By Prisca Sam-Duru

The condition of Agura/Gberigbe road got horrible with the downpour on Sunday morning. For residents in this area, it was a total lockdown as no easy way in and no way out. They were caged! 

Motorists whose vehicles didn’t breakdown at the usual terrible joints- One Fold and Fomon Bus stops, had theirs packed, hoping and praying that the flood level goes down. Transporters who navigated through Ijede to and fro Ikorodu garage, hiked their prices.

Up till now, if you don’t have up to at least 2,000 naira in your pocket, don’t think about going to Ikorodu garage. This is same distance people paid as less as 100 naira to get to, few years back. 

Too bad, while others are suffering hike in transportation fare due to subsidy removal, residents of Agura/Gberigbe have theirs doubled due to bad road.

And so, by Monday morning, the road was deserted.

As for individuals who needed to go out, they were left with only one choice — walk through the flood water.

A viral video shot by an individual that same Sunday morning says it all. The flood at One Fold bus stop has eaten into people’s shops and homes. Pedestrians were seen, walking in the flood water, through what’s left of the shops and compounds.

A little sunshine on Tuesday and people thought the flood water will begin to go down, but by Wednesday, the heavens opened again and no need to imagine what the road looks like. It was deserted again! 

Nobody dared go through as the bus stops were completely covered by flood water. Even the police officers that usually camped immediately after AP bus stop, with another set, pitching their tent at Ayo Block bus stop, collecting money from motorists, have relocated. They have been sighted around Oke Letu along Ijede road.

When asked why they relocated, one of them said it was because motorists abandoned Gberigbe road due to its terrible condition.

It looks as if the government delights in seeing the people suffer before doing the right thing otherwise, what stopped and still stops them from doing some palliatives on the road pending when real construction will continue from Gbodu Junction where they stopped?