The Lagos State Government on Tuesday announced that it was working round the clock to meet up with the promised completion and inauguration of the Pen Cinema flyover bridge in November.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye made the pledge at a stakeholders meeting to flag-off the rehabilitation of Iwaya Road in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Adeyoye said the government usually chose the best experienced contractors to execute its projects because of the determination and deliberate policies for quality infrastructure delivery.
“We cannot afford to take bond money and then use it anyhow. It is not only that it is taxpayers money, it is bond money but it is ultimately tax payers money because you also pay tax so that we can refund that loan.
“So we were deliberate to say these things must be done well, people must be able to see what we have used it for (N100 Billion bond).
“That is why we have gone back to Pen Cinema to try to finish that bridge project and by the grace of God, that bridge would be commissioned by end of next month. We are working assiduously towards it and we will get there,” she said.
She appealed to residents of Iwaya to take ownership of the proposed construction and report any irregularities noticed to her office
She appealed to residents to call her lines anytime and day of the week to report irregularities on site.
“If a contractor is not doing what is not right, please don’t hesitate to flag us. Taking ownership is key,” she said.
She added that the Sanwo-Olu’s government was constructing roads to meet the needs of different communities across the state, adding that, no construction was done without consulting the people on what they need.
She explaines that the administration had adopted strategies to ensure successful completion of durable roads across the state, adding that, her ministry was an enabler for all the other aspects of the Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES agenda.
She listed various problematic roads including Mile 12 Road which engineering solutions and strategies helped to complete and deliver quality durable constructions to residents.
She reeled out other achievements of the government since it came on board in 2019 and appealed for the support of residents and other Iwaya stakeholders during the proposed construction.
Mr Olujimi Hotonu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure said the meeting was important to address all concerns of stakeholders before take-off of the project.
Olujimi represented by an engineer, Mr Rotimi Thomas said rehabilitation of Iwaya road “will terminate sufferings” on the axis while boosting economic and social activities because of the strategic location of the road which had degenerated.
He explained that a credible process was in place with collaborating sister agencies towards the relocation of services as well as Right of Way recovery for services and structures on the project path.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development represented by Mr Saheed Animashaun, a town planner stressed the need to seek the consent of residents on ‘Right of Way’ (RoW) recovery of the project.
“There is no way that some structures will not be removed but they will serve affected houses with notices. It is not immediately you are served that the structure will be removed,”he said.
He explained the process of evaluation and compensation as well as a seven days final notice before removal of structure on the RoW of the project
Presenting a brief the project, Mr Lateef Somide, the project supervisor said the strategic road starts from Onike and terminates at Makoko and was an access route to both the Third Mainland Bridge and UNILAG.
He said that the 1.4kms road awarded to Eastline Development Ltd, would have drains with covered slabs on both sides of the road to serve as walkways to residents.
“There will be relocation of services and it will be aligned with the road.
“And there will be longitudinal and transverse side ducts to prevent future cutting of the road to lay cables,”he said.
He explained that the area had high water table hence, the choice of interlocking stones as final layer to tackle previous problems of quick road degeneration.
He listed other accessories to be included on the road including a 24 hour lighting system.
In his remarks, chairman, Yaba LCDA, Mr Kayode Omiyale represented by Mr Lukam Thompson thanked the government for finally responding to the almost one year call; to fix the dilapidated road which had become an alternative route from gridlock.
Omiyale said that the road through Adekunle to Makoko was an easy link to the University of Lagos.
He thanked government for choice of construction materials meant to curb flooding of the road while calling for rehabilitation of other roads.
He also commended ongoing dredging of a canal on the axis which he noted would make the proposed construction the best durable choice to combat flooding.
He appealed that the only two inner roads in the area which were in deplorable conditions should be made motorable.
Contractors on the project promised to adopt construction methods that would bring minimum discomfort to the area as well as employment of some residents for site works.
Also residents on the axis took turns to thank the government for the project and raise concerns on the proposed construction.
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