Saturday, 13 July 2013

Iyana Ejigbo Junction: Terror to commuters, motorists





AANU ADEGUN

Did you know that you can spend five hours to get to Ikotun from Oshodi, both in Lagos State? Welcome to Iyana Ejigbo junction, which has become a nightmare to both motorists and commuters alike?  If you are in doubt, all you need to do is to hop into a commercial bus, popularly called danfo, or drive in your posh car from the Cele expressway, Isolo or Oshodi towards Ikotun Egbe especially during this raining season. In doing so, don’t be surprised that you will be stuck in the traffic gridlock for five harrowing hours. Why is this so? The reason is not far-fetched: it is Iyana Ejigbo Junction.
According to a resident in Ikotun, who simply gave his name as Chinedu, Iyana Ejigbo is a curse to all the people living in Isolo to Ikotun areas and its environs because it is the source of most of the traffic gridlock commuters and motorists experience in the whole area.
“This junction is the genesis of all our traffic problems in this whole area. Whenever there is a downpour, flood flowing from inside Ejigbo community will converge at the junction. And immediately this happens, the free flow of vehicular movement will be halted and thus, the beginning of serious traffic standstill.
“The funniest thing about this junction is that it has been like this for some years now and nothing has been done about it. It is as if some witches and wizards are living at the junction.”
Daily Newswatch investigations also revealed that apart from the notorious traffic logjam caused by the poor condition of the junction, it is also a place that encourages so many forms of crimes and mischief.
Due to the perpetual traffic jam in the area, most commuters are forced to continue on their homeward journey on foot and when this happens, they easily fall prey to hoodlums and criminals who are waiting to pounce on them.
According to Simidele Oloyede, a commuter who recently fell victim of criminals marauding in the area, the junction is a place of sorrow. “Sometime last week, there was a massive hold-up and I decided to come down from the Danfo along with my sister to cover the rest of the journey on foot.
“We have not taken more than few steps when two guys suddenly flanked us while the third one was at our back, as if we were moving together. We were surprised and asked them the meaning of what they were doing. Suddenly, one of them, the one on my left, showed me a gun and asked us to shut up.
“He said we should be walking the way we were walking before and not make a sound. He said if any one of us dared shout, he would shoot him or her. He asked us to turn at a junction. As we were moving, they were asking us for our phones and money. When they collected what we had on us, they just walked off.
“Imagine it; we were robbed even as people were everywhere! And the cause is this cursed junction.”
Investigations also revealed that apart from this, the junction is also a place that provides business opportunities for different people.
According to Sanmi Akinbajo, a resident of the area, “Whenever rain falls, definitely there will be a good degree of hold-up at night and when this happens, guys like me must be out because our services will be needed and this means making some money. This is because in that situation, people in problem, especially owners of damaged private cars, will need us to help them out.
“In some situations, commuters who cannot afford to wade through Iyana Ejigbo junction will call for us to put them on our back across. The best source of money during this period is when a car or a bus falls inside the gutter. In this situation, we charge based on the level of the car or bus.”
However, in their reactions, shop owners in the area lamented the state of the junction.
According to them, the beginning of raining season is the end of business for them.
According to Nwachukwu Pius, a shop owner in the area, “Our business in this junction is seasonal”. He added that “Immediately the raining season starts, there is usually a lull in our businesses and the reason for this is the state of this junction. Nobody will come near our shops due to the puddle of water perpetually on the road. Apart from this, the road and curvets tend to be very slippery. In fact, many prospective customers on several occasions had fallen inside gutters here.
“Looking at these, the problem of this junction is nothing but lack of drainage facilities. There are no forms of drainage in this place. That is the reason the water converges at this junction. It is very pathetic that things like this are happening in a place like this, causing all sorts of headache to people.”
Investigations also revealed that walking in the area at night might portend danger to the resident due  to a deep gully in the area.


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