Roads Decay
As the search for pot-hole free roads continues in Lagos, the State Public Works Corporation LSPWC last week, organised a one-day stakeholders forum with professionals drawn from the built environment and other key sectors of the economy.
The forum which was the 6th edition, brainstormed on the roles of the public in curbing road damage.” Professionals who attended the forum were drawn from the Nigeria Society of Engineers NSE, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives NANNM, Association of National Accountant of Nigeria ANAN, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors, and Valuers NIESV, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors NIQS, Institute of Public Relation NIPR, Nigerian Institute of Management NIM and Nigeria Union of Journalist NUJ as well as the military.
Chairman of the corporation, Mr. Gbenga Akintola said the agency invited members of various professional bodies to enable them key into the ongoing advocacy programme of LSPWC to effect behavioural change among road users and residents whose activities often cause premature damage to the roads.
This is the reason why “the Corporation has in the past one year held series of fora with various segments of the society such as market men and women, road transport workers, Community Development Associations, religious leaders, law enforcement agencies, school children and this one involving professional bodies and security organizations”, he said.
An Engineer Mr. Ganiyu Aiyepe in his presentation at the forum, enumerated the man- made causes of road damage to include dumping of wastes in drains, indiscriminate cutting of roads, discharge of car wash water on road surface, excess axle load and removal of manhole covers.
Others are: cooking or burning of items on roads as well as pouring/dripping of petroleum products on roads. Aiyepe explained that water is the greatest enemy to paved roads as it ends up creating pot-holes on any portion of asphalted road if allowed to stay there beyond reasonable period of time, adding that this is why efforts should be made at all times to ensure that drains are not blocked with wastes. This will make it possible for water to flow freely to final collection points.
On the devastating effect of pouring of petroleum products on roads, he hinted that since asphalt is made of bitumen which is a petroleum product and other aggregates, it reacts to any petroleum products anytime it comes in contact with it, causing separation between bitumen and the other components, which eventually leads to pot-holes.
He said also that well meaning and educated members of the society, such as the professionals are enjoined to lead the crusade to engender a positive attitude among the people, since they are all opinion leaders in their respective domains.
The general consensus at the forum was that all hands must be on deck in order to protect roads in Lagos while the Corporation steps up its activities in enlightening and educating the public on the need to imbibe positive attitude towards road usage.
