Over 28,000 residents of Aseese Community in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to the Federal Government to construct a pedestrian bridge across the Aseese Bus Stop along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The residents highlighted the daily danger faced by residents, especially schoolchildren and workers, who cross the high-speed expressway to access basic amenities.
They pleaded for swift intervention to halt the alarming rise in pedestrian deaths caused by vehicular accidents on the dual carriageway.
This was contained in a letter signed by the Chairman of the community, Lawrence Oyelakin, and the General Secretary, Adebayo Enitan, addressed to the Project Supervisor of the Federal Ministry of Works, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Project Office, Old Toll Gate, Lagos.
A copy of the letter made available to Saturday PUNCH partly read, “The pedestrian bridge is required for the safety of lives, as the multiple lanes of the newly constructed dual carriageway pose a significant challenge to pedestrian movement.”
“The expressway splits the community in two, with about 10,500 residents living on the right side and roughly 18,000 on the left. The nearest public secondary schools are located in neighbouring towns like Ibafo and Mowe, forcing children as young as 13 to cross the deadly road daily.
“We are tired of carrying dead bodies weekly,” the community leaders lamented. “Our residents live in constant fear, just to get to work, school, or even church.”
The plea is backed by all 45 Community Development Associations in Aseese, the Baale, youth bodies, market leaders, the League of Imams, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and ethnic groups, including the Hausa and Igbo communities.
They urged President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to grant their request under the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the pedestrian bridge is not a luxury but a necessity.