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Tag: Lagos-Ibadan

  • Lagos-Ibadan rail project: We have covered 123km out of 156km, says Amaechi

    Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, said, yesterday, that 123km of the 156 km stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project has been completed.

    Amaechi, speaking during his routine inspection of the project along Kila, Olodo, Ilugun corridor of the track in Ogun State, said the project had been completed up to Kila.

    “In less than a month from now, we should be in Ibadan with the rate the work is going,” he said.

    The minister also said, that, he would inspect the Apapa port and its connection to the standard guage rail to address the challenges of traffic gridlock in the area.

    “We will be visiting the ports tomorrow (today) to address some of the issues we have there.

    Read also: Wike to Amaechi: people voted me for my performance

    “It’s imperative that the Apapa ports must be connected to the standard guage rail to ensure proper movement of cargoes.”

    The minister had, during one of his inspection tours on April 8, blamed the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the slow pace of work in the ongoing project.

    According to him, the Federal Government plans to commence transportation of cargoes from the sea ports through the standard rail gauge by December.

  • FRSC: driving against traffic on Lagos-Ibadan highway to attract psychiatric test

    THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said any motorists caught creating additional lanes and or driving against traffic on the Lagos-lbadan Expressway will be booked for a psychiatric check.

    FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who stated this at the weekend in Lagos, said erring motorists would also have their vehicles impounded.

    According to Omeje, one of the causes of the constant gridlock on the road is impatience and lane abuse by most road users.

    He said: “A good assessment of the road, which I have done severally, revealed that there is nothing wrong with the road. But everything is wrong with the users, who constitute a law unto themselves and willfully break all known laws of transportation.

    “Although, the road is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion, which has gotten to Magboro by MFM Church and at that point, lbadan bound traffic was diverted to share the lane with inward Lagos traffic.

    “The narrowing of the carriageway at the diversion point caused serious gridlock last week.

    “The problem is always compounded anytime motorists create additional lanes or drive against traffic, leading to crashes.

    “We are not interested in arrest, but to get the road free of gridlock. However, many motorists are creating a problem for us by creating additional lanes or driving against traffic, especially anytime there’s a breakdown.

    “We will soon start to book erring road users, who are compounding problems on that corridor,” Omeje said.

    The FRSC chief noted that impatience had caused so much chaos and harrowing experience for motorists on the corridor.

    He urged motorists to always maintain their lanes, saying that lane discipline and obedience to traffic law is required by all road users to ensure a free flow of traffic.

    Omeje said the construction companies from OPIC had put signage from 50 kilometres, 80 kilometres, and 100 kilometres per hour speed limit.

    “No spirit, no demon is causing anything on that road, but the attitude of the road users, which is underscored by impatience and lawlessness.

    “Our men are ready to enforce the law and to curb the excesses of people creating additional lanes and driving against traffic.”

    The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is 127.6-kilometre long (79.3 miles) connecting lbadan to Lagos and also a major route to the Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria.

    The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria and was commissioned in August 1978.

    It is also the busiest interstate route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road networks in Africa.

  • ‘Lagos-Ibadan expressway important to govt’

    The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Adedamola Kuti, has described the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as special “and very dear to the Federal Government.” Kuti made this statement while declaring some sections of the road opened  ahead of the yuletide. He also used the occasion to inspect the level of progress made on the  repair work on the Ikorodu-Sagamu Road.

    According to the controller, the fact that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway connects the Apapa ports and terminates in the northern part of the country and accommodating traffic from the 36 states of the federation, makes it a road of huge importance to the country; hence the speedy completion of repairs around the construction zones and opening the highway to traffic.

    “A lot of people are coming out of Lagos going home for the celebration and some are also coming in from all the states of the federation into Lagos. What we are doing today is to open up all the construction areas and open up the entire highway to traffic for this period, we will resume our work in January, “he assured.

    Kuti said that section one of the project which spans from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange was awarded at an initial cost of N70 billion, but the sum was reviewed upward after additional works was added to the project to N134 billion. He the increase in the volume of work on site meant an extension of completion time on the project.

    “For now we are opening up this road for the use of the motoring public and I want to also seize this opportunity on behalf of the Honorable Minister of Power, Works and Housing to appeal to motorists and commuters using this road to drive safely with caution, observe all traffic rules and regulations including speed limits.

    To this end, he said the ministry was handing over the road temporarily to the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), so that they could take control of traffic on the road.

    Assuring the Controller of its readiness, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ogun State Command, Clement Oladele, said that the Corps would be on 24 hours surveillance of the highway to prevent gridlock and accidents, adding that a special operations unit had been set up by the FRSC for the Yuletide season to manage traffic on the highway from December 15, 2018 to January 15, 2019.

    Oladele revealed that in 2017, the Lagos to Ogun end of the highway recorded 1.8 million travelers, while so far this year, about two million travelers have used the highway. “We are estimating that a minimum of 350,000 vehicles will move on this road this season. I want to assure the motoring public that FRSC is here, we have commenced 24 hours operations since the beginning of the month just to ensure people travel in safety with minimal discomfort,” he said.

    Motorists expressed satisfaction with the opening of the road, especially at this period, saying it would make their journey easier and faster. They expressed their appreciation to the Federal Government for the efforts so far on the road, urging her to complete the road on schedule.

    Also at the construction site of the13 kilometers Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, Kuti was emphatic that the road’s importance cannot be over emphasised because it not only links the Ikorodu Division of Lagos State to the Sagamu Division in Ogun State, but because it will ease traffic and further prolong the lifespan of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway because when completed, it will disperse huge traffic from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    “The project is actually starting from Lagos and terminating in Sagamu and the method the contractor is adopting is to work at the critical sections and then later we link them up. Government is passionate about completing repairs of the highway as it also serves as alternative route to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,” Kuti said.

  • History as Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line is test run

    It was a mere 50-minute ride, yet it was historic in many ways.

    The first standard guage rail line between Lagos, Nigeria’s business headquarters, and Ibadan in the heart of the Southwest was test run.

    The 36-kilometre journey was the result of a project that began in June 2017.

    Leading the group of select passengers was Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi. The 150km per hour speed will be realised early next year when the job is completed. It is comfortable inside the rail car.

    The minister had, during his routine visit on December 4, insisted he must ride a rail car on the tracks by December 18.

    With him on the 36-kilometre journey were members of the House Committee on Land Transportation, led by its chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin, officials of the ministries of Transportation and Works, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and representatives of the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), as well as a consortium of engineers and consultants.

    Amaechi said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would ride on the track in the first week of January, next year.

    He dedicated the success of the project to the media, who according to him, kept a tab on the project since it started in June 2017.

    The minister commended the contractor for bringing the project to fruition within 18 months. He challenged local engineers to rise to  salvage the nation from  foreign domination.

    Amaechi said: “While praising the Chinese for their engineering prowess which has turned a rain forest into an emerging city, our engineers must see this as a challenge and save Nigeria from the clutches of foreign domination in the area of construction.

    “This project is nearing completion. Right now, work has advanced and we are six kilometres away from Abeokuta. The contractors have assured me that we would be able to ride from Iju in Lagos, to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital by the first week of January, 2019. The idea is to bring the vice president and some ministers to join in the ride.”

    He said that once the track is flagged off, the route would be opened for passenger traffic, while efforts would be doubled to ensure that the standard gauge be taken to Ibadan.

    He said work would begin on the construction of stations immediately the project gets to Ibadan.

    The minister said: “I directed that they should stop work on the stations and concentrate on the tracks. They should thereafter return to the project once the tracks have been laid to Ibadan.

    “If the train gets to Ibadan by January, the government would continue to run free train ride from Iju to Ibadan, whether or not election is on, in line with presidential directive.

    “We will start putting passengers as we test the tracks and they can stop anywhere they want to stop on the corridor up to Ibadan.”

    He disclosed that the NRC would mobilise locomotives and coaches from the Abuja-Kaduna line, while the government awaits the delivery of the coaches from China.

    Amaechi said the government already anticipates heavy traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge, a fact he said was responsible for requests by his ministry for the purchase of more locomotives and coaches to service the corridor.

    Jibrin told reporters that the Transportation minister deserve commendation from the Federal Government on behalf of Nigerians for the extent of work achieved within the short period of time.

    The lawmaker, who expressed excitement at the speed and pace of the project, wondered why the project has been under-reported, promising to personally make his impression known to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Jibrin said his committee was happy to have acceded to the minister’s invitation to witness the test run of the tracks.

    “We want to assure the ministry and Nigerians that we would continue to support this project and do everything within our powers to ensure it comes to fruition,” Jibrin said.

    Project coordinator Leo Yin said the CCECC had been working round the clock on the track.

    “Since November, we have been working more at night, to ensure we meet the demands of the government,” Yin said.

    He disclosed that the Chinese firm already employed over 9,000 workers among whom are engineers, and artisans on the project.

    The minister stopped the tour at Odeda, Section III, Ogun State, where he went into a closed door session with the technical committee that went far into the evening.

  • I am not God, says Adeboye

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch  Adeboye has warned persons using his pictures and his wife for various souvenirs for sale to desist from such act as he is not God.

    Adeboye gave the waring last Friday at the annual Holy Ghost Congress of the church at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The event brought together Christians faithful from 197 countries which featured prayers, Bible teachings, business and marriage seminar and prophetic ministration.

    Adeboye said “It has been brought to my notice that people are using m picture and my wife  on key holders, calendars,  books and other souvenirs. Anyone found with such materials should be arrested and reported to the police.

    “I am not God. I did not send them. I have nothing to do with those materials. I am an ordinary man. God will never share his glory with any man.”

    He noted that what those selling souvenirs with his pictures are doing can lead to serious trouble, not for those selling the wares,  but for him.

    “God will not share his glory with any man. If at any time, God senses that a  man is trying to share his glory, the man is dead, and whether the devil likes it or not, I am not going anywhere yet.”

    According to Pastor Adeboye, recently a woman bought a key holder with his picture and his wife inscripted on it and  gave it to her child and the child began to eat the key holder and in no time, the picture pasted on the key holder removed and surprisingly what they found was the picture of another televangelist, Prophet T. B Joshua.

    During the prayer session, the wife of the General Overseer,Pastor Folu Adeboye lamented the spate of killings, occultism, wickedness being perpetuated by today’s youth which according to her calls for national repentance and conscious appeal to God for forgiveness if Nigeria will ever be great again.

  • Truck crushes motorcyclist, passenger on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    A motorcyclist and his passenger were on Monday crushed to death in an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    My Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta, said the incident happened close to a Connoil filling station on the highway.

    Akinbiyi said that the accident,  which occurred at about 6:20 p.m.,  was as a result of excessive speed and loss of control on the part of the driver of the truck with registration number JJJ 472 XP.

    “The truck had hit the motorcycle with no registration number from the back,  killing the motorcyclist and his passenger on the spot,” he said.

    Akinbiyi added that the truck driver survived the accident while the corpses of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

    “TRACE is using this opportunity again to admonish drivers, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, to avoid excessive speed and give consideration to other road users for the safety of all,” he said.

  • Lagos-Ibadan, Second Niger Bridge, others to get steady funding, says minister

    MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola yesterday assured the citizens that three major projects – Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge and Kano-Abuja road projects – would get steady funding until completion.

    Fashola spoke at the flag-off of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project in Kano.

    The 375.4-kilometre road project was  awarded to Julius Berger Plc at N155,470,626,078.07  with 36 months’ completion period.

    The minister said uninterrupted funding of the projects would be sourced from the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Fashola explained that the benefitting projects earlier suffered neglect for 10 years despite buoyancy of the past administration.

    His words: “The existing 25 roads are only a part of 200 roads that needs to be funded. Strategic roads, which carry some of the heaviest traffic and which connect the North and South of the country, the Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kano road project have either being stalled or simply deteriorated for about a decade for lack of funding at a time when the country made a lots of money from the sale of crude oil.

    “President Buhari has again brought change. After the SUKUK, he has now approved an infrastructure development fund.

    “These three projects, Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano expressway, are the first beneficiary of the infrastructure developed fund.”

    He added: “What change means now is that work will no longer stop on these three projects on the account of lack of funding once they are put in the budget.”

    The minister noted that the contractors working on Lagos-Ibadan road and Second Niger Bridge had been mobilized. According to him, Julius Berger construction firm is expected to begin work on the third project after the flag-off.

    Fashola, who emphasised that there would be no reason to stop work on the three projects, stressed that the President had already assured such would not happen until they are fully completed.

    Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi described the project as belated but applauded the Federal Government for the intervention.

    He said it would contribute significantly to developing rural communities as well as serving as job creation opportunity.

    Sanusi, who hailed the Federal Government for awarding the project to Julius Berger, emphasisied on the good reputation and capacity of the construction firm.

    Senate Works Committee Chairman Senator Kabir Gaya was excited for the flag-off and stressed that the road was abandoned for over 21 years.

    He said he was delighted that its reconstruction began during his term as a serving senator.

    He applauded the President and Fashola for delivering on promises made to the people of Kano.

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje decried high rate of casualties recorded on the road due to its neglect.

    He said road mishaps were recorded almost on daily basis.

    Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Afeez Abubakar, said the reconstruction would salvage hardship regularly witnessed on the roads by commuters.

    Managing Director, Julius Berger Wolfgang Goetsch, an engineer, called for proper road maintenance culture and assured on timely delivery.

  • Lagos-Ibadan road ready before December, says Mohammed

    The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be ready before December, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said.

    He spoke yesterday while inspecting the N232 billion project handled by Julius Berger and Reynold Construction Company (RCC) as part of the tour of federal projects.

    Mohammed kicked-started the inspection on Tuesday with the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

    He inspected the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line.

    The 137-kilometre Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is divided into two sections.

    Julius Berger is handling Section One at the cost of N134 billion. The section covers the Lagos-Sagamu Interchange.

    RCC covers the axis from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan for N96 billion.

    The project, which started in 2013, with initial completion date of 2017, is slated for completion this year.

    There were initial hiccups, with the scope of work expanded.

    In both axis, over 50  per cent has been achieved.

    Mohammed said this was commendable because  traffic had been reduced.

    Already, 17 kilometres – with three lanes on each side – have been completed, with drainage work going on.

    Speaking after the inspection, Mohammed said the Federal Government would  put pressure on the contractors to ensure they deliver on time.

    The minister assured the contractors that the government will ensure smooth and timely completion of the project.

    He said: “Sections one and two will be substantially completed before end of the year. Give and take, about 53 per cent of the projects had been completed.

    “We understand the importance of the axis to the economy and security of Nigeria. We are working to ensure that progress is made.

    “This particular section is significant and different in many instances, in terms of traffic, capacity and scope. There are many churches around here and there is the issue of compensation, bridges and interchange, pedestrian bridges.

    “No doubt, with efforts of the contractors, travel time from Lagos to Ibadan has been cut down tremendously. People used to sleep on the road. But now, you can go to Ibadan under two hours. Accident rate has also reduced tremendously.

    ‘’With the amendment to the contract, more facilities, such as toll plaza, better drainage, flyovers, will be provided.

    “Travel time has been reduced tremendously. People travel with more comfort and even more security assurance. Armed robbery is easier when traffic is not moving, but when you see flowing traffic, as we have seen today, it also improves security.

    “With additional work, not only are we going to have a better road, but it is going to go from two to three lanes on both sides. That means it can carry more traffic.

    “Then, auxiliary facilities that have been included, such as toll plaza, street lights and overhead bridges, will make travelling much more pleasant. This is exactly the objective, but most importantly, it is the economy.”

  • Lagos-Ibadan: Track-laying on standard gauge begins

    •Mohammed: December delivery of rail line sure

    LAYING of tracks on the standard gauge of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has begun, it was learnt.

    China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), in  March, assured Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi that track-laying will begin in April.

    At yesterday’s project monitoring meeting, with Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed, present, Amaechi hailed the  progress so far.

    The minister said the laying of tracks started from Itori section of the project.

    Two track-laying machines were working on site.

    CCECC has a big fabricating yard at Itori, where it produces materials for the construction of fast lane rail tracks.

    A Federal Government team is in the CCECC yard at Papalanto to address challenges, such as water and gas pipelines, bridges, among others.

    Track-laying has not started in Lagos due to some obstructions.

    Challenges, such as power cables, water pipes and mains, structures and bridges at the Lagos end are reportedly holding up the work.

    However, the Federal Government has restated its commitment to deliver the standard gauge by December.

    Mohammed spoke when he addressed reporters, with  Amaechi present.

    He noted that with the track-laying, the project will be delivered on time.

    The minister said the contractor had two track-laying equipment, which could lay 1.2 kilometres per day each.

    He added: “If we can cover between 2.4 to 2.6 kilometres per day, it is possible to deliver by December. All of us, including the contractor and the consultants, have agreed to ensure that this is realised.”

    Mohammed said he came to see the progress of work and what the government had been doing in the transportation sector.

    He said: “We are happy that not only is the project going smoothly, but that the contractor has employed about 7,000 Nigerians since it started 18 months ago.

    “As you know, this is our flagship project. At our meeting today, the contractor and the consultants saw why they must double up and ensure that we deliver on schedule.

    ‘’There is nothing to fear that this project may suffer and its delivery date changed.”

     

  • I8 killed in Lagos-Ibadan road accident

    Eighteen people died last night in a multiple accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The accident, which occurred around 6.30 p.m at the Alapako corridor of the expressway, involved an Extera Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with registration number (Lagos) KJA 278 DS, an unmarked Ford and a bus with registration number (Lagos) GGE 873 XU.

    Operatives of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on the scene of the accident to evacuate the victims, clear the obstructions the wreckages caused and direct traffic.

    TRACE spokesman Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident, attributed it to reckless overtaking.

    Akinbiyi added that the agency’s operatives had taken the remains of the dead to the FOS mortuary at Ipara-Remo in Ogun State.