Some concerned residents and stakeholder of Ikorodu local government have come tough on the local government chairman, Hon Wasiu Adeshina and his team for not doing anything to address the chaotic traffic situation at the popular Ikorodu garage-roundabout, caused by the activities of street traders, okada, marwa and commercial cab operators.
In a message tagged “A Ship of a Community Road heading towards a rock” a stakeholder and founder of Ikorodu Ambassadors group, a leading youth organization in the community, Rasheed Fatuga wrote; ‘Goods have been displayed on the sidewalks, passerby now walk on the main road, they are scared and they panic, because as much as they don’t want to collide with the displayed products, they also don’t want to be hit by a moving truck, and in this case, they becomes a victim of pick pocketing, which has become the order of the day, because the road is already jam-packed’.
He stated further that, ‘wheel barrows, Gas cookers, Stoves, Pepper grinding machines and Generators all on this same road. Motorcycles (Okada), Tricycles (Keke Marwa) and Taxi/cab (Public Passengers vehicles) all on this road.
Some people have even moved their restaurants down to this road, they now set up dining room for customers on the sidewalks’.
The truth is, people can enjoy for as long as possible with all these acts on this road, but when the distress comes, we will all regret it, and by then it will not be only the market women and men only, it might be a passerby, or even you that has the capacity to control this ugly act, but chooses not to.
Even the ones that have shops in town have abandoned their stores and choose this road as their first choice. Many Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo traders now come from to this road to display their wares.
Another stakeholder also cited the instance of Sabo market, also under the control of the local government, ‘This is a menace that need to be quickly addressed, the same thing is happening in Sabo market. All the shops at Sabo are presently empty while market women and men display their wares on the road and make the road unpassable, yet people who used their hard-earned money to buy shops to let are groaning in loss and the Local government collects money from both these shop owners, the street hawkers and the street traders on the road without reigning in law and order.
The stakeholders further challenged ‘the local government should display some political will and handle this serious issues as Ikorodu is the fastest growing town in Lagos State and the earlier we are ready the better.
Meanwhile, Hon Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, vice Chairman, Ikorodu local government in a chat with Ikorodu Oa Radio has assured residents that the local government administration is not unaware of the chaotic situation at the garage-round about and is on its toes to restore normalcy to the spot very soon.
