This is exactly 10 years that the Lagos state government started the expansion and modernisation of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, and there are fears among commuters plying the road that, the quality of job may be compromised, while the completing the project may not be achieved in before the end of the first term tenure of the present administration in four years time.
This according to the lamentations of many helpless commuters who face robbey attacks along the corridor is due to the snail spped and lack of supervision by the Lagos state government.
The bad condition of the road is so disturbing that, many people especially office workers and business owners had no other alternative but to rent a temporary accommodation near Mile 2 without any increament in their salaries or commensurate profits.
Caught in the web of the daily frustrations they are made to go through everyday, usage of commercial motorbikes by commuters to get to their destinations on time has become the rule rathet than the exceptions.
Kelly Nwosu who lives inside the railway compound at Ebutte-Metta, but operates his business at the Agbara market wondered why the Lagos state government through the appropriate ministry or agency concerned cannot be embarking on a monthly inspection of the Lagos-Badagry road project in to ensure that quality job is done and speed of work hastened.
He regretted that, the Chinese Civil Engineering & Construction Corporation (CCECC) handling the project has not shown executed the project with the urgency it deserves despite the concern shown by Babajide Sanwo-Olu during his campaign and eventual emergence as the Lagos state governor.
‘’According to him, driving through the road has remained commuters nightmare as we are daily subjected to all manners of horrendous traffic gridlocks and robbery attacks by criminal elements that strikes against motorists once there is a built-up vehicular traffic’’.
One month after his assumption of office as the executive governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor had assured Lagos residents that rehabilitation work would commence on Lagos-Badagry Expressway from Mazamaza to Okokomaiko this in June.
The governor, who announced this during an inspection visit to Lagos-Badagry Expressway, said talks were ongoing with the contractor to resume work on site once the required financing is in place.
According to the governor, “In this month of June we shall be moving to site. Work will commence on this road, so all the T’s and I’s will be done this week so as to move to site immediately. We will ensure that we firm up discussion with CCECC and move to site because work has been abandoned here for almost four years”.
Unfortunately, four months after the Lagos state governor’s pronouncement, it is not impossible that, no official of the Lagos state government will take the risk of passing the critical flashpoints along the corridor particularly the few meters stretch right infornt of the abandoned Lagos trade fair complex now refered to as the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA).
