allowances, to pass such a bill.  They, like the president and governors, travel by air and as such do not get stuck on our bad roads or get involved in the accidents caused by the gullies on our major road networks and which have become the waterloo of many hapless road users.

As long as a great chunk of our national and state budgets are spent to maintain the over-bloated political class in this our present expensive system of government, there will be little left for our roads, electricity, job creation, and to make our lives comfortable.  Period.  What a tragedy! –  Ifeka Okonkwo.’