A man has sparked conversations online after narrating how he was forced to “settle” area boys before fixing a pothole on his street in Egbeda, Lagos.
According to the man, he decided to repair the damaged section of the road after becoming frustrated with the condition of the street, which he said was damaging vehicles and causing inconvenience for residents.
He explained that he personally bought asphalt and hired labourers to fix the road, only to be confronted by local street boys demanding payment before work could begin.
“Nobody sent me. The thing was swallowing tyres and I was tired of it. I bought asphalt, hired labourers and came back the next morning ready to work. Area boys stopped us before we even started. They said, ‘Oga, you wan do work for this street? You need to settle first.’
“I was not fixing a government building or tapping electricity. I was filling a hole on a public road with my own money,” he said.
The man also compared the situation to an experience he had in Toronto, Canada, where he reportedly used the city’s 311 complaint system to report a pothole that was fixed within three days.
His story has since triggered reactions online, with many Nigerians lamenting poor infrastructure management, delayed government response, and extortion by street gangs.
In recent years, several Lagos residents have resorted to repairing roads within their communities themselves due to worsening road conditions and slow intervention from authorities.
Check the post below…
Published by Ejoh Caleb
