Gani Adams to FG: Enough of politicking, fix Lagos-Ibadan Expressway now

*As Ondo says it has spent N10bn in rehabilitating federal roads

The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has urged the Federal Government to work with the National Assembly “and ensure the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway immediately.”

Adams, who lamented the lackadaisical attitude of some members of the Executive and the Legislature “to the urgency that should be attached to fixing this important road”, declared that “the lack of seriousness is a reflection of why things are not working in Nigeria.”

This is even as the Ondo state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday claimed that the state has spent no less than N10 billion in rehabilitating federal roads in the state.

Adams, who just returned from Sweden where he presided over the third Summit of Oodua Progressives Union (OPU), said it was unfortunate that while leaders in other countries see infrastructure as an avenue of alleviating the suffering of the masses, “leaders in Nigeria play politics with everything. In fact, the only thing they don’t play politics with is the air we breathe and that is because it is beyond their power.”

Describing the expressway as “the major artery that carries the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy,” Adams said “the fact that many administrations have not been able to fix this road is an embarrassment.”

“This is a road that leads Lagos to the West, East and North. Completed in 1978 as a four-lane highway, it is the busiest highway in West Africa and one of the busiest in Africa. About 300,000 vehicles ply this road every day and it is a shame that successive administrations did not show sign of seriousness about fixing the road.

“In Sweden and other western countries, you cannot differentiate Day from Night because of the smoothness of their roads and effective lighting, but the reverse is the case in Nigeria.

“Recently, Power, Works and Housing Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, raised the alarm on how budget for this expressway was cut and lawmakers, instead of addressing the problem, started playing politics with it. Hundreds of thousands of Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities ply this road every day. So, the road is not for Yoruba but for Nigerians.

“Any serious government would have fixed the road a long time ago. This is 2017 and we are still playing politics with this reconstruction. Now, the two contractors, Julius Berger and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), have threatened to abandon the road due to delay in the payment of agreed contract fees on work already done. How did we get to this level of apathy in matters bordering on development?

“We in the OPC are of the opinion that if some principal officers in the government are suffering from short-sightedness, millions of Nigerians can clearly see how the lack of seriousness in government is squeezing the economy and inflicting agony on businesses. The neglect of this road is an example in this regard.

“The apparent neglect of this road for decades is not without grave consequences. No serious country jokes with the welfare of its citizens. The reconstruction of this road should be a priority because of its importance to the economic growth of our country.

“We, in OPC, call on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to do the needful immediately. Enough of politicking and irresponsibility on the part of government officials, we demand that this road is fixed Today.”

Mr. Akeredolu spoke on the efforts of the state government in fixing federal roads in the state during a courtesy visit to his office in Akure by the Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osogbo, Assistant Corps Marshal, Austin Aipoh.

The governor said the state government has pleaded with the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to refund to the state the monies spent fixing deplorable federal roads.

He noted that though there is synergy between the Ondo State government and the Federal Government on ways to refund all the outstanding expenditure.

“We have spent about N10 billion on federal roads and have written letters for our refunds, but nothing is coming.

“There are a number of things we want to do as a state but the point is that, if we will do that let them pay for the roads we have done before.

“By that, we can use the money for other roads or capital projects in the state,” Akeredolu said.

Earlier, Mr. Aipoh commended Governor Akeredolu for his giant stride towards repositioning the state for greatness since his inauguration in office.

The Zonal FRSC boss revealed that he was on the visit to inform the governor of his retirement having served the corps for thirty years.

He revealed that his jurisdiction also cut across Ondo, Osun and Oyo state while also extending an invitation to Akeredolu to grace his pull-out ceremony.

Aipoh later observed that most major roads being plied in the state are bushy and hampers the visibility of motorists.

He said that the Akure/Ore road had been taken over by weeds while he pleaded with the state government for the clearing of the bush to prevent road crashes.

Patrick Okohue, Lagos and ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure