OJOTA FOOT BRIDGE NEEDS EXPANSION - RESIDENTS TELL LAGOS GOVERNOR

Some pedestrians have appealed to Lagos State Government to expand the pedestrian bridge in Ojota to accommodate higher volume of human traffic.The pedestrians, in separate interviews, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Laos on Wednesday that long queues on the bridge during peak periods was threatening the safety of users.

Pastor Henry Ewedadu of the Redeemed Christian Church of God urged government to expand the bridge to cope with the current high human traffic. 

“The solution to this increased pressure on this bridge is to look for a way of expansion because this bridge has become so narrow due to the traffic. “Human traffic is so heavy now, particularly now that they have barricaded the road and people can no longer cross the expressway,’’ he said. 

A business woman, Mrs Bola Bello, said that access to the bridge was usually delayed due to long queues of users. 

“They should expand it because we find it difficult descending and ascending the bridge,’’ she said.

An octogenarian, Mrs Shaki Omoniyi, said that the steps on the bridge were too steep and should be expanded to include ramps. “At times the queue will start from Ogudu bus stop and after the long struggle to get to the bridge I must climb again and it is too high for my age. “I am sick and I am a retiree, I must go to hospital for my treatment.

Any day my children cannot take me, I must face this horror. “Governor Ambode should please help us the old people and God will bless him,’’ she said. Mr Mosis Mene, a businessman, also appealed to government to expand the bridge for security reasons. “Every day, we have to shove through people and robbers can take advantage of the situation, a quick expansion is necessary,’’ he said. A cart pusher, Mallam Ali Danballa, appealed to government to expand the bridge to include ramps to make it easy for those who were carrying trolleys and wheel barrows across. 

“There are two major motor parks here and we usually help travelers and traders to carry their goods. “But when we get to this bridge, we have to carry the goods on our heads and later the wheel barrows to cross over to the other side of the highway. 

“They have put barricades on the expressway to make our business very difficult. “We are begging our governor to construct the beautiful types of foot bridges with ramps like the ones we see at Oshodi and other parts of Lagos,’’ he said.

An official of the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, who did not want to be mentioned, told NAN that plans were in the pipeline to construct a steel bridge to complement the existing foot bridge in the area. NAN correspondents report that pedestrians thronged the foot bridge in large numbers during the peak hours. NAN observed that a barricade on the steps to separate pedestrians descending and ascending has slowed down access on the sides with higher population of users.