Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government to allow his administration to reconstruct the road leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
“Lagos State is ready to take over and reconstruct the road, if given approval by the Federal Government and hit the ground running in two weeks,’’ Ambode said.
The governor, while briefing newsmen in Alausa after an inspection tour of ongoing projects across the state, described the road as a “national embarrassment”.
He also urged the Federal Government to either allow his administration to carry on with the project or pay part of the over N50 billion owed for the rehabilitation of Federal roads in the state.
According to him, this government sees the state of that Airport Road as a national embarrassment.
“As such, we ensured that we got the House of Assembly to approve a budget to reconstruct the road into a 10-lane road, with interchange and flyover to drop you at the Local Airport.
“We have the money to do it and we shall accomplish it.
“It is no news that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing owes Lagos N51 billion.
“All we are saying is allow us to reconstruct this road, because, we have the resources and capacity to do so.
“Then, make the deductions of what we might have spent from the lump you owe us. I think this is only logical,” he said.
The governor said that the government could also take up the responsibility of constructing the road and finish it in six months which could also form part of the state’s 50 years celebration.
Ambode also appealed to relevant agencies to quickly hand over the Presidential Lodge in Marina and other Federal Government-owned property which President Muhammadu Buhari had released to his administration verbally.
On the proposed 4th Mainland Bridge, Ambode said that the current downturn in the nation’s economy had delayed its commencement.
He promised that the ground breaking ceremony would be carry out in the next four months.
During an inspection of the Abule-Egba four lane-fly over, the contractor handling the project, Mr Mark Robertson of Craneburg Construction Company, assured the governor that the work would be completed by the end of April.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ambode, who also inspected the reconstructed Berger Roads in Ojodu and the Aboru-Abesan Link Road, expressed satisfaction with the level of the projects which was pegged at 85 per cent completion. (NAN)
FAA/GOK