Nigerian government to reconstruct Lagos-Airport road - Minister

Nigerian government to reconstruct Lagos-Airport road - Minister
By Abdul Semiu Babalola.

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, says the Nigerian government is to spend nine billion Naira on the Lagos-Airport road reconstruction and beautification, as a way of improving the living condition of the people in the state.

Mr Onolememen, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Lagos state Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, at his Lagos House, Marina.

He hinted that the contract for the project would be awarded in few weeks time, adding that the road was adequately provided for in the 2011 budget.

The minister, who was in the state on a two day inspection of Federal roads and other projects under construction, also assured the eighteen million residents of the state of the determination of the government to complete all ongoing projects.

Upholding the transformation agenda

He said that Lagos and the projects were very strategic in driving the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, which aims at improving the lives of the 150 million Nigerians.

Accompanied by the Federal controller of works for the state, Engineer Ejike Egbemena and some other senior officials of the ministry, the minister inspected the multi-billion naira Apapa-Tin Can Island-NNPC (Atlas Cove), access road.

He was also at the Olodi-Apapa-Oshodi express road, Lagos-Ota Highway, Lagos-Ibadan express road and some of the federal roads affected by the recent flooding that swept away millions of properties, rendering hundreds of people homeless and recording some deaths.

Speaking at the sites visited in Lagos, the minister urged the contractors to expedite action on the completion of the projects to meet the deadline.

Commenting on the Lagos-Ibadan express road which he visited on Saturday, Mr Onolememen said that the road will soon be given a facelift pending when the concessionaire company begins real work.

The Lagos-Ibadan Express road is one of the strategic highways that links south west with the north and the eastern parts of the country. It was concession to Bi-Courtney, a Nigerian company in 2009 under the concessionaire policy of government. But since then much has not being done to put the close to 150 kilometer road, which is still in state of disrepair, into good shape.

Because of its proximity to Lagos, several workers now live in Ibafo, Mowe and other fast developing settlements along the road, thereby putting more pressure on the road. Also due to its bad shape which has caused several accidents, many motorists usually go through hell plying the road. A journey that normally takes at least one hour takes four or five hours, especially when there is an accident.

 “That road was concession to the company in 2009. Unfortunately not much has happened. We are just in the process of sitting down with the company. I know that a lot of people particularly Lagosians and those who come into Lagos have been having nightmare on that road,” the minister said.

In his words; “the government is in the process of doing something about that. We want to do some emergency repair work on that road, before we drive the concession agreement with the concessionaire. But I can assure you that at the end of the day after sitting with the concessionaire, we will come up with very pragmatic solution to the problem of that road.”

On the other projects he inspected in Lagos, the minister expressed satisfaction on the quality of work being done by the two contractors. He identified paucity of fund as one of the challenges facing the projects, but however, assured that since the present administration had placed them as priority projects, efforts would be intensified to solve the funding problem.

Collaboration with the state government

Earlier, during the visit to Governor Fashola, the minister told his host that due to the spate of flooding that was witnessed in Lagos recently; the Federal Government had decided to pay special attention to Lagos State because of its strategic status.

He also called for collaboration between the ministry and the state in managing the huge infrastructure demand of the commercial city.

The minister said: “We would be sending you a proposal on how we can collaborate to make the Apapa- Oworonshoki Express road motor able all year round and we shall be involving the Nigeria Ports Authority and the battery of tank farms whose activities directly impact the road”.

In his response, Governor Fashola pledged the state readiness to partner with the Federal Government on the provision and development of infrastructure, noting that such partnership would only take place based on clear rules of engagements.

“Your collaboration should even start from your budget consideration every year. You should try as best as you can to invite us to ask questions on where you can assist because we know better as municipal managers,” Governor Fashola told the minister.

 “If I am handling 20 roads in the inner city, it is easier for me to ask you to give me a helping hand by fixing Apapa- Oshodi Express road, Lagos Abeokuta Expressway and the Airport Road in 2011. This is because people of Mafoluku, Pleasure, Oke-Odo and Amuwo Odofin will benefit from these three roads and whatever I can add in terms of the inner roads, we will bring the aggregate and will all take the credits for it,” Fashola pointed out.

The minister later in the week will also be visiting the Sagamu-Ore-Benin express road in south west Nigeria. Parts of the five lanes road have been completed, but a greater portion remained in bad shape, particularly the Ore portion, where motorists plying the road now spend more hours than necessary.

Williams