Friday, January 09, 2009 Guardian
Oshodi is Born Again
By Regina Akpabio, Seye Olumide, Bertram Nwanekannma and David Ibemere
RESIDENTS are yet to believe that they could pass through the ever-busy and notorious Oshodi area of Lagos without shoving and brushing shoulders with dozens of people.
Before the demolition exercise, which began on Sunday, many who were familiar with the area could still recall how difficult it was to wade through a sea of heads surging and jostling across all the access routes leading to Oshodi Bus Stop.
There were some routes such as Agege-Motor Road when passers-by had to walk as if they were in droves, pleading they should be allowed to pass.
Now, old ways have passed away. All things have become new. Oshodi is now clean. It is so neat that both motorists and pedestrians can pass freely without any hitch. Many thanks to the Lagos State government, which stripped it beyond recognition, forcing all manners of rots to give way to sanity.
When The Guardian visited the area yesterday, motorists were going at top speed, as all the roads were cleared of its hundreds of roadside traders and vehicular traffic jam.
Not even the railway traders or beggars were in sight. They did not carry out their activities, as they have relocated to other places.
The number of social miscreants popularly known as area boys equally reduced, as traffic jam, which made their nefarious activities thrive, is no longer there.
For fear of the traders' return, as they keep hanging around daily, a detachment of mobile policemen, officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), and other environmental as well as security agencies now keep vigil to nip in the bud any trespasser.
A passer-by, Madam Ebun, in disbelief, kept saying: "Is this Oshodi? I can now walk freely. It is good but where will these people earn a living?" she asked.
The battle to tame the monster and restore sanity to Oshodi started from the last administration of Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But the disorderliness always had its way of returning after the several exercises to bring sanity to the area. Many residents are now watching to see whether the government would win the battle, this time around.
Some passers-by yesterday nodded their heads to commend the governor's good work while others shook their heads in sympathy with the stranded traders, who were hanging around the vicinity.
According to Mr. Joshua Onwubiko: "This is a welcome development. Oshodi now wears a new look and we pedestrians, can now freely move our hand to and fro without any restriction. Unlike before, you pick your way through a congested crowd."
A commercial bus driver, Mr. Kunle Lekan, said: "We drivers are benefitting more because we can now drive freely unlike in the past when you have to hoot your horn through a mammoth crowd."
While passers-by were happy, some of the affected traders bemoaned their losses as they watched helplessly the task force officials still trying to pull down the remaining illegal structures.
Some traders lamented the hardship they were going to face, as they had exhausted their resources during the festive period.
A trader, Mrs. Fumilayo Lawal, amidst tears bemoaned: "My children will be going back to school and my husband is not alive. How can I carry a family of six when I am not earning anything now? The only way I get money to pay for my children's school fees has been destroyed."
For about three minutes, a particular woman stood speechless watching if what she saw was real, as vehicles sped through the area while pedestrians moved freely without obstruction. She turned right and left and said in amazement: "This is the first time in the past 32 years I have been in Lagos, that Oshodi is like this."
Others who joined her in appreciation of the sanity government has brought to Oshodi, concluded this was part of dividend of democracy.
According to another commercial bus operator, Bamidele Otun: "The future of this country can be seen in the recent development in Oshodi. It shows that our government can be effective. This is a great achievement for the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration.
Another Lagosian, Ayinde Oluseyi, said: "Oshodi was a jungle until last Sunday. People should remove sentiments from their sense of judgment."
"If we complain that the traders would suffer, what about criminal activities that were rampant in Oshodi? What of the traffic congestion and other social menace that have made the area very notorious?" he asked.
"For me, the development is welcome and my prayer is that the government would be able to sustain it," he added.
Most of the dislodged traders yesterday pleaded with the government to make life easier for them by finding alternative place for them.
One of the traders said: "We have no option than to abide by the government's decision. I believe it is going to favour the general populace. However, I am pleading with the government to find an alternative place for us to continue trading, especially for those of us who cannot afford the ultra-modern shops.
Many residents are now appreciating the beauty of Oshodi, as traffic jam has disappeared.
The debacle from Ladipo Bus Stop on Agege-Motor Road, caused by commercial motorists turning to Oshodi Road, to avoid the bedlam at Oshodi, has suddenly disappeared. Even the hold-up on the fly-over linking Gbagada Expressway and Apapa Oshodi Expressway is equally gone.
Meanwhile, the Corps Marshal of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Captain Danjuma Maigeri (rtd.), has vowed that his men would not allow the street traders to return.
Maigeri, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Environmental Matters, said his men would, henceforth, keep a permanent surveillance on the recalcitrant traders.
According to him, it is only by keeping the traders away that the state government can develop Oshodi like Bourdillon in Ikoyi.
The KAI boss also revealed government's plan to begin work on a modern drainage at Oshodi and its environs very soon.
"I have achieved my aim. At least, the DPO at Oshodi has not reported cases of petty stealing or armed robbery cases under the Oshodi bridge since the exercise started," he said.
However, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, said the traders at Oshodi have been relocated to a large expanse of land in Ilasamaja area and Awolowo Market of Lagos.
