The Federal Ministry of Works has recently begun works on the dilapidated Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, the nation’s main seaports road after series of media reports and public outcry. However, amidst government’s denial, insider information reveals that the work is more of an emergency response than being a permanent solution to the traffic menace on the road, SAMSON ECHENIM writes.
It is no longer news that successive governments in Nigeria have shown no regards for infrastructural maintenance and development. From north to south, national infrastructures are known to have witnessed the greatest form of dilapidation throughout the nation’s short history so far, since 1960.
Memories of extinct public infrastructures still leave nostalgia in the minds of those who know them in their days of glory. Today, a few infrastructures left continue to suffer government’s wanton neglect. Specifically, across the country, many federal roads are in bad shape because of lack of adequate maintenance. The Oshodi/Apapa Expressway and Creek road, the nation’s main seaports routes simply fall under this category.
“To get to office on time, I have to leave Isolo by 4.30am and going home is a bigger problem because by 4pm, the road is literally blocked. We would leave office by 5pm and get home by 11pm after spending six hours in the traffic holdup, which usually begin from First Gate (Tincan Island Port) to Mile 2,” says Matthew Obembe, a customs agent.
In addition to the terrible situation of the roads, truck and tanker drivers who usually park along the road have also been blamed for the bad traffic condition. By 10am, the traffic jam has reached Berger Cement Bus Stop from First Gate. Trucks and trailers are parked on both sides of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway from Berger Cement. This is where the traffic jam begins on a good day. At worse scenarios, the holdup starts breeding from around Mile 2. The road is totally blocked from Sunrise before noon. From the lagoon to Tincan’s first gate, trucks line up again on the road, leaving only a narrow space for traffic.
“These tanker drivers are big problem on this road. They won’t listen to traffic authorities and if they apply force, the drivers will threaten to strike,” laments Amos Owolabi, an accountant.?
However, a tanker driver at Recovery Oil &Gas Ltd, Jimoh Kamoru, does not think his colleagues are to blame for the unfortunate traffic situation, but failure of government to provide a parking lot for tankers.
Explaining why parking on the road has become inevitable, Kamoru says, “We have received papers to load at the depot (Capital Oil Depot, Westminster). Once we get the load order, we must leave the park and come out here (on the road) to wait for our turn to load, because there’s no other place to park. We cannot remain at the company’s park after we have received the paper for loading. This is why many tankers and trucks are parking on the road.”
Although incessant media reports and unceasing public outcry had led the Federal Government into action, there are indications that on-going maintenance of the roads is only palliative. The end therefore, seems far for the traffic menace on the routes to the country’s second largest income spinner, the maritime sector.
Few weeks after he was sworn into office, the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen had inspected the seaports roads and had left with promises of fixing the roads on which there has been the most media reports recently. In spite of government’s seeming readiness to rehabilitate the roads, investigation by LEADERSHIP SUNDAY reveals that the Federal Government may not have enough funds currently to do a thorough job on the badly dilapidated roads.
A reliable source also reveals that the on-going maintenance on the roads being carried out by Broni Prono at the Apapa end of the road is an emergency measure to allow free flow of traffic and that main maintenance works cannot be done due to non-availability of fund.
However, the Federal Controller of Works, Ejike Mgbemena, has refuted the report, saying that the ministry is working according to its planned programme and not because of media reports. He also denies that the ministry is short of fund.
While Julius Berger is handling the Mile 2 to Sunrise part of the expressway, the Sunrise-Apapa end and Creek Road is contracted to Broni Prono, since last year.
Specifically speaking of Broni Prono, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Works says the government can no longer bear the incessant media reports and public outcry about the condition of the roads and has therefore asked Broni Prono to begin work, despite the contractor’s complaints of difficulties in remobilising workers as government has not been able to provide fund.?
The source, which asks not to be mentioned says, “Bronini Prono began work on the road early last year and it is a three-year project, but what we are doing now is an emergency measure to allow free flow of traffic. The contractors have not been paid and they are complaining that there is no money to mobilize resources. The minister had to come here because of too much media reports and he saw that it was an eyesore. So, he asked them to start working first.”
“From here, by the end of this month, we will be at the Second Gate (Tincan Island Port). I hope so,” added the source who was speaking under the bridge at Sunrise.?
Federal Controller of Works, Ejike Mgbemena, however says, “It is not true that we are short of fund. We have a programme, not just because of media reports. We started reporting about the condition of roads in Lagos because of the heavy downpour. It wasn’t until the minister resumed office that he gave authority to some of requests we made.
“It is a new government and we couldn’t work because of the transition, until after the appointment of a minister, who has the responsibility of spending public fund for road maintenance. That issue has gone. So, the question of fund is not much an issue any more.”
Confirming that the pace of work is slower than the ministry wants it, the federal works controller also rebuffs the claim that the on-going repair is a palliative measure.
“The issue is yes, we are repairing and it is not even at the pace that we want it,” he adds.
“Broni Prono is working on the bridge (the Liverpool Bridge) and work has been going on daily, but people don’t know and we are working on the two pedestrian bridges. The repair is not palliative, but real maintenance. Concrete is being used to seal up some potholes that are too weak, so that we can overlay it with asphalt,” Mgbemena explains.
Being a highly trafficked road, usually by heavy-duty vehicles, the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway is continually in bad condition. According to experts, the nature of the Lagos soil with its water table close to the surface also poses a peculiar challenge in maintaining the roads.
A site manager from the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Shonubi Olawale water is constantly coming out beneath the asphalt. The poor drainage system along the road is also another problem.
Olawale says, “Water is coming out from under and cement stabilisation has been done to check this. The drainage challenge here is a state problem, but government has now directed that companies and residents along the inside streets should desilt the drainage in the front of their premises.”
The federal controller of works says due to the nature of the Lagos topography, he will work to introduce a practice that will ensure regular check on the roads.
“In the next few days I am going to make a proposal to the new minister to have what I call Operation Excellence on Lagos Apapa-Oshodi…that means the road must be swept for potholes and failures once in a month so this issue of perceived neglect will disappear. The ministry is responsible to its assignments,” he says.
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