Ayodele Olalere
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, on Sunday, embarked on on-the-spot assessment of construction works going on across the state, and promised quick delivery of various projects.
The inspection tour, which began at Costain, went through Ijora Olopa, Ijora/ Wharf road, Liverpool roundabout, Tincan, and Mile 2.
Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that construction works going on across the state, when completed, would ease the usual gridlock especially on the Apapa axis.
He also lamented the sorry state of the Ijora under bridge which has become home to different manners of people, promising the state government would turn around the area by giving it a new look.
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“The ongoing bridge construction at Costain, as you can see that one part of it has been fully completed, the other part is still ongoing and we have charged the contractors to see how well they quickly bring about the completion of that second phase and also we noticed that the turning is like a one-way directional sign, the turning especially for trucks was a bit inhibited because it didn’t have a proper rule for it to be able to manouver, so these are some the things we are going to do.
“We are going to be chopping down some of the triangular section at Costain roundabout so that trucks can have alot more headroom, they can make that right turn and go towards Iponri,” he said while inspecting construction work at Costain.
He added once work is completed on the repair being done on the bridge from Alaka, by the Federal Ministry of Works, the road would be open up by the end of September.
He said high capacity vehicles would ono longer be allowed to climb the Alaka bridge as soon as works are completed on it.
At Ijora, the governor said one month notification would be issued to those living and transacting business under the bridge to vacate the axis.
He continued, “You saw all of the mess under the Ijora bridge, I can assure you that within the next one month, I have spoken to the local government chairman and the Ministry of Environment.
“We are going to give them notice because we are going to clean up that place and once we clean it up.
“We will hand it over to either a corporate organisation where they can loan the entire place and put proper aesthetics there like we have under proper Ijora bridge.
“You could see that 7up has taken over the whole place.”
On the indiscriminate parking of trucks and containers on the Apapa road, the governor said a comprehensive calling system would be implemented which would enable only approved trucks who are to load have access to the port.
“The famous Lillypond, LP, is meant to be the major holding bay for the containers and that has not been opened and I am aware that the concessionare is meant to sign an agreement with MP.
“We have actually given them 30 hectares of land close to where we called ABT, close to Ijora, so we are waiting for the same concessionaire to get a joint venture with MPA, so that they will get 30 hectares at Ijora and they will also have Lilly pond.
“That will be part of the solution of taking out all of the containers and all the trucks that we have towards Apapa, where we are going to have a comprehensively calling system.”
He said various meetings had been held with various stakeholders on how to solve the Apapa traffic, adding more discussions would be held.
“Its a total system that we need to overhaul.
“We need to know the entire metrics of what is the process from when you are coming to when you need to.”
He appealed to stakeholders to cooperate with government in bringing a lasting solution to the Apapa gridlock.
“We need to use this opportunity to appeal to all of the operators to see how they can formalised themselves and put themselves in a situation where we can have a more better orderly society.
“What they are doing is not only affecting the citizens, it is also affecting our way of life.
“People living on this environ are complaining on a daily basis that they are not having the best of time just because the port is here. The port itself has an historic perspective to it.
“I have mentioned before that we needed to have built another port.
“So, what have we done as a government, we are currently building with Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, the Lekki Port which we are hoping that in another two years, it supposed to be available. That’s an alternative, but as it is now we need to immediately create an opportunity for us to have proper holding bay.”
While inspecting work at the Mile 2 under bridge, the governor lamented indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainages, saying such action is inhibiting construction works going on at the axis.
He appealed to residents, road side traders to cooperate with government and stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the road and drainages.