Mile2--Badagry: Drivers, commuters, residents lament hardship

Aliu Akeem

Drivers and commuters plying the Mile 2 to Badagry road have expressed displeasure over the continued scourge of traffic on the Mile 2 to Badagry corridor. This is due to the lack of good road and continued extortions by the constables.

The Social Watch, learnt that commuters and drivers were left stranded in a traffic for 3hrs crossing a bridge from Oto Awori to Agbara last week. 

The driver Mr Chinedu, said it has become a normal abnornamilty that buses are left to be stranded and made to spend 10hours in a journey of 2hrs from Mile 2-- to Badagry.

Also, another driver Mr Wasiu (Wese) spoke to our newsmen and he laments in Yoruba that "the problem of this area is the bad road. Infact, there is no road leading to Badagry. What we have is a pathway. I hope the government can come to our aid and solve this problem."

A commuter Mr Chuks, around the Iyana Iba axis said " it is even better today. If it rains, you can't pass this road. Your 24hrs will be wasted here. We don tire." He lamented.

Meanwhile, Chief Hunu from Mowo in Badagry, attributes the cause of the situation to bad leadership. He talked on the politics being played on the road project. He made reference to the fruitful Babatunde Raji Fashola era of 8 years, Ambode's impactless 4years and now Sanwolu. He advises Badagrians to turn against unfavorable politics and start a new course.

On the other side of the hardship, police are seen everywhere collecting what they call O.D. (officer on duty) from drivers. Usually, they establish their checkpoints at the places with the biggest and deepest potholes, where drivers can't escape them. 

One Mr Sewanu, at Badagry Roundabout complained that " the presence of these one million police officers is not for any security reasons. Once they are told of any armed robbery cases, they flee. It's simply to make life tough for us. No other benefits."

To Mr Kunle, who lives in Seme Border, he laments that" These people are just on the road to make life difficult for us. There are over 40 checkpoints from Seme Border to Mowo, collecting 100 each from drivers. How can the drivers survive? We are the one suffering it. Because of this, any bustop from Seme to Badagry Roundabout is 500 Naira from formerly, 100 before convid-19.  Can you imagine that? That is the result of their impacts here. 

To Mrs Oyen, who resides in Seme and works in the main Badagry town, she laments that it has become a big problem getting cabs from Seme to Badagry especially in the early morning uptil 12:noon, because the number of police men on the road in the morning increases to about 44 checkpoints, so drivers tend to avoid plying the road until the number of those checkpoints reduces to its 38 in the afternoon. So many times, I will have to go to office late." 

These are the daily agonies faced by the residents of the axis.