Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has been busy the last six months. From the health sector to road infrastructure as well as the educational sector, he has had a lot to do. The good news is: the results of his busy schedule are beginning to show.
On Monday, December 21, he inspected projects across the state. He was accompanied by top government officials. That day he inaugurated the Ayobo-Ipaja and Ikotun-Ejigbo roads, which were done by the administration.
At Ipaja, where he inspected and inaugurated the just-completed Ayobo-Ipaja Road, Governor Ambode promised to commence construction works on Ishefun-Ayetoro Road, just as he assured residents that Alimosho would soon become the new Victoria Island.
He said: “Three months ago, you will all recall that we came to this particular road and we promised the people of Mosan-Okunola that we will deliver the Ayobo-Ipaja Road before Christmas, and it is on the strength of that promise that we are here today. Thank God, we have seen to the completion of this road; it has street lights beginning from Ipaja Round About to the end.
“As much as we have kept our promise and delivered even before the projected day, the residents should also maintain good use of this road and cooperate with the government as we extend development to this neighbourhood. I just want to assure the people of Alimosho axis that this government is right behind you and we would do everything possible to turn Alimosho to Victoria Island.”
While in Ikotun to inaugurate the newly constructed Ikotun-Ejigbo Road, the LSPWC General Manager, Ayo Sodeinde, explained that Ambode learnt about the road and ordered the immediate fixing of the road some months back.
Sodeinde said: “During an inspection tour few months back, Governor Ambode passed through this road and asked whether it was part of Lagos, we told him yes, the road is part of Lagos. He was like Lagos road should not be that bad; he immediately ordered that we should move in and fix the road after the last Muslim festival and when we moved in, we were supposed actually to do it from Ikotun to the Ori-Oke bridge, but it was with the same money that we used to do the entire stretch of the road and it took us four months.”
Corroborating Sodeinde’s statement, the Executive Secretary of Ejigbo, Barrister Jaiye Alabi recalled the Governor’s unscheduled visit to the road and because he was displeased with the state of the road, he immediately made a public pronouncement that work should commence on the road within seven days.
He said: “The result of that pronouncement is what we have come here today to commission. I have already conveyed the appreciation of the people of Ejigbo to the Governor but I like to also use this opportunity to thank His Excellency for a promise kept and for a job well done.”
Responding, Ambode said: “We have come here again today as part of the promise we made to the people. Four months ago, I came here and I was totally displeased about the status of this particular road. I am happy to note today that the Ikotun-Ejigbo-Isolo road has been fully completed and people are beginning to enjoy it. We don’t need any ceremonial commissioning; this is more or less like an official opening of this road that we are doing this afternoon.
“The other promise I also want to publicly make today is that we are going to put street lights from Ikotun Roundabout up to the Lagos Polytechnic campus at Isolo and I promise that we will deliver that within the next three months.”
The declaration by the governor drew commendation and cheers from the large crowd that had thronged the area to see the number one citizen in the State.
An old woman simply identified as Mama Taiwo sang praises of the governor, and prayed God to continue to guide and guard him to take the right decisions at all times.
“This is the real change that we want in Lagos. This is a governor that promised to fix our road within four months and he has kept to that promise. I will never forget him because this road was very bad, but today, it is now very good and motorable,” she said.
An elated vulcaniser, Muritala Ajala, said the governor has brought joy and hapiness to most of the artisans in that area since the completion of the road. “We are so happy now that the road has been completed, may God bless our hardworking governor,” Ajala said.
The governor also inspected the on-going construction work in the popular Brown Street in Oshodi where he was briefed by Mr Baha, the project Manager for Lobrics Construction Company.
The governor said the project which commenced about six weeks ago, is now over 40 per cent completed, and expressed optimism that the residents in the area would enjoy the benefits of the new road when completed.
After being briefed by the Executive Secretary of Oshodi Local Government Area, Adeola Olajobi Dawood, on the challenges of the adjourning Igbehinadun and Inasa Streets, the governor ordered the Public Works Corporation to rehabilitate both streets within the next seven days.
While urging the contractor to ensure the completion of Brown Street by the end of February 2016, the governor also urged the residents to continue to cooperate with the contractor so as to deliver the projects within the stipulated time frame.
Like Brown Street, he also gave the contractor handling the reconstruction of Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, February deadline to complete the work on the road to ease vehicular movement in the area.
Ambode was displeased by the pace of work, prompting him to give a charge to the contractor to work day and night in order to deliver the road in the next two months.
Okota Road was not left out. Ambode, obviously moved by the hardship motorists’ encounter, gave an assurance that the work on the road currently being done by the Public Works Corporation will be sped up.
The story is however different for residents of Alfa Nla-Oke Koto as the rehabilitation work on the road has been completed. For the governor, it was an election promise kept.
He said: “You remember that during the campaign, I came here and I said if you vote for me, I will fix this road which is Alfa Nla-Oke Koto road. I said I will come back to do it and I did promised that before Christmas, this road will be motorable.
“In fulfillment of our promise, we are here today inspecting the completion of this road. What I want to tell you as part of the Christmas gift to you is that we are going to put street lights on this road.”
With Alfa Nla Road completed, Ambode was quick to announce that resurfacing work on the adjoining Capitol Road will commence in the first week of January 2016.
At the Oshodi Resettlement Market, Ambode, after being conducted round the market, ordered the Public Works Corporation to resurface the car park in the market in preparation for the reopening of the market.
Ambode, who met with the developer of the market, the leaders of the market association and top executives of Oshodi Local Government, expressed the need for the developer of the market to consider a rent-to-own modality for acquisition of the shops.
The governor said it was highly important for a monthly payment plan to be developed so as to prevent a situation whereby the shops would be hijacked by businessmen who can afford to pay for more than two or three years, and then let it out to the real traders at exorbitant prices.
Besides, Ambode directed the developer to ensure that traders are not allowed to display their market on the road within the market so as to allow easy movement within the market, thereby encouraging people to come in and do business in the market.
During the tour, which also took him to the Island, Ambode, made a stop-over at the stretch of land overlooking the lagoon, adjacent to the Adekunle axis of the Third Mainland Bridge. There he intimated residents of his plans to transform Ebute-Meta into a tourist haven by establishing a big recreation centre on the piece of land. Another plan for the land include a jetty, where people can park their cars and ride on a boat to their respective destinations without much stress. When this is done, the place will seize to be an eye sore. The governor plans to turn the place around by the end of May 2017 when Lagos State will be 50.
Ambode took time to talk to the auto mechanics under the bridge and explained to them through their Chairman, Wahab Jimoh, the need to vacate the land and allow development work to begin in earnest.
He gave them seven days to vacate the land, and also ordered traders in the area to move to the special site prepared for them in Agbowa by January 2016.
The tour is also coming on the heels of the recent disclosure that the State Executive Council has approved the construction of flyover bridges for two of the state’s high-density traffic zones – Ajah round about and Abule Egba junction.
The projects, according to the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, will be completed within 16 months.
There is also the rehabilitation of Freedom Road in Lekki to ease traffic considerably for vehicles using the Third Roundabout to connect Lekki through Admiralty Way.
The Ajah flyover bridge is expected to have a solar-powered signalised intersection to improve traffic.
The construction of the reinforced concrete dual-carriage flyover bridge at Abule Egba junction will equally bring joy and relief to millions of commuters that use the Lagos -Abeokuta Expressway in Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area daily.
Like the Ajah project, Ayorinde said the Abule Egba flyover bridge will also have signalised intersection under it to service Oko-Oba and other link roads within the axis.
As the New Year beckons, Lagosians hope the N662,588b 2016 budget will help the governor unfold more of the new face of Lagos.
