Ikorodu-Shagamu road in Lagos State is said to be deadlier than the notorious Badoo cultists who have unleashed endless violence on the residents of the area.
The Managing Director of Halogen Security Company Limited, Wale Olaoye, made this known on Tuesday.
Mr. Olaoye, who also called on the Federal Government to urgently fix the road, drew attention to the traumatic experience of commuters plying the road on a daily basis.
He said the road problem has compounded the social problems the people have had to endure in recent times.
“I think it is high time the government recognized the extreme risks commuters on the Ikorodu-Shagamu road are exposed to and act immediately,” Mr. Olaoye said.
“It is now commonplace for thieves, kidnappers, rapists and other criminal elements to lodge themselves in the worst portions of the roads where all vehicles practically come to a halt and carry out their nefarious activities especially at night.
“I cannot but agree with those who call that road a death trap. I dare say that the Ikorodu road at the moment is deadlier than the Badoo cultists that ravaged the communities a few months ago.”
He lamented the fact that besides the dire security risks, the bad roads affect in no small way, the economic conditions of people living in the area.
He noted that commercial activities have been impeded while the supply of goods and services has decreased significantly, leading to price increases in virtually all consumer items.
Mr. Olaoye lamented that vehicle owners can no longer ply the road with ease as the many potholes and detours result in frequent breakdown and repairs.
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He said the presence of a number of federal and state institutions on the road, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), 174 Battalion Army Barracks, the Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) and industries accounted for the high density of vehicular movement on the road with associated security and enterprise risks.
“We can have a formula that looks at the management of our infrastructure from three perspectives,” he suggested.
“First is ‘Natural Events’ (Potential Disasters) such as flooding etc. Here we can analyse its frequency and severity based on actuarial data and it can be mitigated through sensors, design, and response. “Next is what we call ‘Unintentional Events’ (Failures, Incidents). This can be gauged also by its frequency and severity based on experience and it can be managed through design, training, and response.
“The third perspective is that of ‘Intentional Attacks’ (Acts of sabotage, Vandalism). Here the frequency and severity is difficult to predict but it still can be mitigated through security, design, and response.
“Dilapidated roads affect both security and performance of a transportation system. There are a number of rehabilitation techniques that can both reduce the rate of aging of a structure and in turn, improve their security.
“We can utilize technology that would undoubtedly improve the government’s ability to effectively analyze its infrastructural assets and allocate resources to those that are most vulnerable,” he concluded.
