Ambode and the Changing Face of Alimosho

Olufemi Akanbi

Having lived within Alimosho axis virtually all my entire life and I am getting close to 60 years, I must say that the transformation that has taken place in our area within two years of Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration is unprecedented. I say this with all sense of responsibility as a man of God and a resident who has directly benefited from the Midas touch of the governor in transforming our area.
At the inception of his administration, Governor Ambode promised to run an all-inclusive government where no area is left behind in the scheme of things and true to his words, the hitherto forgotten Alimosho has been positively affected in many ways through various developmental projects initiated by the governor, and the good thing however, is that the man at the helm of affairs in the centre of excellence is still poised to do more for the people.

I recall vividly on January 21, 2016, when Governor Ambode embarked on an inspection tour of our area precisely Ajasa-Command road, starting from Ile-Iwe Junction to Command which was at that time in very deplorable state. It was indeed a two-lane road that could barely accommodate two vehicles at a time with big potholes dotting various segments of the road.

The road was always a nightmare to residents of the area causing knotty gridlock especially shortly after the Meiran Police Station inward Command where motorists would have to wait for one another due to a big ditch which at that time was almost causing total failure of the road.

On that fateful and eventful day, Governor Ambode expressed absolute displeasure at the deplorable conditions of our roads and promised us that work would commence within two weeks.

True to his words, work not only commenced as announced by the governor but today, Ajasa-Command can boast of a dual-carriage road from Ile-Iwe Junction to Command with drainage system, walkway, street lightening, modern bus-stops and a bridge.

As a resident who has directly benefited from the road construction, I must say that this has brought succor to us in terms of free movement and a boom in business activities. At night, our area now has a nickname called by many as Ajasa-London due to the street lights which are always on.

With respect to Aboru and Abesan communities; as a matter of fact, Governor Ambode surpassed our expectations by carrying out massive upgrade of the network of roads within the axis. A link bridge was also constructed to facilitate ease of connectivity. Specifically, the roads that were constructed include Church Street starting from Agbelekale Junction (Off Ekoro Road), Giwa Street, Victor Fagbemi Road, Ogunfayo Road, Ogundare Street, Salami Kazeem, all totaling 5.5km with drainage, walkways and street lights.

The road network is now easing the pressure on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and also serving as viable alternative for residents and motorists to link Iyana Ipaja, Ipaja, Ayobo, LASU-Iba Expressway, among other areas.

Aside the road network, I reliably learnt that the contractor also constructed a modern Primary Healthcare Centre for the residents as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and as we speak, the health centre is now functioning and offering various health services to the people.

The icing on the cake was the announcement by the governor while commissioning the road network and the Aboru-Abesan Link Bridge, to the effect that his administration would embark on construction of dozens of roads to link the boundary of Lagos State with Ogun State.

The roads, which are now undergoing massive repairs include Ikola Road with Odo Obasanjo Bridge – 6.4km (from Ipaja/Command to Ilo River); Ogunseye Road – 1.75km (from Ajasa/Command to Ikola Road);Oko Filling Road – 1.5km (from AIT to Ilo River); Osenatu Ilo road – 620m (from Ibari Road to Ilo River); Amikanle road – 3.1km (from AIT to Ogunseye Road); Aina Aladi road – 1.9km (from AIT to Ilo River) and Aiyetoro Road with a bridge– 1.4km (from New Market/Ishefun Road intersection to Ilo River).
Aside the inner roads and bridges, Governor Ambode has also delivered a world class flyover tagged Jubilee Bridge in Abule-Egba, which is perhaps the biggest project of the present administration in Alimosho so far. The bridge was completed in a record time of thirteen months to the admiration of residents and commuters.

Before the construction of the bridge, commuters having to pass through Abule-Egba to link other parts of the State usually spend close to an hour on the average to navigate through the traffic snarl, a journey that should ordinary take within five minutes. There have been instances where traffic at the Abule-Egba Junction stretches beyond Awori and sometimes to Ahmadiyya, a distance of about 1km, thereby subjecting the people to harrowing experiences.

Today, the story of the people is now a pleasant one, courtesy of Governor Ambode’s deep thinking to evolve a solution to the traffic situation in the axis which has defied solution for years.

Aside the business activities in Alimosho axis which have witnessed a huge upsurge, the Jubilee Bridge has also greatly improved the aesthetics of the area with other facilities constructed alongside the bridge such as traffic signalisation, street lights, lay-bys, good terrace with flowers and a water fountain, among others. As a matter of fact, the bridge is a beauty to behold at night with many now turning the place into a tourist site and to appreciate wonders of life.

While the construction of the bridge lasted, some inner roads were damaged, and in another demonstration of his commitment to develop the axis, Governor Ambode has also commenced the repair of all the inner roads affected by the construction of the flyover. This is aside the ongoing construction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane from Abule-Egba to Oshodi, which is actually the first phase of the project, with second phase starting from Abule-Egba to Sango Toll Gate, the boundary of Lagos and Ogun States.

Also within the axis, it was gathered that the governor is perfecting plans to construct a shopping mall for residents which would go a long way in creating employment opportunities for the people, as well as bring world class shopping experience to the door-step of the people.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that the Lagos helmsman has truly transformed the Alimosho axis and the good thing is that he is not resting on his oars. As a man of God, I can only wish him well and pray for good health and wisdom to continue to lead the state. Truly, the governor is living up to his slogan which is all about inclusiveness in governance.
–––Olufemi Akanbi writes from Alimosho.

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