Compensations, utilities slowing down work on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway – FG

By Dada Jackson

The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji   Babangida Hussain, says issues relating to compensation and relocation of existing utilities are challenges slowing down the Lagos-Ibadan road project.

Hussain dropped the hint when he led officials of the ministry comprising directors and controllers on a tour of the expressway.

He described progress of work on the road as “impressive” but added, “Actually this year, part of the challenges are compensation issue and issue of relocation of existing utilities.

“These are issues slowing down the project, and that is why I’m here and I can see we have to really work fast to match the progress of work. We hope to complete the project as scheduled.”

Still on the  issue of payment of compensation to affected property owners, the permanent secretary said most of the houses affected (uncompleted structures and property) were behind the wall of the proposed interchange bridge at Lotto Bus Stop, which is under construction,  near the Redemption Camp on the expressway.

The Permanent Secretary said the compensation would be paid immediately the committee in charge completed its work, adding that about 40 buildings would have to give way for now.

On whether all the a issues would not affect the delivery of the project in 2022 as scheduled, he said, “We have made provisions for the challenges so that we can be able to meet up.”

The permanent secretary said he was in continuation of his nationwide tour that took him to Kaduna last week.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a 127.6-kilometre-long expressway connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.

Earlier, the PS had said the repair of the Airport Road flyover in Lagos would commence by the end of this month.

The permanent secretary said, “We have concluded the technical evaluation of the damaged bridge,  we have done the integrity test. What we are doing now is procurement process.

“The bridge issue is an emergency work. Procurement will be concluded at the end of the month and the repair work will commence immediately.”

The deck of the flyover was burnt and its pier badly damaged, raising fears of the structural instability of the bridge.

About 200 metres of the rigid pavement of the expressway reconstruction project being carried by the Dangote Group was burnt.