The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to different reports in the media beaming their search light on the various road projects across the State with public complaints about the pace of work on some roads and the alleged abandonment of many others.
The media reports went further to describe the present administration in the State as elitist in operation citing the instance of several ongoing road constructions along the Lagos West axis that are yet to be completed. Among roads mentioned are the Okota-Palace roads, Ayobo, Ipaja, Isheri-Oshun-Jakande, Iyana Ejigbo road, Mushin-Isolo and Mushin-Itire road projects.
As much as the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure appreciates the media and the general public for their watchdog role on the activities of the State Government, it is also very pertinent to restate that the commitment of this administration remains the completion of various road projects presently undergoing construction. However, understanding this commitment of ours requires that members of the public be aware of some facts to guide their commentaries and help them air informed views.
It should be noted that the State Government will not embark on any road construction without proper plans in place and the necessary logistics that would see to the completion of the project. All the roads mentioned above still have their contractors on-site, whether at Ayobo-Ipaja where a Phase of the construction work is almost completed or in Mushin -Isolo, as well as the Okota road where the last phase has just been awarded.
We must reiterate that a cardinal objective of the road construction in the State is the proper discharge of water. In fact this plays a key role in what roads are identified for reconstruction. Most the roads in focus are a call to address the failure of the drainage networks that have turned them into impassable roads. The drainages must then be properly reconstructed so that the roads no longer fail.
Again, the noticeably slow pace of work on these roads being misconstrued for abandonment is as a result of the prudent nature of this present administration to avoid any form of wastage of tax payers’ money. We have stressed this point repeatedly that some construction work embarked upon when rain had not subsided totally will amount to a significant waste of resources as rain is not asphalt-friendly and often wash away the various components of the road. This is what nature had given Lagos; being on the average 2metres below sea level. We thus urge the people to be patient.
For the avoidance of doubt, it has been the policy of the present administration not to abandon any of its road projects. It is quite unfortunate that people often refer to some of these on-going road construction projects as being “abandoned”, even when the contractors are still on site or only carrying out an off-site construction or logistics work.
Speaking specifically on the Iyana Ejigbo road, the State Public Works Corporation, PWC, has been doing several palliative works on the road. The fact is that the contract on the road is to undertake the drainage. The road is yet to be contracted out for reconstruction. Firstly, there is need to complete the drainage channels being undertaken to ensure that any road effort thereafter will not be a waste. The PWC will continue to do palliatives on this road as well as all roads across the State pending proper reconstruction.
On Isheri-Oshun-Jakande Estate road, there is a need to understand that our road projects are in phases. The first phase had been the two (1-Kilometre) long bridges. They had been constructed on a 1,022 piles averaging 24mtrs each in depth. The completion has led to the award of the road component. This is progressing rapidly.
Also, the various bridges and engineering works represent an opportunity for local capacity building. They serve as an opportunity for local capacity building. They serve as an opportunity for our students to be trained and have firsthand experience on how such constructions are done.
The allegation describing our government as elitist is untrue going by the available statistics especially in road construction. Available facts shows that the largest single beneficiaries of road projects have been Alimosho LG with over 15.6% and Kosofe following with 11% of all road projects in the State.
In the light of the foregoing, we plead for maximum understanding among Lagosians especially during this rainy season and to know that Lagos is 2 metres below sea level which implies that the State is bound to succumb to climate pressure coupled with the activities of heavy duty vehicles plying our roads. Some of these roads have been in existence for a very long time and we are committed to rejuvenating them. With over 9,000 roads we must continue to work assiduously to transform the road infrastructure.
While we are reaffirming our commitment to a new Lagos with high quality infrastructure, we also express our sincere gratitude to the entire residents of our dear State for the keen interest and the cursory attention on our activities. It tells us that people have confidence in our abilities to deliver and are monitoring our works across the State. However, it is the responsibility of the media to always mediate between the public views and facts of issues. This we hope for when reports are published. We have opened our doors to any inquiry.
