Residents of Teledalase, Maidan Orile, in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area of Lagos State are expressing their distress over the unbearable suffering they face daily due to the failure of the state and Federal Governments to repair the collapsed Maidan Bridge that serves 12 communities in the area.
The Maidan footbridge, which is situated between Oniyanrin Street and Maidan Orile, located at Federal Bustop, en route to Agility Bustop in the Mile 12 area, collapsed on July 8, 2022, after a downpour and has not been attended to since then.
A correspondent who visited the area observed the difficulties residents, especially schoolchildren, experience in moving around. Passengers have to pay N50 to board a wooden boat that carries about 30 passengers to cross the bridge, which is not more than 50 meters in length.
Reports gathered that the Teledalase Community Development Association owns seven boats, which are now the primary means of transportation for students, traders, and others across the bridge, with two boats operating each day. One boat crosses passengers to Oniyanrin, while the other crosses others to the Maidan area simultaneously.
Vice chairman of Imole CDA, Ogunlele Semiu, reported that boat operations begin as early as 3am every day and close by midnight. He lamented that some residents have relocated out of the community due to the inconvenience and associated risk of boarding the boat.
He emphasized the need for the federal and state governments to reconstruct the bridge to alleviate the difficulties faced by the residents. Another resident, Mercy Olalekan, shared the challenges she goes through as a result of the collapsed bridge.
She expressed that the inconvenience is too much, often waking up as early as 3 am to beat the queues and reach her workplace on time. She highlighted the stress and difficulties faced by the elderly and pregnant women.
Various residents expressed their concerns and urged the government to intervene before any lives are lost due to the collapsed bridge. The Vice Chairman of Teledalase CDA, Maidan Orile, Alfa Muritala Amore, recounted efforts made to draw the attention of government officials to the issue, stating that their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
In spite of efforts made to engage government officials, residents are still struggling with the challenges posed by the collapsed bridge. Efforts to reach the Director of Publicity and Media, Ministry of Works, Lagos State, Shina Odunuga, for comments were unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
