Year after year, reports emerge in the press about the pitiful condition of the roads in Lagos suburbs, the town of Kirikiri. Countless accidents occur on its most frequently-used, busy Dillion Street; road users, residents lose lives, property, businesses and time because of the terrible state of the road.
A densely populated town in the Oriade Local Council Development Area of Lagos state with some spicing of industrial presence is home to the biggest prison in Nigeria – the female, medium and maximum security Kirikiri prisons.
Although a thing of the past to every Nigerian, hearing someone mention they live in Kirikiri means the person admitting to their prisoner status. But in reality, Kirikiri has two sets of people: those that dwell behind the “walls” and those who reside outside. Kirikiri town, which is as old as the Lagos state itself, is attracting manufacturers and bonded terminal moguls. This explains the dense movement of heavy vehicles in and out of the area.
Although a thing of the past to every Nigerian, hearing someone mention they live in Kirikiri means the person admitting to their prisoner status. But in reality, Kirikiri has two sets of people: those that dwell behind the “walls” and those who reside outside. Kirikiri town, which is as old as the Lagos state itself, is attracting manufacturers and bonded terminal moguls. This explains the dense movement of heavy vehicles in and out of the area.
The importance of the town cannot be overemphasized as the entry point into the Nigerian naval base, aside from it being a shortcut to other areas within the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of the state. The general state of the town is pathetic and has sunk deeper into a state of abandonment. Absence of motorable roads is glaring.
“I was a cashier in Macdon’s, but because of the bad state of the Dillion road, we were having poor sales that gradually led to the shutdown of our branch, all because of this road!” lamented Obianuju, a resident of Dillion Street. Her sad view is shared by many residents of the town who believe the state and local governments deliberately abandon the town to its fate.
Here is what the security man attached to the gates of one of the best schools in Kirikiri town, Broadway Junior School, has to say: “Oga, I no go lie, this road really dey affect our school bad bad, and we dey lose most of our pupils.”
Sometime last year, a motorcycle (popularly known as Okada) lost control and fell into the gutters. The bike rider and his passenger were hospitalized in critical conditions. Also last year, the driver of a trailer conveying two containers lost control and fell sideways, destroying the goods in the containers worth millions of naira in the process. Also a man's belly was ripped open when he fell from a bike due to the poor state of the road.
St. Paul Anglican Church, a popular church in Kirikiri, is not left out on the pains caused by the deplorable state of the Dillion road, as worshipers from Olodi Apapa are now seeking for other churches close to them instead of coming to worship at Saint Paul. The pains felt daily by the residents of Kirikiri due to the poor state of the roads in the town, especially the Dillion Street road, are unimaginable. As long as that road remains unattended to, their sufferings continue.
One of the roles of government is looking into the plight of its citizens and fixing such problems to ensure better living among the citizenry.
The road construction needs to be constructed speedily without any form of delay because residents and all road users in Nigeria have suffered enough. However, residents have expressed gratitude those who saw to it that Dillion Street in Kirikiri town is put together, piece by piece.
“I was a cashier in Macdon’s, but because of the bad state of the Dillion road, we were having poor sales that gradually led to the shutdown of our branch, all because of this road!” lamented Obianuju, a resident of Dillion Street. Her sad view is shared by many residents of the town who believe the state and local governments deliberately abandon the town to its fate.
Here is what the security man attached to the gates of one of the best schools in Kirikiri town, Broadway Junior School, has to say: “Oga, I no go lie, this road really dey affect our school bad bad, and we dey lose most of our pupils.”
Sometime last year, a motorcycle (popularly known as Okada) lost control and fell into the gutters. The bike rider and his passenger were hospitalized in critical conditions. Also last year, the driver of a trailer conveying two containers lost control and fell sideways, destroying the goods in the containers worth millions of naira in the process. Also a man's belly was ripped open when he fell from a bike due to the poor state of the road.
St. Paul Anglican Church, a popular church in Kirikiri, is not left out on the pains caused by the deplorable state of the Dillion road, as worshipers from Olodi Apapa are now seeking for other churches close to them instead of coming to worship at Saint Paul. The pains felt daily by the residents of Kirikiri due to the poor state of the roads in the town, especially the Dillion Street road, are unimaginable. As long as that road remains unattended to, their sufferings continue.
One of the roles of government is looking into the plight of its citizens and fixing such problems to ensure better living among the citizenry.
The road construction needs to be constructed speedily without any form of delay because residents and all road users in Nigeria have suffered enough. However, residents have expressed gratitude those who saw to it that Dillion Street in Kirikiri town is put together, piece by piece.
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