Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Bureaucratic Bottleneck Stalled Reconstruction of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway-Abiodun

POSTED ON July 10, 2024 •   BREAKING NEWS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun while speaking to Journalist during Inspection of road construction

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has emphasized that bureaucratic bootleneck stalled the reconstruction of the Lagos-Sango-Abeokuta Expressway.

Abiodun assured that the Agbara-Lusada-Atan road currently under construction would be completed by September.

Speaking during an interview after inspecting the 20-kilometer Agbara -Lusada-Atan road in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area on Wednesday, Governor Abiodun emphasized the importance of the roads not only to the economic wellbeing of the State, but that of the nation.

While recalling the efforts of Ogun State and Lagos state governments to take over and reconstruct the Lagos-Sango Abeokuta Expressway, Abiodun said he and his Lagos State counterpart were frustrated by delays from the Federal Government, right from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the Governor, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in power, the federal government was approached once again for the transfer of the road to the state, a request that was eventually granted.

He, however, said the state still faces stiff opposition from some federal officials on the transfer, which forced the state government to formally award the contract in May, with or without the necessary transfer papers.

He said: "The Lagos-Sango- Abeokuta road is a federal government road and has been in a very bad shape for long.

"Because of the suffering our people pass through on the road, I and my counterpart in Lagos jointly wrote a letter, using a single letterhead to the Federal Executive Council, seeking for the transfer of that road for us to reconstruct.

"After waiting for a month without reply, we wrote a reminder. That road was not handed over to us until the present federal government came on board. The contract for the road has since been awarded since May this year."

On the deplorable condition of the Atan-Lusada-Agbara road, Governor Abiodun disclosed that before his assumption of office, he met with industrialists in the area and promised to put the road in good shape.

He noted that the road was in a terrible condition, leading to trailers and other articulated vehicles falling on their sides, stating that his administration decided not to wait for the federal government before commencing its reconstruction.

The road, with a width of 10 metres, Abiodun added, is being built to standard, saying on completion, it would revive businesses and the socio-economic development of the area.

He said he was on the road to see the level of work done so far, assuring that it would be dualised from the Lagos-Badagry road end to the Agbara Estate gate, while a single lane would be constructed to Atan to aid movement.

"I am here today to have an on-the-spot assessment of how the contractor is doing. I have given them certain timelines, and I want to ensure that they are working in tandem to ensure they meet those timelines.

"I have said to them that they must ensure that from the Lagos-Badagry end, the dual carriage way is completed to the entrance of the industrial estate, the OPIC entrance so that trucks and trailers that are coming from the port can enjoy the dual carriage way easily going in and out effortlessly so we can increase productivity and enhance their operations.

"We will now focus on one lane beyond the OPIC entrance all the way to Atan first. Let's finish that so our people can enjoy the driving pleasure all the way from Lagos-Badagry to Atan on one side.

"One side is 4.75 wide. It will  take at least four vehicles. Let's finish that because this road has cost us so much.

"You can imagine a few months ago, you award a contract. Before the ink dries up on that contract, the cost of asphalt has increased three times in one day. So I said, let's finish this because we are committed to it. We are a promise keeping administration. We only make promises that we can keep," he said.

On the recent attack on his person on social media, Abiodun said he would not be distracted by propaganda but remain focused on serving the people who entrusted their mandates to him.

Prince Abiodun described the attack as unwarranted, noting that the attacks were being sponsored.

He said: "My attention was drawn to various sponsored media attacks on my person and my administration. This media attacks are focusing on roads by attempting to disparage me and accuse me of either neglect or not being responsive or being uncaring.

"When I see this media attacks, at times, my first reaction is to ignore them because I know who I am. I know why I am here.

" I know what it has taken me to get to where I am. I know what I was before I became Governor. The only reason I am here as Governor is to serve the good people of Ogun State and that I am irrevocably committed to.

"When I now see such a barrage of sponsored media attacks, the first question I ask myself is that where were these people before I became Governor? We know how many roads were in a state of disrepair across the country. We know how many federal roads are in a state of disrepair. I just came on another federal road, Lagos-Badagry road, that has been in a state of disrepair.

"When Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was under construction, we were all suffering. At times, we will be on the road for 10 hours. Not once did anybody go there and begin to attack anybody."

While seeking the cooperation and understanding of residents, the governor, however, threatened legal action against those critics misrepresenting his administration, just as he promised not to be ferreted by the antics of his detractors.

READ ALSO
Sowore Condemns Tenure Extensions of Senior Security Officials for Violating 35-Year Service Limit
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 6, 2025 0

Human rights advocate and ex-presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized the ongoing tenur...

READ ALSO
South-West Demands Five New States and Constitutional Recognition for Traditional Rulers in Ongoing Constitutional Review
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

The demand for the establishment of five new states, the recognition of traditional rulers in the co...

READ ALSO
Federal High Court Orders Reinstatement of  Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Calls Suspension "Excessive"
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its authority by sus...

READ ALSO
Calls for Autopsy: Ondo Govt. Faces Pressure to Exhume Late Governor Akeredolu's Body
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 30, 2025 0

The Ondo State Government may need to exhume the body of the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, f...

READ ALSO
Tinubu to Discuss Sustainable Governance at BRICS Summit in Rio
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 29, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday for the first leg of his two-p...

READ ALSO
Reps Launches Committee to Review CNG Policy Implementation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 27, 2025 0

The House of Representatives has formed an ad-hoc committee tasked with examining the Federal Govern...

READ ALSO
Nigeria Takes Bold Step towards Energy Independence with Naira-Based Crude Sales Initiative
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, alongside the Federal Government’s One-Stop-Sho...

READ ALSO
IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...

OUR CHANNELS:

Health Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Controversial Allowance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Medical practitioners in Ekiti and Ondo states have voiced strong opposition to a recent circular is...


Nigeria's Electricity Tariff Subsidy Soars to N1.94 Trillion in 2024, Marking a 219.67% Increase
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

The electricity tariff subsidy from the Federal Government has increased significantly from N610 bil...


Tinubu Renamed University of Maiduguri in Honor of Late President Muhammadu Buhari
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State to Muh...


Obama’s Debunk Report on Divorce
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have put to rest rumors regarding their m...


Bayelsa Govt. Cautions Principal Officers on Pension Delay
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Bayelsa State Government has cautioned principal officers of local government councils to avoid...


NLC Decries Nigeria's Poor Labor Rights Record as National Disgrace
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its worries about the nation's inadequate performanc...


Israeli Strike Hits Catholic Church in Gaza, Killing Two Civilians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Thu...


SSC Napoli Completes €25 Million Deal for Noa Lang from PSV
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Serie A champions Napoli confirmed on Thursday that they have signed Dutch forward Noa Lang from PSV...


Civil Defence Board Temporarily Closes Recruitment Portal for System Enhancements
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has temporarily closed its recr...


Nigeria Should Aim for 60,000 Megawatts of Power Generation- Dangote
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, argues that Nigeria's low electricity generati...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu