President Jonathan received a rare treat in Ogun State yesterday as he went to flag off the repair of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Shagamu. Jonathan accompanied by the host governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun was so thrilled that he danced and waved to the cheering crowd with their Yoruba song, “E je ki o pa da wa o(which literarily means ‘let him come back for the second term’).’
The second term bid was also echoed by drummers and members of the embattled PDP in the state who also joined in the praise singing. To the delight of PDP members and others, the elated president acknowledged the cheering crowd as he joined them in the call to service song.
The six-lane first section of the road, which has 44.3 kilometres and terminates at Shagamu interchange is to be handled by Julius Berger, while the second leg, a four-lane 88 kilometres will be handled by RCC and will terminate at Ibadan round about at Iwo Road. During the ceremony, Jonathan lamented the deplorable condition of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway recalling that the poor condition of the road had led to the loss of many Nigerians as well as result in poor economic development in the Southwest and in the country.
In order to bring a new lease of life to the people in the southwest and other road users, Jonathan said his administration was committed to the timely completion of the project.
He spoke just as the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun canvassed a sustainable maintenance arrangement to ensure that the N167 billion to be expended on the project would not amount to a waste. The governor attributed the deplorable conditions of many infrastructural facilities across the country to “careless and bad maintenance culture of Nigerians’’.
His words: “This sum of N167 billion to be committed to this project is such a huge amount that we can not allow to be wasted due to carelessness and non-challant attitude.’
’According to Amosun, the reconstruction of the 35-year old road, which was long over due had hindered economic growth in Ogun as well as added to death toll in the state. Jonathan said the federal government re-awarded the project to Julius Berger Construction and Raynod Construction Company due to non-performance by the initial concessioner, Bi-Courtney Highway Services. The president said the inability of Bi-Courtney to handle the project as expected had resulted in security breaches, recurring fatal accidents as well as continued public out cry by motorists.
He said the ceremony was a determination of his administration to bequeath strong and comprehensive infrastructural development that would fast-track socio economic development to the country as well as reduce the carnage on the road. The president noted that 50 percent of the economic transaction in the country is done between Lagos – Ogun axis through the 35 years old road.
He also promised that the federal government would intervene in the rehabilitation of other federal roads that stretched across Ogun State as requested by Amosun The president also commended the efforts of the Governor Amosun in rebuilding the state, describing him as an “industrious and hardworking person”.
[SUN]