Badagry residents have expressed their displeasure over the deplorable state of the Mowo-Ikoga Road through a peaceful protest, questioning why the government has failed to fix this critical link between Lagos State and Ogun State. They vowed to escalate their action if urgent government intervention does not commence by July 1.
Protesters Demand Immediate Action
The protesters, led by legal practitioner and social activist Barrister Medemaku Abayomi Noah, expressed frustration over what they described as over a decade of neglect of the road. They stated that repeated appeals to authorities had yielded no meaningful reconstruction work on the road.
According to them, the road has deteriorated into a dangerous stretch, with frequent flooding during rainy seasons and recurring accidents that have reportedly claimed lives, including school children and other residents. They also lamented the economic strain the situation has placed on the community, noting that transportation has become slower, costlier, and more hazardous.
Weekly Demonstrations Planned
Speaking during the protest, Medemaku described the situation as unacceptable, accusing political leaders at the local, state, and federal levels of offering “empty promises” while residents continue to suffer. He said the youths would sustain weekly demonstrations every week until concrete action is taken to begin full reconstruction of the road.
He further warned that if no visible steps are taken by the end of June, residents would escalate their action by occupying the road indefinitely, effectively turning it into a sit-in protest until the government responds.
Frustration Among Drivers and Commuters
A commercial driver who participated in the protest also expressed deep frustration, saying residents had endured years of hardship and disappointment despite multiple appeals for intervention. He referenced earlier palliative works carried out before the election of Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, a member of the House of Representatives, noting that while such interventions once provided temporary relief, residents had expected a permanent solution after his assumption of office.
He added that many voters felt let down by the continued poor condition of the road, though he acknowledged that limited palliative efforts had once helped ease movement along the corridor.
Commuters Support the Protest
Commuters who witnessed the protest commended the youths for what they described as a long-overdue action, lamenting that the road’s poor state has drastically reduced vehicle lifespan and turned a journey of less than ten minutes into a frustrating commute of over thirty minutes.
A passerby said, “This is why we voted Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, the current House of Representative Member, but for the past three years in office, what has he done for his people? You only see them when election is coming, making promises of heaven and earth, but by the time they emerge, they forget all the promises.”
