Residents of Oyo State under the aegis of Concerned Youth for Welfare have written to Speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila about the lack of pedestrian bridges on the Lagos-Ibadan highway, resulting in loss of life.
The residents applied for Gbajabiamila through the lawmaker representing Oluyole federal constituency in Oyo state in the House, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.
However, the House refused to admit the petition at its last session on December 28, 2022, despite Akande-Sadipe’s efforts to convince members who opposed it.
Entitled ‘Petition for Safety of Lives’, it was signed by CYWEL Coordinator, Abdulsalam Oladimeji; and the Secretary, Raheem Muhyiddeen.
The petition read: “The above-mentioned organization, on behalf of all the people and passers-by of Oyo State, writes this petition with great sorrow and sorrow about how lives are lost almost daily on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“We sincerely appreciate the construction of the expressway from Lagos to Ibadan. In fact it is a great project. However, considering the width of the road and the population of users on a daily basis, it has become a death trap and really dangerous for users to cross. This has endangered many lives many times and at the same time threatening others.
“For the safety of road users and all the people of Oyo State, we beg your honorable office to influence and speed up the construction of pedestrian bridges from Technical University, Toll Gate, Soka, Sanyo, Boluwaji, Academy, Olorunsogo to Ojoo. .
“This will certainly gladden our hearts if it is granted to us. Pictorial evidence of some of the incidents is attached on the back. Thank you in advance and we look forward to receiving a positive response from you.”
The attached document contains bloody photographs of people said to have been the victims of a highway hit-and-run.
In a conversation with our correspondent, Akande-Sadipe noted that he would bring the petition back on January 17, 2023 when the National Assembly resumes after the Christmas and New Year holidays if nothing is done to address the demands.
“Look why I was frustrated. I do not give up. I will return on the 17th with another attempt, ”he said.
The Lagos-Ibadan highway, which is 127.6 kilometers or 79.3 miles long, is currently under reconstruction.
The highway is ranked as one of the busiest interstate highways in Nigeria. It connects Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and Lagos, the economic capital of the country. It also links Lagos, which is home to the country’s largest airports and seaports, with other southwestern states and other geopolitical zones.
