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Tag: Lagos-Ibadan road

  • Commuters, residents bemoan slow pace of work on Lagos-Ibadan road

    Commuters and residents of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have decried the slow pace of work on the road, which caused a gridlock at the weekend.

    The first rain of the year fell yesterday, causing a massive traffic jam on major roads in Lagos metropolis.

    It stretched from the old Toll Gate in Ojota to Ikorodu Road and Oworonshoki.

    Commuters caught in the deluge of water that accompanied the rain were stranded for hours.

    Officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) had a hectic time controlling traffic on the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge for commuters to heave a sigh of relief.

    At the weekend, commuters had a torrid time plying the road as the gridlock stretched till the following morning.

    The gridlock, which stretched from Magboro to the Long Bridge on the expressway, lasted more than 24 hours with several commuters spending the night on the road.

    A commuter travelling to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Friday, Rasheed Ijoba, told The Nation that he left Lagos Island at 4 p.m with the hope of getting to his destination by 10 p.m.

    But he said he was still in Lagos at 9 p.m, held up on the Long Bridge.

    “I do not know why the contractor is slowing down work on this road. For more than a year now, they are yet to complete 30 kilometres. For me, this has affected some of us plying this road.

    “The other contractor handling the Ibadan end of the road has nearly completed their work. But Julius Berger has been foot-dragging on this road. They should also know that this is the only road that leads to other parts of the country,” Ijoba said.

    A resident of Magboro, Femi Adekunle, got home at 2.30 a.m on Saturday, for a journey of a less than one hour from Ikeja.

    He said: “I could not believe that I was still held up in the traffic till 2 a.m because the whole place was jam-packed. Some of the commercial bus drivers took the law into their hands, driving one-way, facing those coming to Lagos.

    “The under-bridge of Magboro was a no-go area. Those heading to Ibadan blocked the vehicles going into Magboro. Unfortunately, there were no law enforcement officers on duty at that time,” he said.

    Adekunle blamed the gridlock on the slow pace of work by Julius Berger.

    He said: “I don’t know why Julius Berger is yet to complete their work on that road in the last two years. They have been on this road since this administration came on board. But they seem to be complacent. Even those who awarded them the job are not monitoring what they are doing!

    “Before the Christmas, it took the intervention of the authority to appeal to them to open up the road. When they closed the road again this month, the traffic has returned. Whenever a vehicle breaks down on the road, the whole place will be blocked.

    “So, it is high time the government called them to order to hasten up on their job because several man-hours are lost on the road due to the incessant gridlock.”

  • FRSC cautions motorists on Lagos-Ibadan road over tanker accident

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has advised motorists travelling on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to be cautious, following an accident on the long bridge inward Lagos State.

    FRSC’s Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr Hyginus Omeje, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident occurred at 5:56 a.m on Sunday.

    He said: “The vehicular movement on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway inward Ibadan is currently diverted at OPIC to share the road with vehicles moving inward Lagos due to a crash involving a petrol tanker, which split its content on the road.

    “All emergency response agencies are on the ground. An empty tanker is also on the ground now for trans-loading of the product.”

    Omeje said the tanker with the petroleum product lost control and rammed into another vehicle, injuring three people.

    The sector commander said the vehicles involved were a white Mack tanker and a white Iveco truck with registration numbers LSR460XG and LND 818XN.

    He said the commission and other agencies were making efforts to remove obstructions from the road.

    Omeje urged motorists to exercise patience on the corridor.

    The Corps’ Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, also advised motorists to be cautious as another leaking tanker belonging to MRS Oil had been reported at a Mobil filling station on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway outward Lagos State.

    He said: “Another leaking tanker from MRS Oil has been reported by Mobil filling station on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (outward Lagos) as one of the nuzzles gave way and fuel is pouring out seriously.

    “Traffic has been diverted from toll gate to forestall a fire disaster.

    “Men of Ojota Unit Command are on the ground and Lagos Fire Service has been activated.”

  • 2018 budget: NUPENG rejects cut in allocation to Lagos-Ibadan road, others

    The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed displeasure at National Assembly’s cut in his year’s budgetary allocation to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other major highways across the country by N11.5 billion.

    In a statement by its National President, Prince Williams Akporeha, the union said: “Cutting from allocations meant for crucial and very critical infrastructural projects that have huge socio-economic impacts on national and regional roads, like the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, ancillary roads, East-West road, Bonny-Bodo road and others, to say the least, is unreasonable and insensitive to the yearnings of the people. Our parliamentarians’ claim to represent, more painfully this ill-informed decisions, have the potential of impacting negatively on the nation’s economic recovery plans.

    “We are still in shock that these critical trunk roads, which play significant roles, particularly in the value chain of the oil and gas downstream sector and other critical and crucial economic activities in the country, would be expunged from the national budget at a time the union is craving for state of emergency on Nigerian roads.

    “NUPENG strongly believes that the constitutional direction of a national budget must be patriotically designed to consolidate the achievements of previous budgets to deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, as envisaged by the present-day government, which is the same line of logical, reasonable and responsible thought process that we expect from our Federal lawmakers.

    “However, the union cannot afford to fold its arms while our hardworking and patriotic members’ lives are being carelessly and pitiably wasted on the highways as well as facing unimaginable hazards on the roads, particularly the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, whose main professional calling to the service of our nation is the lifting and distribution of petroleum products across the length and breadth of the nation in order to energise social and economic activities of all Nigerians.

    “We hate to always raise concerns over road accidents involving our members as a result of deplorable conditions of the nation’s road networks. It is also an open secret that the current nature of our roads is a real contributory factor to tanker accidents, which we are experiencing virtually on daily basis. Unfortunately, the 2018 Appropriation Act, which we thought could save us from this life threatening menace, has again dashed our hope.

    “NUPENG is using this medium to call on all relevant stakeholders in government, especially the Legislature and the Executive, to urgently reconsider all the aforementioned road infrastructural projects as well as other critical areas affecting the Oil and Gas sector that were flippantly jettisoned from the budget in the interest of all Nigerians and for the entrenchment and sustenance of industrial growth and development.”

  • Lagos-Ibadan road to get toll gates

    Section 1 of the reviewed N134.8 billion Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will include two toll gates, underpasses and flyovers, the Federal Controller in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Adedamola Kuti, has said.

    Kuti spoke yesterday in Lagos at the project site during an inspection by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing II, Hassan Zarma.

    He listed the reviewed infrastructure as: four underpasses, two flyovers, an interchange to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and toll gate plazas.

    The controller said the original contract will be completed this year.

    The project started in 2013 with an extended completion date of July.

    According to him, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved augmentation of the contract to N134.8 billion, from N70.7 billion.

    Kuti said: “The augmentation came up as a result of the additional works included in the project. When the original contract was conceived, so many other considerations were not included in the project.

    “So, with the augmentation, government also extended the completion date to 48 months.”

    The project, which started in Lagos through Sagamu interchange, has been significantly completed.

    Kuti said: “The 11.6 kilometres on both bounds have been substantially completed. We have also completed another six kilometres on both lanes, aside from a four-kilometre bridge.

    “People used to sleep on this road in recent years, but it’s no longer the case. The contractor has just moved to site.”

  • FEC approves additional N80b for Lagos-Ibadan road

    •Okays N1.67 billion for Lagos –Kano narrow gauge equipment
    •Panel to review East-West road

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N143.2 billion contracts for construction of roads and bridges across the country.

    Among these is an additional N80 billion voted for the Lagos -Ibadan expressway. This will take care of the rehabilitation of 84 kilometers section two (Ibadan to Sagamu) of the nation’s busiest expressway.

    The Council last month approved N64.1bilion to be spent on section one (Lagos to Saganmu).

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola stated this at the end of an eight- hour FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    Other minister at the briefing are: Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Environment Jibrin Ibrahim, and Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu.

    Fashola said: “The contract awarded to RCC at the cost of N96 billion before is now revised by N80.199 billion to take the total cost to N176.503 billion. The major component is the change of the type of bitumen, the swamps that have been encountered, the depth of the design for the road, which is 1,100 millimeters, roughly about 43 inches of reconstruction from base.

    “As you might know, the road is being expanded from two to three lanes on both sides. Also we are installing Glover leavers, toll plazas and service lanes. All these to accommodate the changes that have taken place, which were not conceptualised when the road was first built.”

    He said FEC also approved N18.87 billion for the rehabilitation and repair of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

    He said: “The repair of the Third Mainland Bridge was conceived in 2011 but was not awarded because there were no budgetary provisions.

    “But we have created budgetary provision for it as part of our national bridge maintenance strategy because our bridges haven’t been maintained for decades. This was for N18.87 billion to Borini Promo.

    “Essentially, what they will be doing is pile repairs. Piles are the foundations that hold the bridge. We are starting with the first 33 piles that are in critical conditions, then another set of 19 piles, and then 44 piles. And a general maintenance of 177 piles that form the entire foundation of the bridge. The other work is to replace the expansion joints.” he said.

    According to him, Council also approved N38.03 billion to RCC for the 72 kilometers Ninth Mile to Orukan road in Enugu State.

    He said that FEC also okayed award of remedial interventions in four roads in the country.

    The Minister added: “The roads are parts of Jebba-Mokwa road in favour of CGC for N1.079 billion. Ijebu-Ijesa- Ekiti State border road in favour of Time Building Construction company for N538 million. Emergency repairs of Ijebu-Ijesha  Ekiti State border road section two in favour of Invest Right Ltd in the sum of N562 million. And the rehabilitation of failed sections of Asaba-Ilaibu Edo State border road in favour of Setraco Ltd for N830 million.”

    The four roads are part of the 44 roads whose approvals were received.

    The remaining 40 roads, he said, were being dealt with at the ministerial level because of the amount involved.

    He said that Council also approved a contract for Ile bridge in Osun State at the cost of N2.546 billion.

    Fashola also said that Council approved memo on behalf of Transmission Company of Nigeria for purchase of 50 gas circuit breakers at the cost of N120 million in favour of CG Industrial.

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi said that FEC constituted a committee to take inspection trip to the East-West road towards completing the project.

     

  • FEC okays N64.108b for Lagos-Ibadan road project

    THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N64.108 billion for additional work on 43 kilometres’ part of section one of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, who spoke with reporters after about six hours’ FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said it was part of the N68.6 billion approved for roads projects.

    He was with Minister of State for Agriculture Heneiken Lokpobiri, Minister of Health Isaac Adewole, Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu.

    The new approval, Fashola said, is to accommodate the changing factors occurring on the project and also to modify the bitumen for the road to withstand heavy vehicles.

    “This covers Glover leaves, pedestrian bridges, toll plazas for that section so as to accommodate  changing nature of that road since conception. So many new structures, religious institutions, factories, universities and increased human activities that have come up along that road.

    “The inherited design didn’t provide for all these at all. The second section under RCC about 80 kilometres will come to council to incorporate similar works, including drainage works etc, when we finish procurement,” the minister said.

    The minister added that N4.57 billion was approved for Sumaila-Falala-Birni Bako-Bauchi road linking Bauchi and Kano State.

    Lokpobiri said FEC approved new 10 rice mills at a cost of N10.7 billion.

    The 10 states the mills will be located, he said, included Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra, Kaduna, Ogun, Niger and Bauchi.

    Each of the mills, he added, will have capacity to produce 100 tonnes of rice per day.

    According to him, the private sector will manage the 10 mills.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said N10 billion was approved to fight erosion.

    “This is the fourth quarter soil erosion, flood and pollution accelerated intervention projects worth about N10 billion. These are projects that cover the length and breadth of the country,” he said.

    He added that $460 million was approved to facilitate usage of new buildings located at main airports in the country, which could not be put to use at the beginning of this administration.

    Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu said the FEC approved the two memos his Ministry brought to the council for argumentation of existing projects.

    He said N93 million was approved for erosion control in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

    The other memo, he said, concerns the Azare-Jere project, which is a spill off from the Gurara Dam pipeline water transfer.

    He said N1.57 billion was approved to pay the outstanding liabilities to the contractor, SCC Nig. Ltd.

  • ‘Seven not 18 died in Sunday’s Lagos-Ibadan road accident’

    The Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said only seven persons died on Sunday, and not 18, in the road accident that occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Clement Oladele, spoke after visiting some of the injured at Idera Hospital in Sagamu.

    Oladele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that seven, as against the 18 earlier reported in the media, died in the incident.

    The sector commander said FRSC would not increase or reduce the number of casualties because the agency holds treats the figures it gives out with utmost honesty.

    He said: “Out of the nine we brought here, some are in serious condition; others are getting better while the hospital has discharged one to his family.

    “We learnt from some of the survivors here that the vehicle was on top speed and it had a tyre burst, which resulted in the accident.

    “FRSC is a transparent and a data-driven organisation. This means our data must be accurate. That’s why we don’t give false information, but we give detailed information.”

    He urged motorists to always exercise caution on the road and drive according to traffic rules.

    One of the injured victims, who spoke to NAN in the hospital, Mr Francis Osifor, said he was coming from Abuja with six other passengers.

    He recalled that on getting to Ibadan, they were transferred to an inter-state bus going to Lagos.

    Osifor said the bus was on top speed and later had a tyre burst, which resulted in the accident.

    He added: “I wanted to tell the driver that the speed was much, but I was feeling sleepy. The next thing I heard was a blast of tyre. The vehicle turned and went to the opposite direction. I was dragged out of the vehicle.”

  • Commuters, others decry attacks on Lagos-Ibadan road

    Commuters, others decry attacks on Lagos-Ibadan road

    •Govt. urged to intensify patrol on ‘Long Bridge’

    Commuters and other people plying the popular Long Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have decried the spate of attacks on the road.

    At 8 a.m on Tuesday, a woman was robbed on the bridge when her vehicle broke down.

    Many other atrocities are committed daily on the bridge.

    It was learnt that on most nights, some people are sighted jumping through the median into the underground on the Long Bridge.

    Unlucky commuters, whose vehicles most times break down, become victims of robbers, who are suspected to have hideouts near the bridge.

    Frequent patrol by security agencies on the bridge has reduced.

    Commuters urged the Ogun State government to increase surveillance on the underground of the Long Bridge.

    A resident of Arepo on the Lagos-Ibadan Expresway, Femi Ajisafe, told The Nation yesterday urged the government to rid the area of criminals who had been terrorising commuters and others plying the area.

    He said: “I don’t know why government cannot raid the underground of the Long Bridge, which has become the den of criminals.

    “Late last year, I was attacked on the bridge by some knife-wielding robbers. They made away with my phones and other valuables. It was around 7 p.m, when my vehicle had a flat tyre. Before I could get down to change the tyre, four men had run towards me. They pounced on me and started beating me to give them all I had. I struggled with them and abandoned the car till the next day. They ransacked the car and removed its battery and stereo.”

    A Lagos lawyer, who resides at Magboro but spoke in confidence, urged the government to act quickly before more lives and valuables are lost on the bridge.

    He said: “We don’t have a listening government. I know several people have been attacked while some others have even died on the Long Bridge in the hands of hoodlums. The criminals hide under the bridge and attack people on the road.

    “Security forces should comb the underground of the bridge. I am sure a lot of things would be discovered. I am calling on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come to the aid of commuters plying the road.”

     

  • Reps to FG: Fund Lagos-Ibadan Express Road, Second Niger Bridge projects

    Reps to FG: Fund Lagos-Ibadan Express Road, Second Niger Bridge projects

    The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to urgently decide on how to fund and execute the Lagos-Ibadan Road and the second Niger Bridge projects.

    The Lawmakers expressed concern on the confusion surrounding if the projects are to be fully funded by government or to be executed under a concession agreement with private firms.

    The House Committee on Works has therefore been mandated to investigate the nature of the contracts and concession arrangement and report back in four weeks for further parliamentary action.

    The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by a member Solomon Maren with the title: “Need to Investigate Nature of the Contract or Concession Arrangement on Second Niger Bridge and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway”,

    Maren while moving the motion said both projects has not followed the established pattern of project execution, adding that that the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, recently warned on the possibility of both the Lagos-Ibadan Road and Second Niger Bridge ending up as white elephant projects.

    Allocation for the projects in the 2017 budget were not adequate and they not not under concession agreement.

    His words: “Contracts for the construction of the second Niger-Bridge and reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road have continued to feature in the annual budgets without any seeming signal of their completion or the amount required to do so.”

    Maren in response to a remark by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun said that though two contractors were handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway presently, the Federal Government is yet to make up its mind on the funding arrangement for,the two projects.

    The Deputy Speaker Lasun in a deprive from the tradition of not debating infrastructure motions tgave the floor to the chairman  Committee on Works, Tobey Okechukwu, to speak on the issue.

    Okechuwku who supported the motion said it has become imperative for government to come up with a framework for the completion the projects adding that this stemmed from the observation of his committee that while the Lagos-Ibadan Road is “supposed to have alternative funding”, the Federal Government has not made a clear-cut decision on the funding plan for the second Niger-Bridge.

    The lawmaker said the “piece-meal procurement” funding method hitherto employed by the government should be dropped.

    Mohammed Sani-Abdul who also supported the motion, said despite litigation on the Lagos-Ibadan Road, work was still going. This he said makes the situation in the second Niger-Bridge project of concern.

    The non utilisation of the N14 billion 2016 budget allocation and the N10 billion allocated in 2017 for the second Niger Bridge was worrisome based on the fact that the concession agreement for the project was between Federal Government and an international investment company which later sub-contracted the project to Julius Berger Plc.

    With no contract between the Federal Government and Julius Berger, the construction firm cannot be directly funded through budgetary allocations for the project, Sani-Abdul’s said.

    When it was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker who presided, it was passed by a majority of members.

  • Anger over Lagos-Ibadan road vote slash

    Anger over Lagos-Ibadan road vote slash

    Federal lawmakers, especially those from the Southwest, got some knocks yesterday over the slashing of the vote for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the 2017 budget.

    Power, Works and Housing Minister  Babatunde Fashola raised the alarm over the vote slash from N31 billion to N10billion. He also complained about the cutting of the votes for other crucial projects and the vote diverted to boreholes and primary healthcare.

    The lawmakers said the budget was lopsided in favour of the Southwest. They also chided the minister for breaching  their legislative privilege.

    Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West), responding  to a question on facebook, said he aligned himself “with the position of the Senate.”

    Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG)  Mr.  Olawale Oshun described as callous the decision to slash the fund for the project.

    He said: “It’s been quite a long time the legislative  and the executive arms of government have not been serious about the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. Up to 70 per cent of goods imported through Apapa port go through that road to other parts of the country.”

    The former whip of the House of Representatives berated the lawmakers from the Southwest for allowing such decision to stand.

    He said Nigerianswould  one day judge between those who serving them and those against their interest.

    “If the Yoruba members of the National Assembly cannot even defend a project of interest to their constituents, what would they expect from lawmakers from other regions? It is even goes beyond the Yoruba lawmakers because this road is the most important economic link in terms of the transport system of the country and beneficiaries are spread across the country. The economic downturn would affect a lot of people. It shows a sense of callousness on the perception of duty call among the lawmakers,” he said.

    He attributed the lawmakers’ action to the politicisation of President Muhammadu Behari’s ill-health.

    “It is unfortunate because of the fallout of the politicisation of Mr President’s ill-health. Were Mr President around, his personality is enough to deter the lawmakers from tampering with the budgetary allocation to the road.

    “Nigerians have suffered enough on that road on a daily basis. The economy of the country stands to benefit more if the road is completed. This is a country where unemployment rate is exploding and when we should be talking of improving infrastructure and the most important project is being neglected, undermined all in the name of politics? It is undesirable,” he said.

    Human Rights Activist Debo Adeniran urged caution, saying the National Assembly only took a decisive action, following the faulty implementation of past budgets.

    He said if the cost of implementation of the project was inadequate, there is room for supplementary budget or virement.

    Adeniran added: “It is not the reduction of the cost that matters no: it is the capacity of the ministry to implement the project. It is not the fault of the National Assembly, but a product of experience of how the project was handled in the past.

    “There is no need for frustration, until the National Assembly fails to approve the supplementary budget, if the current budget is exhausted.”

    Pro-democracy activist Moshood Erubami also knocked the lawmakers.

    The President, Nigeria Voters Assembly, said: “Nigerians condemn the dangerous experiment which the huge cut in the budget allocation to the Ibadan / Lagos Express road carried on the their  lives.

    “There is need for a united front among lawmakers to immediately call for a supplementary budget to return the huge deduction made from the allocation to the lbadan/ Lagos Express road and forget the needless invitation to the minister of works for stating the obvious

    “It is imperative that united action must be taken by Nigerians to ensure safety and security on the most important road that links Lagos to other parts of the country.

    “It is ironic and unpleasant that southern senators were being indifferent, apathetic and ambivalent when a huge slash was being taken from the allocation to the only road that the South can be proud of in the federation.

    He added: “It is quite indifensible and unrepresentative for the National Assembly to be indifferent to the huge cut of N21 billion from the allocation of N31b vote for the project.  Where then lies their oversight, good legislation and representation of the people? Their action is not only misguided but also devoid of genuine motives.

    Senator Lekan Balogun called for caution on the row between the executive and the lawmakers.

    Balogun, who is a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, said though the road is a major one, stakeholders should encourage both parties to find  an amicable solution to the disagreement.

    He expressed regret that most political decisions in Nigeria were  not based on objectivity.

    “Lagos-Ibadan expressway is a major road in Nigeria. It has to be completed because it links Lagos with other parts of the country,” he said.