Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has said the rehabilitation of Lagos-Sango-Abeokuta Expressway is stalled because of bureaucratic bottleneck.
Recalling the efforts by Ogun and Lagos state governments to take over and reconstruct 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.
He, however, said with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in power, the Federal Government was approached once again for the transfer of the road to the state, and the request, he added, was eventually granted.
The governor spoke in an interview after inspecting the 20-kilometre Agbara -Lusada-Atan Road in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government yesterday.
Abiodun stressed the importance of the roads not only to the economic well-being of the state, but also that of the country.
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: “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 experience on the road, my counterpart in Lagos and I jointly wrote a letter, using a letterhead to the Federal Executive Council, seeking 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 been awarded since May this year.”
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On the deplorable condition of Atan-Lusada-Agbara Road, Governor Abiodun said before his assumption of office, he met industrialists in the area and promised to put the road in good shape.
He said the road was in a terrible condition, leading to trailers and other articulated vehicles falling on their sides.
He said his administration decided not to wait for the Federal Government before starting its reconstruction.
The road, with a width of 10 metres, Abiodun added, is being built to standard.
He said on completion, it would revive businesses and socio-economic development of the area.
Abiodun said he was on the road to see the level of work done so far, adding that it would be dualised from the Lagos-Badagry Road end to the Agbara Estate gate, while a 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 they are working in tandem to ensure they meet those timelines.