Ikangba (Old Lagos-Benin Road): CDWR calls on residents and communities to support and join December 20th protest and subsequent actions.

Press statement:

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) Ogun state chapter, welcomes the planned protest by the residents and communities living along old Lagos-Benin road, otherwise known as Ikangba road. The planned protest billed for 20th December, 2021, is against the sorry state of Ikangba road, which has been a nightmare to both communities and residents along the route and commuters plying same. CDWR calls on workers, residents and commuters to give their supports to the protest and any subsequent action to demand the completion over the road. We call on Governor Dapo Abiodun to listen to the demand and cry of the affected residents and communities.  

It would be recalled that Ikangba/Ilese road was among the 12 roads construction contracts awarded in the sum of 100bn naira by the immediate past administration of Ibikunle Amosun -led APC government, in 2012. Sometimes around 2018, the contractors were mobilized and works commenced on the road, with houses demolished, only for the road project to be abandoned halfway, and in terrible conditions ever since then. 

This abandoned road project stretched from Ikangba-Obalende-Lagos Garage-Oke Owa-Ilese, totalling 20km, and was meant to be four-lanes! Since then, residents and communities have resorted to self-help to make the road motorable, particularly the Ikangba section of the road.

On like other roads needing attention across the lengths and breaths of Ogun state, but left abandoned by the present Dipo Abioun-led APC government, under the false premise that these roads have “no economic “ importance, therefore resorting to using road construction as patronages to demand and maintain personal loyalty, the Ikangba road represents enormous economic potential with attendant employment opportunities for the teeming youths of Ogun.

18th December, 2021