Residents of the Anjorin community in Ojukoro, Lagos, are angry. They say the state government has left a drainage construction project undone. This has made flooding worse and caused them years of suffering.
The residents spoke with PUNCH Metro during a visit to their area. They claimed the unfinished drainage project on Olaofe Road, previously known as Agric Road, has turned the road into a bad state.
They explained that the state government started the drainage project about four years ago to fix flooding issues. But successive contractors have left the work half-done.
Dr Olu Johnson, the former Chairman of the Anjorin Community Development Association, shared that the road was good before the drainage project began. He said, “The government later commenced a drainage project along the road but failed to complete it.”
He added, “We had a very pleasant community, especially on that road. It was quite motorable, and there was no complaint whatsoever. The state government came and said they wanted to improve the drainage.”
He explained how the project started. “They brought excavators, cut down the trees and started digging the drainage, but they stopped halfway. They dumped clay and rubble on the road and abandoned the project. Today, the road is in a terrible condition,” Johnson lamented.
Johnson said three different contractors worked on the project but never finished it. “The first contractor came, destroyed everything and left after some months. Another contractor took over, worked briefly and also abandoned it.”
He continued, “The third contractor promised to complete the project within three months after meeting with community leaders, but he also left the site unfinished.”
He said, “The whole community is tired of this. We didn’t ask them to come and destroy our road. If they had left it the way it was, we would have been better off.”
Johnson mentioned that he has visited the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure several times, but nothing has changed. He said, “I have gone to Alausa about three times. Each time I went there, I was told a new engineer had been posted. They promised to inspect the site, but nothing would happen after that.”
He also complained about Ibitoye Street and the nearby NNPC Pipeline Road, saying many road projects in the area have been left unfinished for years. Johnson noted, “The abandoned drainage construction has worsened flooding and traffic congestion whenever it rains.”
He explained how bad it gets when it rains. “Any time it rains, movement becomes almost impossible. Residents have to wait for the flood to subside before they can leave their homes. The road causes serious traffic gridlock, and sometimes, elders in the community come out to control traffic because vehicles cannot pass freely.”
While visiting the community, our correspondent saw the bad state of the road and the abandoned drainage. Vehicles struggled to use the single lane on Olaofe Road.
Another resident, Richard Alonge, who is also a former Chairman of the Community Development Association, shared similar worries. He said poor supervision led to the repeated abandonment of the project.
Alonge stated, “This road has been awarded to about three or four different contractors. Each one comes, works for a short period and leaves. There is no proper supervision to ensure the work is done according to specification.”
He added that the unfinished drainage has made the road narrower. “The road has become so narrow that if two vehicles approach from opposite directions, one must stop to allow the other to pass.”
He warned that commercial motorcyclists also have a hard time moving around, which increases the risk of accidents. “They dug the drainage and left heaps of debris on one side of the road. They didn’t even clear the construction materials. That is what residents have been contending with,” Alonge said.
Resident Bodeoluwa Ijaware mentioned that people have started buying rubble to fill potholes to make the road usable. He called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to visit the community and ensure the drainage project is completed.
Ijaware said, “The environment has become dirty and unattractive. It doesn’t look like a modern community anymore. It affects traders and everybody living here. We want the governor to come and see what is happening here.”
He added, “The government should also monitor contractors handling public projects. They should ensure they complete the jobs according to specification and within the agreed time.”
Ijaware concluded, “Once contracts are awarded, there should be proper supervision so contractors do not abandon projects after collecting mobilisation.”
When contacted on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Adekunle Adeshina, did not respond to calls or a text message sent before this report was filed.
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