Together Insecurity
By: Osundolire Oladapo Ifelanwa
Tags: Insecurity, Leadership, Buhari, Nigeria, Terrorism

In the last few months, Lagos residents have had to endure long hours in traffic while moving from any one point to another within the metropolis. In truth, the menace is not a new one. Lagos and Traffic have always been synonymous. However, in recent times, the unfortunate juxtaposition of poorly managed road closures and the breakdown of some key central elements of the central infrastructure as a result of the rampage that followed the EndSARS protests has created a State-wide monster.

In times past, intractable traffic situations were usually restricted to notorious areas of the State like the Apapa axis — where the government’s failure to provide rail infrastructure to move fuel and goods from the TinCan port to other parts of the country meant that hundreds of trailers came into Lagos daily from all over the country, putting more pressure on the already overwhelmed road infrastructure. In many instances, this inefficiency has led to freak accidents and the avoidable loss of lives. Back-to-back traffic also used to be the exclusive preserve of poorer neighbourhoods of Lagos, where there is much higher human density; and where scores of road-unworthy danfo buses are the primary means of public transportation. These early 80s Volkswagen tinboxes flagrantly abuse road laws and cause bottlenecks as they jostle to carry passengers while in motion along these routes. So, areas of the State like Alimosho, Abule-Egba, Sango, Isolo became places residents in other parts of the State avoided totally or planned well ahead before visiting. Highbrow areas like Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi were often excluded from the menace, even though once in a while, a poorly timed accident or road work may cause residents in these neighbourhoods to also experience bad traffic.

But this year, the selective arm of pain that often decides whom to embrace in Nigeria based on class considerations, has chosen to hug us all.

Source: shutterstock.com

My washman just relocated from Lagos because of traffic. You might need to relocate too.

It started with the Federal Government scheduling a 6-month long repair plan for the 3rd Mainland bridge — an 11 kilometer overwater bridge that provides the primary means of access to the Lagos Island. This wouldn’t have been a problem in a city where a vast majority didn’t live outside Lagos Island and work in Lagos Island or its environs; or in a city where Lagos Island is the only viable route to the Lekki axis, which has experienced rapid population growth in the last decade and is only serviced by a 4-lane a-side dual carriage road from Lagos Island. Despite attempts at providing alternative routes following the bridge closure, people outside the regular traffic prone areas have also had to endure 6 months of intense traffic for most parts of the day. Why the Federal Government in its infinite wisdom didn’t repair this primary access route during the 4-month lockdown which offered undisturbed access to all public infrastructure is beyond my reasoning but I digress.

Two months ago, my washman of over 10 years called me to inform me that he is moving his family out of Lagos to Ibadan and will be relocating his business there. When I asked him why, his response was:

“I am tired.”