31st July, 2015
Eromosele Ebhomele
If the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, agrees to implement a resolution of the state House of Assembly passed on Thursday, then residents of the Agege, Pen-Cinema, and Iju areas of Lagos, western Nigeria could soon be relieved of the heavy gridlock that has for years hindered smooth daily activities for people in the areas as well as those who ply the routes leading to Pen-Cinema.
The lawmakers passed the resolution asking Ambode to begin work on creating a fly-over around the every busy Pen-Cinema area of Agege to ease congestion as well as the terrible traffic snare that the place has come to be known for.
They asked the governor to urgently direct the appropriate ministry, agency or parastatal to embark on the construction of flyover across Pen Cinema to connect Oba Ogunji/Agunbiade and Iju roads as part of implementation of the Agege/Ifako Model City plan.
The motion for this was moved by Oluyinka Ogundimu, the representative of Agege Constituency I.
The lawmaker was supported by many of his colleagues who noted the importance of flyovers built across the state and arguing that this would help to reduce human and vehicular traffic.
Apart from this, they said such a flyover in the area would help save human lives while enhacing and promoting economic activities in around Agege and its adjoining areas.
The lawmakers further observed that motorists and commuters plying the Agege axis, en-route Pen-Cinema usually experience daily chaotic traffic jam leading to incessant accidents, traffic gridlocks, loss of lives, loss of time and untold hardship on residents of the area.
The lawmakers noted that the Agege/ Ifako Model City plan provides for a flyover across Pen Cinema connecting Oba Ogunji/Agunbiade and Iju Road.
They however lamented that because the plan was yet to be implemented, residents and motorists have constantly experienced untold hardships while using the roads leading to Pen-Cinema.
This development, according to them, is worrisome and unless steps are taken by the state government to address the problem, the teeming population of the state, whose economic activities are tied to this axis, would continue to suffer.
In his contribution, Sola Giwa of Lagos Island Constituency I enjoined his colleagues to support the motion and urged the government to put population growth and infrastructural development into consideration while planning the city.
Tunde Braimoh representing Kosofe Constituency 2 compared the Pen-Cinema junction with the Ojuelegba junction in the Surulere area of Lagos and the Mokola junction in Ibadan.
He cited the construction of flyovers at these aforementioned junctions as a great relief to the motorists in these areas.
He therefore urged the state government to take cue and embark on the construction.
Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, another lawmaker who supported the motion, called on the state government to appreciate the population of the people of Agege, which is still rising.
She noted that Agege has about 10 housing estates and as such deserves such an infrastructure.