How Fuel, Cash Shortages Delaying Lagos-Ibadan Expressway-Controller

As usual, in Nigeria, nothing happens without a cause and as such the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Umar Bakare, has stated that the recent fuel scarcity and cash shortages were unforeseen factors that have stalled the completion of the ever busy road.

But motorists have continued to blame the slow pace by the contractors, Julius Berger handling it as well as the mode of operation.

While they allege that the workers behave like typical civil servants resuming at 8am and closing at 4pm and sometimes 5pm daily, they also criticize the method of carrying out the repairs on both sides of the road at the same time.

However, despite assurance by the Lagos State Government last week to partner with the Federal Government to ease the situation, especially around the Kara Bridge/Berger-OPIC axis, motorists have lamented the supposed slow pace at which work is taking place which has led to gridlock.

Bakare speaking on Sunrise Daily on Friday revealed they were on course to complete the road project but the CBN’s monetary policies as well as the fuel scarcity were responsible for the slow pace.

“The first phase of the project is for us to deliver from 7Up which is point 00 of the project up until the Shagamu interchange to deliver the main carriageway. We had earlier promised to deliver at the end of this quarter.”

“We did not envisage the fuel shortage issue that affected the progress of work, the cash crunch issue that affected the progress of work at some point,” he said

The Controller also revealed that he was optimistic the inconveniences motorists were experiencing on the highway would reduce come April for the partial completion.

“This time around we are looking at the end of April give or take amongst other things,” he said.

Contractor Has Agreed To Work Late Into The Night
Speaking on his action plans to have the Lagos-Ibadan expressway completed in due time, Bakare said talks were ongoing to have the contractor work past dusk and these talks had been yielding good results.

“These days the contractor is working from morning to night in other to be able to achieve complete and deliver these projects in good time,” he said

“We have been discussing with the contractor about night work, of course, the issue of security is one of the things we are looking at critically,”

“Recently, the contractor has agreed to work late into the night although not overnight. In the past week, they have been working up until 9 pm in some of the locations where we are working now,”

Bakare called for people to desist from crossing the barricades into the construction zone as they are prone to injuries from this equipment.
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“There have been complaints about safety,  as people just cross the road and move into the areas of construction,” he affirmed.

“It is very difficult to just control people who just cross these barriers on foot or vehicles this time and they are exposed to danger as we work with moving equipment all the time>”

“The people that are working there are well-guarded with safety boots, helmets, and other safety devices.”