Reps urge Works ministry, FERMA to repair Lagos-Abeokuta expressway

THE House of Representatives has mandated it’s committee on works (when constituted) to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to take urgent steps to repair the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, which is in a deplorable condition.

This followed the adoption of a motion introduced on the floor by Taofeeq Abiodun Aderanijo who expressed concern about the adverse impact of the deplorable nature of the road on commercial activities, especially as it is a major route through which most goods that are imported through Lagos port get to other parts of the country.

Aderanijo had also expressed worry over the alarming loss of manpower on the road daily due to traffic congestion as most times, citizens who ply the road to their various places of work are held up for several hours.

He recalled that contract for the reconstruction of the road which links Lagos state and the industrial state of Ogun, was awarded in 2003 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and re-awarded subsequently by that of former president Goodluck Jonatha, “yet the road has remained impassable because no work was done on it,” the lawmaker said.

Also, the House yesterday tasked its committee to liaise with the federal ministry of works to immediately construct overhead as well as pedestrian bridges at Oghara town along the Lagos-Benin-Warri road to avert further killing of pedestrians.

The motion sponsored by Lovette Idisi, had noted that many lives have been lost on the busy road, which connects the Western and Eastern parts of the country, especially at the portion of the road within Oghara town in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta state.

Idisi told the parliament that Ogahara town is one of the fastest growing towns in Delta state with educational institutions like the Delta state polytechnic, Otefe, Western Delta University, Delta state University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), several secondary and primary schools and the Oghara township stadium.
“Due to the numerous activities in the town on a daily basis, there is a lot of traffic on the road thereby putting road users at risk of being knocked down by vehicles,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, the House resolved to constitute an adhoc committee to investigate the conception and award of the $6.1billion Mambilla Multi-purpose Dam and Hydroelectric Power Project in the light of the allegation that due process and transparency were not observed in the award of the project.

Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara who presided over the session disclosed that the adhoc committee will identify any infringements of existing laws and recommend amendments, if any, to forestall re-occurrence.

Sponsor of the motion, Austin Chukwukere had noted that the sum of N6.1 billion dollars was estimated for the power project out of which the federal government would provide 15 percent, while the contractor would provide the remaining sum.

Chukwukere said the project was to be executed in two phases; while the first phase was strictly for engineering design, the second phase would include construction that would last a period of 60 month.

He said while the first phase of the project was duly awarded and completed by the companies contracted for the job, the contract for the second phase was alleged to have been awarded by the then Minister of power without recourse to due process, the Procurement Act, Fiscal Responsibility Act and other extant laws for the award of contracts.

The alleged contract was awarded at the cost of N6 billion dollars, apparently without recourse to competitive bidding, which is the hallmark of diligence, transparency and accountability in the award of such contracts, thus giving a feeling that the sum may have been inflated.
“The reforms on the power sector so far have not yielded the required capacity for the sustenance of stable power generation, distribution and transmission,” he said.