Emmanuel Ukudolo
November 10, 2015 – The Lagos State Government may as well be on war path with the Federal Government (FG) over its refusal to settle its indebtedness to the Lagos State Government.
FG owes the state government a total sum of N51 billion being cost incurred on maintenance of federal roads in Lagos State. The expenses were incurred during the tenure of former Governor, Babatunde Fashola, but the FG then led by former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan refused to pay the money.
During campaign in the 2015 general election in Lagos, President Muhammadu Buhari , then a candidate of the All Progressive Congress(APC) vowed to pay the money and give Lagos a special place. But feelers from Aso Rock suggest that some encumbrances have been put in the way of the state government, making it difficult to obtain the total money at a go.
Speaking during a tour of Apapa road, Ladipo Market and other areas, the Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode acknowledged that there are encumbrances in obtaining the fund.
“Yes, it’s true that the Federal Government is owning Lagos N51billion, but also the Federal Government is saying that some conditions must be met and some part of the money is actually under contention, but the part that is free from encumbrances, which is almost about N30billion, if the Federal Government gives that to us, I will be able to do more roads”.
The governor who also expressed worry about state of roads in Apapa called on the Federal Government to accelerate work on the Apapa Container Terminal Bridge, which he said on completion, will go a long way to ease traffic in the axis.
“We are pleading with the Federal Government to make sure that Julius Berger returns to site and alleviate the challenges that motorists are facing. But so far so good, we have seen some parts of Apapa that is now motorable. We believe strongly that once the Bridge is completed, the Container Terminal will be put to use. The Container Terminal can take like 1000 containers vehicles and that in itself will improve on the traffic gridlock in Lagos”.
On the ongoing reconstruction of the Isolo-Daleko Road, Governor Ambode assured that work on the road will be completed in another nine months, urging the contractor to create palliatives that would ensure that the road is motorable during the festive period.
He said the state government will not hesitate to fix any road in the state regardless of its status, adding that it would do so if a structure that would ensure that the Federal Government reimburses the state is in place.
“But the most important part of these Federal roads is the Muritala Mohammed Airport Road to Oshodi. On our own part, we believe we would meet all the conditions and where the Federal Government does not do it early next year, we would do it”.
Speaking on the situation at the Ladipo Canal, he flayed the environmental nuisance that the traders within the area have constituted, warning that the state government will no longer condone their activities.
Ambode also called on motorists to comply with the traffic law, saying that the state government does not take joy in generating revenue from traffic offenders, but that the government would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law where necessary.
“The enforcement should be for those who are actually traffic offenders, but we want to take it first that the people I govern are law abiding citizens and that’s the approach we want to use.”
“It’s only when you disobey that we would want to treat you as an offender. I need to appeal to everyone that Lagos is for all of us all, we want to make sure that Lagos works for all of us, including me and every other Lagosian and that’s the purpose of this inspection,” the Governor said.
Also speaking to journalists at the end of the inspection tour, the Chief Executive Officer of LASTMA, Rtd. Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Chris Olakpe articulated a nine-point agenda which he tagged operation keep moving.
Olakpe assured that the agency would work in collaboration with Nigeria Police, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), and other stakeholders to ensure free flow of traffic.
He, however, urged Lagosians to ensure sanity on the road, just as he called for caution on the part of drivers especially during the forthcoming end of the year festivities.
“I have told my men to always be on ground. I also instructed them to ensure everywhere is clear at all times. The message is clear that anybody that contravenes traffic laws should be arrested and fined just as the governor directs that we should be civil in our approach.”
“You would always see my men on the road everyday from 6am-10pm, with each of them stationed at strategic points in the metropolis. Because of that decision that each LASTMA should be on the road, I’ve set each marshal to a special monitoring unit,” Olakpe explained.
