(By Moshood Adebayo – LAGOS)
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday stressed the importance of the Lagos-Seme road project to the country and the state, urging contractors handling the various phases of the project to speed up work.
The project, which links Nigeria with Benin Republic, include light-rail and a 10-lane highway, among other infrastructure.
The Governor spoke while inspecting the Alakija wing of the multibillion naira project, and assured Lagosians that construction would be completed before the end of 2019.
Ambode described the project as a major economic catalyst for Lagos and that his administration was totally committed to seeing it through.
“Last week, I was outside the country urging APM terminal to commence the Badagry Deep Sea port, which will attract $2.6 billion to the Badagry axis of Lagos. On the part of the government, this project must be accelerated and completed on schedule…”
The Governor stated that his administration was almost at the conclusion of the contract, just as he disclosed that the Okokomaiko to Seme border section will be given to a concessionaire.
“We believe strongly that the contractors have done a lot of good jobs. We have given them the right of way and we feel strongly that the one that has been awarded should be completed on schedule.”
He stressed his administration’s commitment to the project and economic expansion of the eastern part of Lagos, which he said was the surest way to go.
“The completion of this project will expand the real estate value and tourism potential in Badagry axis of the state. I am confident that we should have completed the project before the end of 2019.”
On inspecting the stretch of road from Agbelekale, off Ekoro Road, to Abesan Estate, via Church Street in Giwa/Aboru area of the state, the Governor charged the contractor and supervisors to ensure the delivery of the project within the first quarter of 2017.
“Just about five months ago, we were here to see the progress of this project. This road is designed to connect all the people living in the Aboru area to Iyana Ipaja, and also to the LASU-Iba road and all the people living within the Ajasa Community.”
The contractor handling one of the projects disclosed that there are three flyover bridges on the second segment of the road, saying that one side of the bridge had been completed at Alakija, Alaba and Fin Niger.
“In the last two years, we were unable to fast track the project because we were waiting for NNPC to relocate the pipelines on the right of way. But with the help of the governor, we were able to relocate the facilities last month. And that was why we could resume the filling and pilling aspect of the construction work,” he told Ambode.