The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Lebanese man arrested for faking Nigerian citizenship

The Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, has arrested a 42-year-old Lebanese man, Rami El Masri, for alleged forgery and attempting to deceive a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) that he was a Nigerian citizen.

El Masri, who it was learnt, owns two construction companies on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, is accused of forging a confirmation letter representing himself as a Nigerian citizen by birth.

He was arraigned yesterday before Mrs. Joy Ugbomiko of Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Igbosere, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and uttering.

Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Susan Ezema told the court that Masri committed the alleged offences on December 15, 2008 and November 19, 2014, at No. 6, Oniru Street, Apapa, and No. 13, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

She alleged that the defendant and others still at large conspired and forged a Letter of Confirmation of Nigerian citizenship with Reference No. MIA/NAT 382/1 dated December 15, 2008.

Ezema said: “The letter was forged on December 15, 2008 and the defendant fraudulently presented himself as a Nigerian citizen, a representation he knew to be false, with intent that it be acted upon as genuine in Nigeria.

“On November 19, 2014, at the Police Special Fraud Unit at No. 13, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, the defendant knowingly and fraudulently uttered the aforesaid false letter of confirmation as if it is genuine to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Martin Nwogoh, as if it was a genuine document”.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant presented the letter to CSP Nwogoh, who is attached to the Special Fraud Unit, with the intention that it be acted upon as genuine in Nigeria.

The offences, she added, contravened Sections 363 (3), 363 (4) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendant denied the charge.

Magistrate Ugbomiko granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties each in the like sum. Both sureties must be gainfully employed and be company directors or have property anywhere in Lagos State, while their addresses and places of business must also be verified.

The case was adjourned till June 16 for mention.

April 21, 2016
Unions seek action on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway

Transport unions in Lagos State yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, following the passage of the 2016 Budget by the National Assembly.

The leadership of the Road Transport Employers’ Association (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) made the pleas in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

RTEAN Chairman Musa Muhammed and his NURTW counterpart Tajudeen Agbede told NAN that the project remained important and should be given appropriate attention.

According to them, the project, which was started by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, should be completed to end carnage on the highway.

Muhammed said: “It is a pity that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is still being delayed up till this time.

“Our expectation is that by now the road would have been completed for the safety of commuters, transport operators and other motorists.

“But as it is now, our major prayer is to see the road completed.”

On if some of the nation’s highways should be tolled or not, Muhammed said: “It is a welcome development if the proceeds would be used to maintain the roads.”

Agbede observed that the poor state of the highways had caused the loss of many lives.

“Many productive lives and property have been lost on our roads. Many of our members and other transport workers have also lost their means of livelihood.

“Now that the budget is passed, we expect that work should start in time on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway to ensure its completion for the benefit of Nigerians,” the NURTW boss said.

According to him, it will go into history if the current administration completes the highway with high standard.

Agbede urged motorists to desist from excessive speeding, overloading and dangerous overtaking on hills and bends.

The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway is a 127.6-kilometre-long road connecting Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and Lagos State, the nation’s commercial centre.

It is also the major route to the northern, southern and eastern parts of Nigeria.

The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria, commissioned in August 1978 during the military administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo.

This expressway is the busiest inter-state route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road networks in Africa.

April 5, 2016
Bi-Courtney: we did’nt stall Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project

Bi-Courtney Highways Services has denied stalling the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It said the contractors stopped work on the project as a result of non-payment by the government.

A statement by Bi-Courtney reads: “It is noteworthy that Bi-Courtney commenced court action in 2012 to redress the impunity of the Federal Government’s purported termination of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Project. How could a court action which was instituted long before the unlawful concession of the road be responsible for stalling the road in 2016? Any trained mind must question how a concession could have been granted when there was a subsisting court action? It was only possible under a government that had no regard for the rule of law and was guided by a peculiar desire to run this country aground. The idiosyncratic disposition of the Jonathan government towards anarchy is legendary and must not be replicated again in the history of Nigeria.

“The purported concession granted to Motorways Limited through the Infrastructure Bank did not go through any due process. It was never advertised in newspapers in Nigeria. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act expressly provides that concessions in Nigeria must be advertised in two national newspapers. Furthermore, the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) must issue a no-objection approval before the concession is taken to the Federal Executive Council for approval. None of these elementary steps were taken. Yet, as stated earlier, the Jonathan government purported to have granted a concession to the company. In any civilised part of the world, the participants in this mockery would have been seriously sanctioned if not appropriately prosecuted. It is thus not surprising that the Federal High Court, in setting aside the contraption called concession, said the exercise violated the principles of law and justice.”

The company added: “The ICRC, which is the regulatory agency for concessions, issued a statement that Bi-Courtney was not responsible for the termination of the concession. It must be noted that ICRC, in a widely publicised press statement, disowned the purported concession to Motorways Limited. It is clear that this concession is simply a mirage.”

January 20, 2016
Five die on Lagos-Ibadan expressway accident

Five persons died on Tuesday in an accident involving a Mercedes Benz truck and a Mazda bus at Sagamu on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC in Ogun, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, who confirmed the incident, said that the bus lost control and ran into the truck which was also on motion from the rear.

Adetunji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta that 23 persons were involved in the accident, with five confirmed dead while 16 sustained injuries.

“We went to the scene and met the crash which involved the truck and the Mazda bus.

“A Mazda bus with registration number APP36XA and a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number GNN774XA were travelling to Ibadan before they rammed into each other.

“We understand that the bus, which was on a high speed, lost control and rammed into the moving truck and was torn into pieces because of its bad shape.

“The bus was not in good shape and was not supposed to be on the road.

“Motorist should obey the speed limit and ensure that their vehicles are properly maintained. They should also install speed limit device in their vehicles,’’ he said.

Adetunji said that the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital mortuary in Sagamu while the injured were also being treated in the health facility.

January 12, 2016
Court stops Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concession

A Federal High Court in Lagos has set aside a fresh Concession Agreement on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction project.

While delivering his ruling in a suit filed by Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Works, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Infrastructure Bank Plc and Motorway Assets Limited (MAL) on Friday, the court granted a mandatory injunction on the fresh concession agreement signed on January 16.

Among the prayers sought by Bi-Courtney in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/727/2015 was an Order of Mandatory Injunction setting aside the Concession Agreement granted MAL, over the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the form of a Finance, Operate and Transfer arrangement involving the Federal Authorities. The Court held that the grant of the Concession to MAL in the circumstances of the case was a flagrant disregard of the established principles of law.

Just before delivering the ruling, the defendants sought to prevent the court by filing an application. The court refused and granted “an order of mandatory injunction… setting aside the Concession Agreement dated 16th January 2015 between the 1st, 2nd and the 5th Defendants/Respondents, which purports to grant a concession over the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the form of a Finance, Operate and Transfer arrangement to the 5th Defendant.”

December 15, 2015
Julius Berger, RCC back on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Construction giants- Julius Berger PLC and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC)- have returned to work on the N167 billion Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers’ presence is noticeable at the Redemption Camp and Arepo areas of the Lagos end of the road.

NAN reports that while palliative works are ongoing at the failed spots in the Redemption Camp area, major work is being done at Arepo.

Julius Berger is handling Section One of the project, which stretches from Sagamu Inter-Change to Lagos; RCC is in charge of Section Two, stretching from Sagamu Inter-Change to Ojoo, Ibadan.

The repair of the failed sections has brought relief to motorists who are clamouring for early completion of the road which is the nation’s busiest highway.

A source said Julius Berger was back on the road for good, adding: “It is time to move forward on the project”.

The expected date for the completion of the project, which is being financed through Public and Private Partnership (PPP), is July 3, 2017.

Motorists and commuters have continued to appeal to the Federal Government to speed up work to facilitate travelling.

Ojo Agege, a commercial vehicle driver, urged the government to ensure speedy completion of the project.

Lateef Mohammed, another commercial driver, said motorists would continue to have nightmares on the road, until the government fixes it.

“All we are saying is that the government should help to fast track the construction of the road to ease traffic delay being experienced by travellers,” he said.

Ms Simisola Joseph, a trader, however, expressed optimism that with the coming of Babatunde Fashola as Works and Housing Minister, the construction would soon be completed.

Motorists and travellers are praising RCC for the progress made so far on Section Two of the road.

Femi Ajegun, a driver, told NAN that vehicular movement was now easy with the completion of work on some critical areas at the Ibadan end of the road.

“With the quality of job done and removal of long stretch of diversion by RCC, motorists and travellers now experience some pleasurable ride,” he said.

Sule Maito, a passenger at Ogere area, told NAN that if RCC could continue the way it is going, the job may be completed on schedule.

The Federal Ministry of Works, last week after a stakeholders /presidency meeting, said the government had committed N50 billion to the project.

The ministry promised to ensure timely completion of the road.

November 23, 2015
Agonies as traffic situation worsens on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Travellers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday had a hectic time moving out and entering Lagos. No thanks to the failed portions on both sides of the dual carriage highway at Warewa, a roadside community after the five-kilometre long Bridge.

Motorists have for weeks, been enduring the gridlock caused by the gullies that narrow the multiple lanes to one on both sides.

The impatience of some motorists, especially, commercial bus operators, who drive against traffic, worsens the situation, forcing passengers to trek several kilometres.

Observers blamed the deteriorating conditions of the road on unregulated development on the corridor. They accused developers of channeling waste water into the road.

It was learnt that the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) could have carried out remedial work but could not because of the franchise given to Julius Berger Construction Nigeria to redevelop the Sagamu Interchange/Ojota Toll Gate end of the 126.5-kilometre highway.

A FERMA official who spoke under anonymity said the agency could not rehabilitate the bad portions because of the subsisting contract between the government and the construction company.

It was learnt last night that road users and residents of some of the communities in the area will today stage a peaceful protest to draw the authority’s attention to their plights.

November 4, 2015
‘Funds disrupt work on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway’

RECONSRUCTION and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is hampered by lack of funds, adverse weather and motorists’ impatience, representative of the Federal Ministry of Works on Section II of the project, Nelson Olubakinde, has said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC).

Olubakinde, who spoke to NAN in Ibadan, said: “RCC is facing challenges of finance, rain and impatience from motorists, resulting in accidents.

“For instance, during the rainy season, artwork and asphalt laying are usually suspended,” he said.

NAN reports that the contract, valued at N96.3 billion, began on June 4, to be completed on July 3, 2017.

He said the agreement was under Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with Motorway Assets Limited as Leasee. The ministry is the guarantor.

“The consultant to Motorway Assets Limited is INTERCON Partnership Consulting Engineers,” Olubakinde added.

Speaking on the job standard, Olubakinde said new methods in road construction were used on the project.

“For example, besides the thickness of the road being enhanced, it has also been expanded to ensure the free flow of traffic,” he said.

He said the project had reached 25.98 per cent completion despite the challenges.

NAN reports that the theme of the contract award was “Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Expansion”.

The ministry’s representative added that besides ensuring the stability of the project, a sub-section of the road had been opened for use in the last one year to pave the way for correction of any defect.

The other end of the road from Sagamu Interchange to Lagos is being handled by Julius Berger Plc.

October 22, 2015
Photo: Lagos-Ibadan expressway under repair

September 10, 2015
Auto crash: 14 killed, 30 injured on Lagos – Ibadan expressway

Fourteen persons were confirmed dead and other injured in an accident at the Ogunmakin stretch of the Lagos – Ibadan expressway when two trucks collided with each other.

The crash which occurred on Wednesday night involved a trailer bearing cows alongside 27 people atop the vehicle and another trailer with registration number XE 444 KTU caused not a small traffic gridlock.

The operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun state Command and the Police were sighted making frantic efforts to rescue victims – dead or alive, a witness told The Nation.

According to Ndidi Frederick-Imo, Deputy Route Commander and AG Zonal Public Education Officer of the FRSC, 20 persons were injured and rescued alive while 10 others were confirmed dead at the Ifeoluwa hospital in Ogunmakin.

Similar accident which also occurred at the same Ogunmakin stretch of the Lagos – Ibadan expressway few hours later on Thursday morning left four persons dead and 10 others injured.

The Thursday accident involved a diesel tanker with PMS from Lagos and marked MKA 338 ZB and a luxury bus with registration number AAA 656 XN coming from Abuja, crashed into each other.

Ndidi who made this known to The Nation, noted that the rescue efforts were carried out by FRSC operatives and the Nigeria Police Force with 50 people rescued.

The 10 injured passengers while the four that died in the accident were evacuated to Fakoya mortuary, Sagamu.

Ndidi said following the dangers associated with night journey, the FRSC’s Assistant Corps Marshal (Zone 2) Lagos, Nseobong Akpabio, has warned Nigerians to desist from embarking on night travels by road irrespective of enticement.

“We all know that night traveling is extremely dangerous and should not be encouraged by families, companies because night driving is fraught with more dangers than daytime driving due to poor visibility, drivers’ fatigue, and other associated human errors.

“The Assistant Corps Marshal Nseobong C. Akpabio (MON) enjoins the motoring public to be more careful on the road as the latest crash was due to loss of control and over speeding.

“Drivers should ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition including brake lights, reverse lights, turn signals and any functioning lights.

“We completely discourage all Nigerian from travelling at night irrespective of the emergency in view of its associated dangers /consequences.

“And all patrol teams have been briefed to carry out strict enforcement on all corridors and impound all non-roads worthy vehicles and test drivers who are susceptible to driving vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs and anyone arrested to be prosecuted.

“Fathers, Mothers, brothers, family members as well as companies and organizations to warn their relatives and staff not to embark on night journey as no amount of money or insurance can replace one’s life once lost,” Ndidi stated.

September 3, 2015