The announcement by the Federal Government at the weekend to pay those to be affected by the planned demolition of houses to pave way for the ongoing expansion of the Lagos-lbadan Expressway has brought sweet relief to many residents, writes Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie.
The fear was in the air when the Federal Government announced that more buildings would go for the on-going expansion of the Lagos-lbadan Expressway. The announcement was greeted with mixed feelings by those to be affected.
Many residents along the axis, who live mostly in Ogun State satellite towns, were not happy.
But hope it seems has come for them. The government is aware of their plight, the Director of the Southwest Zone of Federal Highways Department, Mr Funso Adebiyi, has said. It is also conscious of what road users were going through and was committed to completing the road on time.
He spoke at the weekend in Lagos, when he led a team of engineers to inspect the construction.
He said though 75 buildings were marked for demolition around the Redeemed Camp axis, he reiterated that more buildings would be pulled down to make way for expansion.
Adebiyi assured, however, that adequate compensation would be paid to owners of buildings that would be affected.
He said the government was taking advantage of the dry season to complete the construction, which is one of the busiest highways in the country.
He said: “We are taking advantage of the weather to fast-track the construction process and we are making significant progress.
‘’We are not leaving any stone unturned. As a matter of fact, on some of our sites, we are working 24/7 to ensure we make significant progress before the rains come. Those around Lotto should bear with us. If you see your house marked for demolition, it does not mean the end has come.
‘’We will not demolish the houses until all compensations are paid. Even if we are to relocate pockets of communities, we will do our best to ensure we move them to a better place.”
Adebiyi restated the commitment of the Federal Government to ensuring the reconstruction of highways nationwide.
He appealed to road users to bear the discomfort arising from the road reconstruction, pleading with them to obey traffic rules to minimise gridlock on the roads.
The director assured that adequate traffic diversions had been put in place and that government had provided enough funding for the completion of the project on schedule.
He said about 20 kilometres of the highway had been completed out of the 43 kilometres from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
According to him, 45 kilometres have been completed out of 84 kilometres on Section Two of the project, spanning from Sagamu Interchange to Ojoo in Ibadan, representing 45 per cent completion.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Adedamola Kuti, who spoke on the section of the road between Berger and Kara, which is also under construction, assured that the project would be completed this month.
Kuti said materials had been moved closer to site, to ensure speedy completion, saying that “the February completion date for that portion is sacrosanct and we are sure we are delivering it.”
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