Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: The unending tales

For major players in the Real Estate subsector, good access roads are huge assets. It is not negotiable as this factor has no substitute. Unlike water, electricity, security, schools, hospitals and other basic social amenities and facilities, good access roads are not negotiable. A place is either accessible or not. In Real Estate, this is a major factor. It therefore becomes a major challenge when such a valuable factor becomes unavailable or at best, in short supply. Housing accessibility is a key factor in any nation’s development. To surmount the deficit in this direction; roads, good roads must be a major consideration. How challenging it is if this is not addressed, the housing supply chain will suffer a huge set back. This is the fate of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which has now totally degenerated and the hope that was kindled in the wee days of the Jonathan Ebele Goodluck’s administration seemingly dashed.

For watchers of the Nation’s infrastructures; the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a key economic consideration. This same road has been a source of major controversies right from the days of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. During the OBJ’s tenure, a lot happened with respect to this road. While Anenih was in charge of works; this same road was said to have been awarded several times over. The controversy ragged on till Obasanjo, in his wisdom decided to Concession it to Babalakin along some other major national assets such as the MM2. Not even this Concessioning could bring the much desired solution. What Bicotny did was to move some heavy duty equipments to the former Lagos-Ibadan toll-gate, built some construction sheds and left them there. Nigerians that ply the roads started to hope upon hope. This dragged on till the OBJ’s administration coasted home in 2007. Like so many other major national projects, the tax-payers’ money went down the drains in that moribund partnership that never saw the light of the day.

In the interregedum of Yar’ardua before his demise, this project didn’t really come to the center stage. As much as the deceased president meant well for the country; the better part of his short administration was spent on health issues before he finally bowed to the cruel hands of death barely two years into his administration.

Along the line, by providence, the doctrine of necessity was adopted by the Nigerian Senate and Ebele Goodluck Jonathan became the president and the Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Aneni compensated by giving one of his core loyalists to the Nation in the person of Architect Onolemen as the Minister of Works much latter. To Onolememen, good accessible roads are not negotiable. The young man set to work and started to   tackle the herculean problems of bad roads head-on. He did magically well in the Federal Capital Territory and other Northern states of the country. He was so confident that his boss; President Jonathan would return to office in 2015 for a much deserved second tenure. He then decided to aggregate all his synergies in attending to road matters in the Northern parts of the country; reserving the south-south and south-west for the second tenure. However, as the clock ticked, he decided to attack the Lokoja-Okene Road, The Benin-Auchi road, The Benin-Ore axis and the contentious Lagos-Ibadan road. Major contractors of note such as Julius Berger, RCC and the likes were engaged. While RCC was given the Ibadan Axis of the job; Julius Berger was handed over the Lagos-Interchange Axis. This was slowed down by a gigantic litigation that was floated by the Babalakins who felt the Federal Government had erred to have whisked away the job from them after years of inactivity. Thank God this was promptly disposed of and the coast was cleared for the contractors to set to work. What Julius Berger did was to first of all give a palliative measure to Nigerians to whom the road had become a death trap by grading the very frightening axis that had become a clear death trap and was claiming lives in numbers daily. Soon after this was done, the company famous for very outstanding Engineering credentials set to work from the Interchange-Oghere Axis of their divide. The company rolled out unimaginable volume of Earth-moving equipments and set to work in very serious terms. Even the eve of the Presidential elections, work was done on the road. Before then, construction work was on day and night. The Minister ensured there was no dull moment. What was most exciting was not just the spirit of urgency with which the task was taken on; but the quality of work that was going in. truly; this is the first time I would see the laterite level of a road going above a foot high. It was great and Nigerians looked forward to driving in a world class road. This continued till the Jonathan’s administration was booted out of the office. Then; just like the end of the GEJ’s administration, Julius Berger halted their work, moved their sensitive machinery and equipment out of site and recall their Engineers and workers.

The first major setback was the President Buhari’s refusal to constitute a cabinet months into his administration. As the waiting lingered; so many key sectors of the Nigerian economy stood still. As if he understood the disappointment written all over the faces of Nigerians for the seeming non-performance; the retired General gave Nigerians Babatunde Fashola as Minister. Nigerians had a sign of relief as they counted on Fashola’s antecedent in Lagos. To them; a man that could turn Lagos around; eradicate the notorious Area Boys, turned the state to a world-class city was worth the trouble. Even when three key ministries were collapsed into one for him; Nigerians still believed he was up to the task. The record of performance as a two time governor in Lagos state was enough to have prepared him for the onerous tasks.

Naturally, Nigerians would have thought the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be in the Minister’s front burner. As least, while he was governor; if there was one thing that brought him toe-to-toe with the center, it was the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. His condemnation of the abandonment of this same road very vocal, apt and unequivocal. It was a normal expectation for Nigerians to  him to urgently call Julius Berger back to work without much ado. Just like his boss, Muhammadu Buhari who took close to two quarters to constitute a Federal Cabinet; the former governor turned Minister is taking his time to take on this task from where the Architect Minister left it. Questions are already making the rounds. Nigerians are already wondering and asking; is this project going to join the league of abandoned projects in the country? Will Minister Fashola not set to work on it now? Will Julius Berger be allowed to finish the great work it started on the road? Questions, more questions!

Those very familiar with the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway know its strategic Economic importance. It’s like the spinal cord that connects every fiber of the human anatomy together. To the Housing subsector, it is no less strategic. Most mass housing projects funded by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria through the National Housing Funds Scheme in the South Western side of the country are accessed through that axis. Other major investors in the Housing subsector in the South west have their facilities located on this same axis. It is therefore an increasing worry that this same road is tarrying this long.

A friend who has a house in the Ibafo Area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway lamented that his hope of cruising to work on a world-class road as raised by the quality job Julius Berger construction company started is gradually being dashed. He wonders why the Works, Housing and Power Minister is taking his time to get Julius Berger to get back to work. Like millions of Nigerians and major investors who are now seeing the half done Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as a major obstacle and an albatross to their Housing dream, I can only borrow a leaf from President Muhammadu Buhari and assure you; he ‘still has three years to go’. Just hold your peace and in due season; the dream of a Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that can compete with roads elsewhere in the civilized world would come to pass!

Akhigbe Dominic