Abiola Peters
The Minister of Works, David Umahi has commenced another round of inspection tour of ongoing projects in Lagos State.
During the exercise, the Lagos Badagry Expressway undergoing rehabilitation and expansion into six lanes, was tipped for completion by April this year.
Speaking with newsmen during an inspection of the highway, Umahi, stated that the forty-six kilometres stretch which is the first section of the ECOWAS road to Seme border and Abidjan, will be ready for inauguration by President Bola Tinubu to commemorate the second year of his administration in office.
The Minister noted that the contractor has been paid fifty billion naira out of the seventy -five billion naira sum for the project, stating that the contractor has demonstrated high capacity to deliver by the set timeline for the project.
He explained that the second section which terminates at Seme border would be done with concrete pavement, adding that proposition will be made for the border states to complete their own section of the ECOWAS highway project, terminating at Abidjan.
The Minister of Works commended the President for working on about two hundred and seventy inherited projects across the country, which that are earmarked for inauguration in May this year.
The current Lagos -Badagry- Seme – Abidjan Expressway contract was awarded by the federal government in October 2018, aimed at connecting major economic centres in West Africa, including Lagos and Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire.
LAGOS ABEOKUTA EXPRESSWAY:
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works has announced that the process leading to the reconstruction of the seventy -eight kilometers Lagos -Sango Ota – Abeokuta bound Expressway will begin in two months time.
Umahi, made this known after inspecting the ongoing rehabilitation of 18 kilometres Lagos end of the Expressway.
The Minister who pointed out that the project would be done on concrete pavement for a lasting lifespan, promised that the contractor will picked on a selective bidding.
He commended the Ogun State Government for taking up rehabilitation of seventy kilometres of the Expressway, assuring that the government stands to benefit from the fresh project that will be on a Build and Maintain arrangement including tolling.
The Minister assured that the eighteen kilometres stretch of rehabilitated road will soon be reopened to traffic.
IKORODU/ITOIKIN ROAD:
Following an unimpressive performance, Minister of Works, David Umahi has given a marching order to the contractor handling the Ikorodu-Itoikin road to return to site or risk arrest.
The Minister who gave the order after inspecting the road, directed the contractor twenty- four hours to return to site or face the consequences for breach of contractual agreement.
According to Umahi the contractor scrapped the asphalt on the road saying it was used for palliative.
Heexplained that President Bola Tinubu had directed that the Ikorodu-Itoikin road should be completed without further delay.
The Minister of Work’s entourage consists of the Permanent Secretary, Engineer Olufunsho Adebiyi, Director of Design and Bridges, Engineer Ogbuagwu, Controller of Works Engineer Korede Kesha and her Ogun State counterpart, Engineer Forosola Oloyede.