‘Save us from imminent flood’ — Oko Oba residents ask Sanwo-Olu to fix major road

Residents of Taiwo Adewunmi/ Imafidon Crescent, Oko Oba GRA Scheme 1 of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the Jide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of the state, to complete a major road abandoned for the past three years.

Construction began on the 977-metre road in 2019, shortly after it was awarded to Riviera Resources Limited in 2018. Three years on, the road is yet to be completed.

While staging protest last week, the residents carried numerous placards mirroring their ordeal; some read “nine months have turned to three years”, “Mr. Governor rescue us”, “we are in pain, help us,” and “save us from impending flood”.

Ayobade Obajimi, chairman of Oko Oba GRA Scheme 1, said the construction was expected to last only nine months, but it has now gone on for three years and without completion in sight.

“We know that the government is not owing the contractor any money,” he said, suggesting that the contractors were the ones delaying the project.

“We had written letters to office of the governor, deputy governor, special adviser on works and infrastructure and the speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. What we need from them is to prevail on Riviera Resources to come and complete the road before the rain starts,” he added.

He said after the letters were received by the state government, “the contractor came to the estate and disappeared again. We are sick and tired. We want the contractor to move in and complete the project.”

“We have a lot of hope and trust in the administration of Gov. Sanwo-Olu that after he has received our letter and work on it, we find it unthinkable that nothing would be done. He cannot see us suffering and protesting and would not do anything.”

Taiwo Adewunmi, one of the residents, whom the street was named after said he was the first person to move to the area.

“I am the first person to move here. I came here in 2003. This road was not motorable. We have spent over N20 million on roads in the estate before the road was awarded to the contractor. We are appealing to Lagos State Government to come to our rescue,” he said.

Olatunbosun Fasasin, the councilor representing Ward A Ojokoro LCDA, said he had been residing in the estate for almost two decades, and has the same plea as everyone else living there.

“All we are saying now is for the governor to invite the contractor to complete the road because our people are suffering,” he said.

“The raining season is approaching. The estate has written a lot of letters. There is little I could do because this goes beyond what the local government can do. I have tried several efforts but to no avail.”

Riviera Resources is yet to respond to queries about the road.