Agege residents anxious for speedy completion of Pen Cinema bridge

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Chris Paul Otaigbe

Residents, traders and small business owners have expressed anxiety for the speedy completion of the flyover bridge at Pen Cinema area in Agege, Lagos.

Many of the respondents, who are largely traders, commercial transporters, tricycle operators and commercial motorcyclists among others, say the job and the pace of work on the bridge has slowed down business activities in the area.

Sule Jimoh is a member of the executive administering one of the motor parks in the area. He said the bridge project is a welcome development and the people are happy that the project was born in the first place as it would serve the people of Lagos State. However, the residents and traders within the area have had to sacrifice as the construction had affected their businesses. “For instance, our Park used to be on the other side, but since the construction began, we had had to move to this side of the bridge to make way.” Said Sule.

Solomon Abamere, is a tricycle, popularly known in Lagos as keke Marwa, rider. He believes the bridge has affected his transport business. “It has changed our route.

Before we used to pass behind the Housing Estate. Now, we are made to pass through the Estate. But the challenge is that men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) harass us often on that route.” said Solomon.

Aduke Dele, a fish seller, said before, she was selling an average of fifteen cartons of fish daily. “But now, I can barely sell four per day because most of my customers take other routes that are not connected to my side of the road…” Aduke lamented.

She, however, appreciated the State Government for taking the bold initiative to give Lagosian a huge project as the Pen Cinema bidge. She relocated to Agege in the year the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was buried; 1987.

Sister Bello Felicia, a food seller, who has been a resident of the Pen Cinema area of Agege but who started her own business five years ago, also lamented that before the bridge construction started, all was well with her business “ but immediately they started clearing the road, barricading, doing diversions and destroying houses that stood in the way of the bridge, the whole area became a mess of confusion. I started losing my customers because some of them had challenges coming to my area as they had to take other routes… and there are other Provision sellers around those areas too…” Felicia said. However, she is optimistic that once the bridge is completed and commissioned, it would be to the benefit of all “and things will become normal again…: she said.

Olayemi Ibikunle has been a resident for over ten years in Agege and she prays for the speedy completion of the project so that her business can return to its old state of profit making. “I really pray they finish the bridge on time because it has not been easy, I tell you. It has been a big problem getting customers. Although, people pass through here and there was lots of traffic before Sanwo-Olu recently got workers to level the pot holes and also due to the fact that this Pen cinema road happens to be the major road linking Pen cinema to Abattoir and then to Lagos- Abeokuta road.”
Olayemi enlightened.

Emma Archibong is an Okada (commercial bike) rider at the Pen Cinema Okada Park. He said people had been struggling to survive with their family and children.

“For more than two years now, nothing has been going on and it is making life difficult.” He grieved

For Emma, he wished the bridge can be completed, in due time “so that people will be able to go out and source for their daily bread, so the government should help us to survive. We are hoping that things will come back to normal again.” He said

An angry Adeolu Adelegan, who drives a commercial bus believes it is a form of restriction “and they have not been working on it and doesn’t pay us because we can’t get passengers again like before.” He said. However, he expects the bridge to be completed within specified time, “hopefully, very soon.”

“It is disturbing my work and it’s a major challenge being auto-mobile personnel, vehicles cannot get to this side. When rain starts also, it’s nothing to talk about because the road slips into its worst condition.

This bridge is not in the best condition and the government should come to our aid.

“Said Lekan Ajibade, a commercial bus operator at the Pen cinema Park.
Kehinde Amoo is a Provision seller, she said “it is really affecting us here because we are unable to sell our goods. If vehicles could be allowed to pass through this path, they will be able to link with the other side and this will make them aware of what we are selling but it’s so unfortunate. “

Kehinde advised government to ensure the bridge is completed quickly, “then transporters and passengers will be able to purchase our products.” She said
Adebowale Owoyele is a Welder and he said since the construction started, he had been losing customers; “as a welder in this location it’s really affecting my business.

It’s over a year now, there is no good road to pass and everywhere is blocked.”

Vehicles are restricted from getting to the side of the axis where Adebowale runs his business “and because of that, they don’t know what we are selling talk less of patronizing us.” He cried

Justin Chikere is an Electrician whose shop is located at Pen Cinema. He however, speaks of the impairment of his movement. “It had affected my movement in the sense that the on-going construction is occupying some space and people find it difficult to move freely. You have to look for another route because there are so many construction equipment being kept there which is blocking the space where people normally move through and also the crowd there which makes the path choked up. Even with that, we still pass through by managing since it’s for the development of Agege and if they don’t construct that place well, it won’t be okay during raining season for movement.” He warned.

Despite the discomfort Justin is going through, he still nurses some level of conviction. He is convinced the Lagos State government is trying to construct the bridge to the best of standards and be strong and reliable in the sense that people can move through it, under it and make that place better and attractive.

“I expect that in the next four years if they don’t abandon it, if they should continue with it in the nearest four years it will be better and convenient for the people passing that route even when rain falls.” Said Justin.

Last year the Lagos State Government embarked on a total reconstruction of the Agege Pen Cinema flyover. Speaking on the rationale for the project, Akinwunmi Ambode, the immediate past governor of the State said then that the project become necessary because Agege is fast becoming an urban area and the traffic was becoming unbearable due to the large influx of vehicles on that route.

He said, at the time, the bridge will help decongest traffic across Iju Road, Old Abeokuta Road, and Oba Ogunji Street.

The contract was awarded to Hi-Tech Construction Company Limited and the company had promised to complete the bridge before December 2018. This was later shifted to May 2019.

Project Manager on site, Mr. Willie Barkhuisen while briefing members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch and officials of the Lagos Ministry of Works and Infrastructure during a technical visit to the construction site some time ago, explained that about 264 pile works needed for the project has been successfully put in place saying that when the project is completed; it has the capacity to last for more than 50years.

The 1.4km Flyover, which runs from Agege to the Abeokuta Expressway, is expected to address the perennial traffic often associated with the Agege community.

Mr. Barkhuisen said the company sourced material like cement locally, got others from overseas, stressing that 85 per cent of the materials were locally sourced.

Commending the community for their support, Barkhuisen described the bridge as the best so far seen.
Speaking on the tour, the chairman of Ikeja branch of NSE, Mrs. Olufunmilade

Akingbagbohun commended the Lagos State government for initiating the project, stressing that the visit was to look at the quality of work and certify the bridge for use by residents.

Akingbagohun said the project is also a sort of exposure for her members because apart from the Lagos State engineers that are on the project, there is a consultant working on it who is from Germany and so it is an opportunity to learn new ideas/ innovations.

She said the body decided to bring in its members to contribute its own quota to what the Lagos state government is doing. Most of its registered engineers are also working on the project to ensure that the government come up with a bridge that will not collapse.

According to her, members of the Society are distributed to different projects within the metropolis, “we have some working on the Pen Cinema project and others on Airport Road reconstruction works as well as the hinterlands. We are impressed with the quality of the works and the local content put into the project. We are happy to know that there are bye-passes that would ease the traffic and bring a lasting solution to the people of Agege and people from Abule Egba area” she added.

Also, a representative of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Abiola Kosegbe, said the project when completed, would bring economic relief and improve property value in Agege.

However, the company failed to deliver the Project on time as promised. According to one of the workers on site who pleaded anonymity, the project was paused when political activities for the 2019 Elections started. More so, the rift between Ambode and Bola Ahmed Tinubu did much damage to the continued construction of the bridge. “Work virtually grounded to a halt as money was not being released, for us to continue the work. As you know when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

That was our case during all that time…”

Attempts to reach the Construction company officials or Mr. Barkhusien were unsuccessful.

Biola Oluwa Gbenga is the Secretary to the Agege Local Government. He said the origin of the idea for the bridge was muted by the current Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. The Agege bridge according to him would be the longest bridge ever constructed by a State Government, even in Lagos State. A very long bridge and a huge project, the implementation was initiated by the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode. However, towards the end of Ambode’s administration, there was really not much work being done on the project and operations virtually grounded to a halt. But the government of Jide Sanwo-Olu has put plans in place to ensure that the work is completed and the bridge put to use for the people of Lagos State.

He urged the people of Lagos to be patient “because it is a new Administration and would need some time to put things together so on completion, the bridge can deliver value to Lagos State and Lagosians” said Abiola.

In the company of his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the current Governor of Lagos State, Jide Sanwo-Olu had, on Sunday, July 21, 2019, paid a visit to the construction site where he said there will soon be respite for motorists plying Agege-Pen Cinema axis in Lagos.
He assured of accelerated completion of the abandoned Pen-Cinema Bridge. The Governor spoke while inspecting ongoing rehabilitation work on major roads in Iju area of the state by Lagos State Public Works Corporation.

Sanwo-Olu said the contractor handling the bridge construction was being prepared for re-mobilization back on the site. Expressing concern over the pains residents go through due to regular gridlock on the alternative routes occasioned by abandoned project, Sanwo-Olu said his government would compensate for the discomfort by ensuring timely completion of the bridge.

“Our promise is that, if it is not by end of this month; then, by next month, the contractors will be fully mobilized back on sites to complete the work. We are particularly concerned about the pain motorists are going through because of the incomplete construction of the Pen-Cinema Bridge. We are hoping that the contractor handling the bridge construction, too, will be mobilized back on site.” Sanwo-Olu promised

The State Governor said once his administration pushes this critical infrastructure and get it completed, relief would come to residents in the area.

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