Time To Fix Ore Road

Works minister, Babatunde Fashola, is a veteran of many battles. As governor of Lagos State for eight years, he was never afraid to take the bull by the horns. Once his mind was made up, he crushed any obstacle, human or material, that stood on the way to development. Oshodi, once dreaded as the den of criminals and another name for gridlock, was turned to a smooth alley that welcomed the best of entrepreneurs and entertainers.

President Muhammadu Buhari must have been so impressed that he picked Fashola to head three powerful ministries put together as one in this new era of change. The ex- governor is Minister of Works, Power and Housing. That sounds tough but he was so chosen to get things going. The going is really tough.
The minister recently addressed a press conference where he announced government’s plan to bring back toll gates which were dismantled by the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo following the introduction of fuel tax. As part of renewed efforts to increase earnings, road users will have to bear part of the burden of maintaining Federal Government highways across the country. This disclosure by Fashola will surely attract reactions from Nigerians, especially the opposition. Paying more at a time when most Nigerians are complaining of harsh economic environment does not sound attractive for now.
There is this lingering suspicion that pronouncements are so easily made without consulting with stake holders. While we allow the minister freedom to address the world, there is need to make the people believe that this government of change is also a listening administration.
It is in this regard that we ask Fashola to drive down to Ore from Lagos as part of his job as Works minister. The taste of the pudding is in the eating. A Works minister must be on the move. During his tenure as Minister of works under President Ibrahim Babangida, Major General Mamman Kontangora refused to fly around the country.
His conviction was that he needed to feel what other users were going through. And to a large degree, roads received the necessary attention. Driving down to Ore from Lagos will be the tonic Fashola needs to get cracking for there are so many roads begging for attention. Moving from Calabar to Itu is an experience that has kept many in Cross River State wondering if indeed they are part of the country. The Enugu -Port Harcourt Expressway is highway to the coffin for it is easier to die on that road than in the hospital. Ibadan to Ife is not any better. This is Yuletide, that is why we want to single out Sagamu to Ore for starters.
There is a huge population moving towards that axis. Travellers by road to Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta,Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Benue states respectively are condemned to ply that route. After going through the madness called Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, motorists begin a tortous journey that keeps them on the road hours on end.
The trip from Sagamu to Ore is a nightmare. While the vehicles quake due to the pot holes that litter the journey, passengers are in pains having to sit down for days going through a journey that ordinarily should take an hour. It is not a sight to behold, seeing children wailing while a long stretch of vehicles paints a picture of a country whose leaders do not care about the plight of the citizens. Mr. Fashola can do little to rehabilitate that road before the end of the year. However, that is not an excuse to stay away. We urge him to make a quick trip to see things for himself. This is not the time to make speeches and address the press. Nigerians want action.
For decades now, it remains the same old story. When Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke made her first trip as Works minister in 2007, she wept on that road. Eight years after that famous flood of tears, compatriots are still wailing on the the road. Many have gone through traffic accidents.
Our roads need urgent attention. We expected Fashola to declare an emergency on all Federal roads. Talking about retolling the highways does not appeal to many at this time when so much money that should have been used on the roads were diverted to personal and political pockets.