By Mercy Adi
The member of the House of Representatives, Adesola Ayoola‑Elegbeji, has called on the Federal Government to urgently introduce safety measures, including pedestrian bridges, along sections of the Shagamu‑Benin Expressway to prevent possible fatalities as rehabilitation work on the road progresses.
Ayoola-Elegbeji, who represents a constituency in Ogun State, made the call while speaking with journalists at the National Assembly after presenting a motion of urgent public importance on the floor of the House.
She explained that the rapid expansion of Shagamu had made the busy highway increasingly dangerous for residents who must cross the road daily to access homes, markets and transport services.
According to her, the road, which was constructed about four decades ago, was originally designed when the town existed mainly on one side of the highway.
“The road was constructed about 40 years ago when the town was largely on one side. Today, the town has expanded to both sides of the expressway, and residents must cross the road for businesses, markets and other daily activities,” she said.
The lawmaker noted that the expressway cuts through the town in three major locations, with the junction popularly known as the Total junction posing the most serious danger.
She warned that the ongoing rehabilitation of the highway would make it smoother and encourage higher vehicular speed, which could increase the risk of accidents if safety infrastructure was not introduced.
While commending Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the ongoing road rehabilitation under the Renewed Hope agenda, Ayoola-Elegbeji urged the government to integrate safety measures before the project is completed.
“We are very grateful for the rehabilitation of the Shagamu–Benin Expressway. It is a fantastic project and my constituency is at the beginning of that corridor. But because the road will be smoother and faster, there will be more high-speed traffic,” she said.
“At the Total junction there is a double intersection into the town, with no traffic control and no pedestrian crossing. People cross the road to get transport, while vehicles from the town must turn across the expressway.
“I am imploring the Federal Government to look into these junctions while construction is still ongoing and implement appropriate safety measures before the project is completed.”
The lawmaker also spoke on the need to increase women’s representation in the National Assembly, noting that female lawmakers remain significantly under-represented.
She said only 17 women currently serve in the 360-member House of Representatives and called for deliberate efforts by political actors to encourage more women to contest elections.
Ayoola-Elegbeji urged political parties to support female aspirants and provide them with the resources needed to compete effectively.
“At the moment we are a minute minority — only 17 women out of 360 members. That is why I am advocating that in the next elections we should have at least one woman representing each state of the federation in the National Assembly,” she said.
She maintained that women were capable of winning elections through the normal democratic process, citing her own victory in both party primaries and the general election.
“I went through the primaries and won. I also won my election by a margin of over 30,000 votes. There are many capable women; they just need support and the necessary resources,” she added.
The lawmaker further encouraged women to support one another by contributing their time, talents and resources to promote greater i
nclusion in leadership and governance