Danger: Manholes Turn Death Holes On Lagos Roads

Road Danger: Manholes Turn Death Holes On Lagos Roads

By Austine Uche Ejeke

One of the greatest features on Lagos roads now are holes that are otherwise known as manholes.

They are so deep that they can swallow several human beings without anybody knowing.

Generally, most of the holes are said to be drainage holes while others are the ones dug by construction companies and left uncovered.

From Oshodi to Apapa to Ojota, Abule Egba, Ikeja to Lagos Island, these manholes are rampant and portend grave dangers to people.

Danger: Manholes Turn Death Holes On Lagos Roads

A scenario is painted where somebody walks along the road in broad day light and probably absent minded. The unsuspecting pedestrian walks into the hole, taking only observant bystanders to know what has happened. What if the same thing happens at night where most of our streets and roads are not lit up but are perpetually in darkness?

Somebody coming back from work or business and walking may unknowingly stumble into those dangerous manholes. Sadly, that could be the end of a person’s life!

A case in point was the painful and fatal experience of Adewura Bello, a foreign trained, young Nigerian accountant who met her untimely death last May at Cement area on Lagos-Abeokuta expressway while atop a commercial bike.

As the Okada rider that carried her did not know of the presence of a manhole on their flooded route, he plunged her inside the hole. It took several days before her decomposing body was found.

Another scenario played out last year at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road where a construction company left one big hole at 7/8 Bus stop. Rain fell on that day and an unsuspecting motorist in a Toyota Camry car plunged into the hole. It took a lucky intervention for the driver to be rescued alive. The construction company had to use a crane to bring out the vehicle. What if it had happened in the night? Of course, that would have been the end of the driver!

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In recent times, many concerned people have cried out about the terrible scattered and indiscriminate manholes left uncovered in many parts of Lagos. Some people say they are worried each time they see these manholes left uncovered on our roads. They are worried because they know that people may fall inside any of the holes someday. It may even be an established fact that many people may have fallen inside some of these manholes undetected, especially at night and during heavy rainfalls resulting in floods. In fact, cases of missing persons in Lagos State may be attributed to manholes swallowing up victims without anybody knowing.

Now, with the flurry and multiplicity of agencies in Lagos State, one wonders why the government cannot set up a safety checklist or task force that will be going round to monitor these manholes and provide adequate coverings for them. Alternatively, the government can construct strong mini fences/barricades that will make it near impossible for somebody to fall inside the manholes.

The imperative to reverse the ugly trend of manholes turning into death holes is particularly pertinent now in this raining season when, once it rains, every place is covered up with flood.

Somebody running from the rain or walking after a rainfall may not see these manholes and the scary possibility can only be imagined! It could even be more gruesome if the manhole flood washes an unfortunate victim to a far distance that may pose difficulty for timely tracing and rescue.
On some occasions, the attention of security agents and other relevant Lagos State agency workers was called to these manholes but it bewilders one to see that the affected holes are still left uncovered in such a way that poses dangers to lives.

If the federal and state governments cannot do anything to forestall the grave dangers that are posed by manholes on our roads, different safety personnel and practitioners should brace up and take up the challenge. This they can do by mounting vibrant sensitisation campaigns on the people about the dangers inherent in these manholes. They can go round the state to isolate these manholes, and put them in the public glare. They can also mount persistent public awareness through radio, television and newspapers and even social media to educate and inform the people of the locations and dangers of the manholes.

Most importantly, safety practitioners can take the issue up with Lagos State governments to find a lasting solution to the menace of these manholes on Lagos roads.

Lagos State government and relevant agencies should do something urgently about the plethora of uncovered manholes on Lagos roads before more lives are lost to negligence!

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