The Chairmen of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Lagos and Ogun states have decried the deplorable condition of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, calling on the Federal Government to revisit the construction of the 81-kilometre federal highway, which has turned to a death trap and time-consuming route for road users.
The chairmen, Dr. Busari Jamiu Muhammad Ademola and Alhaji Jimoh Tajudeen Alao, in a joint statement made available to The Guardian and signed by them, described the condition of the expressway as worrisome, dangerous, and inaccessible.
According to the chairmen, the road was first constructed more than 40 years ago by the Muritala-Obasanjo regime linking over 200 communities, but today, it has made life unbearable for thousands of road users in both Lagos and Ogun states for decades.
The statement read in part: “The condition of the expressway is embarrassing, and with the return to democracy since 1999, the citizens of our dear states kept wondering if the route is attracting enough government attention.
“The contract for the reconstruction of the road worth billions of naira was re-awarded in 2018 to both Julius Berger and RCC Construction companies respectively by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, but till date, no significant progress could be seen.
“From Ijaiye-Alakuko axis of Lagos via tollgate, Sango, Ifo, Itori, Papalanto and Obada near Abeokuta, the experience is brutal and painful with so many deep holes.
“Therefore, on behalf of the good citizens of our dear states and as a matter of urgency and public interest, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Minister of Works, David Umahi; governors of our beloved states Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and all relevant agencies to expedite action in constructing a viable, motorable and secure expressway to save lives.
“We equally sympathise with thousands of Nigerians who are regular users of the road despite its unbearable state of dilapidation. We urge them to be hopeful, the relieve is inevitable as the governments of President Tinubu in collaboration with the governments of Lagos and Ogun states will hopefully find a lasting solution to the deplorable condition of the expressway without further political bureaucracy.”
