BY HUGO ODIOGOR
Hopes that failed road linking Ago Palace way and Amuwo Odofin will get the attention of Lagos State government during this dry season has evaporated as the Chinese Construction firm working on the site has pulled out their equipments.

Embattled members of the fast emerging high brow area of Isolo Local Development Area are contemplating another self help effort to keep the road useable with the coming of the dry season which has drained the perennial flood water on the road.

Among those embarking on the self help are the Landlord Association of Park View Estate, the Ago Unit of National Union of Road Transport Workers and owners of businesses on the failed road which the Lagos State Government. The Chinese Construction contractor (CECC), has completed the contentious portion of the Ago Palace way from the Okota junction up to Century Bus stop end after so many delays and agonies that was inflicted on the users of the road.

Vanguard learnt that the contractors pulled out because the  contract for the fourth phase of the Ago Palace Way to cover the length from Century Hotel to the end of the road has not been awarded.
Worried by the latest development, some of the residents told Vanguard that the government is not keen on extending work on the road during the tenure of Governor Fashola.

Chief Adebisi Ajomo who owns property at Park View Estate,  Ago said; “Two years ago, the story was that the road was not captured in the budget. Later the story changed that the House cut the budge t of the government, now we don’t know what story they will tell us, but you can see that the  Contractors have left.”

Chief Bright Ojiako who lives in Trinity Estate said the road work cannot continue with the present government. He said; “Last year, we embarked on self help effort to rescue the road from total collapse We went through endless agony caused by the deplorable condition of the road, with the end of the rain we thought some work will be done, but now, that hope is gone. We contributed  funds and human resources to fill the deep potholes with hard core stones and granites”.

Financial Secretary of NURTW, Mr. Ajose Taiwo said; “The failed section of the road has become a nightmare particularly at the Park view Estate gate, for their business and for the residents of Ago who ply the road daily.
He said this situation has frequently caused their buses to breakdown in the middle of the flood and in the process, forces passengers to disembark into pool of water or pay area boys to carry them out of the buses across the flood water.

According to Taiwo; “Each trip of a Ten-tyre truckload costs between N120, 000.00 to N140, 000.00,and the landlords supply between six to eight of such truck loads to the site.”
The Auditor of the Union, Mr. Fatayi Olaifa said in the past, Christ Embassy had been active in supporting to carry out repair work on the road, but they have disappeared and other churches and organized groups who should join  to make the road useable are nowhere to be found.

Olaifa, said; “We want to continue to appeal to the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to have a change of heart on  Ago road. We need drainage at both sides of the busy road to channel away the rain water.”
Chairman of the LCDA Shamsudeen Abiodun Olaleye  i said to be fond  of dumping red sand on the streets, without getting the caterpillars to  spread it, there by worsening the situation.

On his inspection of the Ago failed road last June Lagos State State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure,  Obafemi Hamzat promised that palliative works would be carried out on the road at the cost N90million. The work was to take about 8 weeks to complete.

Mr. Austin Anyaso, a resident of Ago in his contribution  said; “The traffic gridlock on the road has continued unabatted, the  N90million palliative works did not achieve the desired result.It did not  ease  flow of  rain waters because they did not do any work at all.”