FG: Lagos responsible for streetlight along MMIA road

By : Jesutomi Akomolafe

Date: 1 August 2022 5:05am WAT

[FILES] Motorists drive at night on a road without street light as Nigeria struggles with power outages in a commercial district of Ojota, Lagos on March 21, 2022. - Blackouts are common in Africa's top petroleum producer, where dilapidated infrastructure often fails to distribute even insufficient electricity supplies. But extended collapses of the power grid over the last several weeks have combined with a global hike in diesel prices to create one of the country's worst recent energy crises. Many businesses rely on diesel generators to keep the lights on when power is out, and since Ukraine's crisis doubled fuel prices in Nigeria, operating costs are sky-high. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

Five months after blackout along the expressway to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has assured motorists of swift action to restore power to the route.

There have been concerns over months of blackout along the highway.

The expressway had become a danger zone for travellers and other road users, due to lack of functional streetlight.

A resident, Onwuzurike Andrew, said over 10 cases of robbery and accidents had occurred since the traffic light went off.

He said: “Sometime around April, a motorcyclist hit a man, which affected his bones. He was about to cross the road when the cyclist suddenly came from the Toyota Bus Stop axis and knocked him down.

“ Another incident occurred among vehicles sometime ago and the worst is that hoodlums have turned the pedestrian bridge opposite Wema bank into a hideout to attack residents and motorists coming from the airport or Mafoluku to access Ajao Estate and Canoe.
“Government cannot tell us that they are not aware that the entire stretch of the road has no streetlight.”

Another resident, who identified himself as Emeka Nwoha, said the area has become a den for hoodlums and a security threat to residents at night.

He said: “We do not even know who is who anymore. When the bus stops here at about 8:00p.m. I have to drop quickly and run to the other side of the road. These bad boys are now everywhere and have been attacking people.

The Federal government should come and fix the light before it gets worse.”

The acting Controller, Works Section, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Forosola Oloyede, has promised to restore power to the route.

She explained that the Lagos State government, which was responsible for both streetlight maintenance and rehabilitation of the road has been contacted.

Mrs. Forosola said the ministry cannot wade into the streetlight situation as the state government is in the process of handing the road back to the Federal Government.

She said: “When Lagos State wanted to rehabilitate the Lagos international airport road, the Federal Government gave approval to reconstruct the road and that included the streetlight.

“The road is still under the management of the Lagos State government and it is in the process of handing it ove to the Ministry of Works. I was in touch with them and they have promised to look into the blackout situation on the road as soon as possible.”