LEKE BAIYEWU
Members of the Senate from Ogun and Oyo states have decried the slow pace of work on the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which they described as critical to Nigeria’s economy.
Speaking to one of our correspondents in separate interviews on Saturday, the lawmakers blamed the executive for the delay in the ongoing rehabilitation of the highway.
The lawmaker representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Senator Gbolahan Dada, recalled that he once contacted the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to express his concerns about the road.
He said, “I reached out to Fashola over the road issue sometime ago. His vote to the road in the budget (2017) was granted. I am very concerned about the condition of the road.
“That road is an arterial road to this nation. Going from Lagos, the commercial capital, to other parts of the country, you must pass through this road. The traffic on this road is so heavy and it is critical to the economic development of this country. I am very concerned about it.”
Also, Senator Adesoji Akanbi (Oyo South) blamed the condition of the road on the poor release of funds appropriated for the project.
The lawmaker noted that the project was part of those covered by the 2018 Appropriation Bill currently being processed by the National Assembly.
He said, “That road can never be abandoned because it is so critical to the economic growth of this country. This dispensation knows the importance of the road and there is another provision for it in the 2018 budget. But there is the problem of financial inadequacy. Some roads have been prioritised for completion and it is one of them.”
In his submission, Senator Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) said the road would be one of Fashola’s legacy projects particularly in the South-West. He said the minister would want to be remembered for ensuring the completion of the project.
He also recalled that he once discussed the road with the minister, who assured him of getting the project completed.
He said, “Fashola is well aware that as a Yoruba son, this is something he has to do. The South-West is the first to benefit from the project even though the road links other parts of the country.”
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