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The Ogun State Government has started the reconstruction of the damaged portion of the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Highway near Sagamu to address the ongoing traffic jam experienced by motorists on the road.
Governor Dapo Abiodun on Sunday paid an unscheduled visit to the faulty section of the road, saying as a major road linking Lagos through Ogun State to the South-East and South-South regions of the country, its deplorable condition has caused untold difficulties for those who use it daily.
He mentioned that although the reconstruction of the road was awarded by previous administrations, the contractors executed the project from the Benin end to the outskirts of Ijebu-Ode but could not complete it at the junction before abandoning it due to lack of funds.
He said: “This is a federal road, and it is probably the most important road for southern Nigeria because it evacuates traffic carrying goods and people from Lagos to Ogun State and the south-eastern and south-south parts of the country; it is an important road artery.
“The reconstruction of this road was awarded several years ago by previous administrations. However, unfortunately, reconstruction has started from the Benin end of this road.
“Unfortunately and curiously, from what we were told, the budget was not sufficient to enable the completion of this road to the Sagamu Interchange. He stopped before reaching Ijebu-Ode, somewhere around Ijebu-Ode.
“What we see today is what our masses are suffering from. In the last three or four days this road has become totally impassable because, for some reason, a drainage passes underneath it which is supposed to drain the water coming from a canal. That drainage is completely blocked and that’s the cause of this problem.”
Governor Abiodun said officials from the state ministries of Labor and Environment were currently working to create another drainage that would channel water away from the road, while the faulty section was filled with hard material to make the road passable for vehicles.
He revealed that he had brought the state of the road to the attention of the Minister of Road Works, who promised to study how to award a contract for its restoration or at least to provide palliative measures or some intervention to save the situation.
Governor Abiodun also said he had informed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the need for the Federal Government to address the state of the roads.
“I confirm that on Thursday last week I brought the issue of this road to the attention of Mr President. For the avoidance of doubt, let no one think that Ogun State has not been responsive.
“Knowing full well that the federal government has many critical avenues to address, and as a responsive state government, we have dispatched our ministries of Works and Environment to this site. What they have done is identify the immediate cause; they discovered that there is a construction that blocked the drain.
“I have requested Mr President that the Ministry of Works can immediately hand this road over to a reputable contractor and I know they are working on it.
“However, Mr President also told me that if we do not get attention as quickly as we want, the Ogun State Government should go ahead and take ownership of this section and repair it,” he added.
Governor Abiodun has promised that if within the next two days there is no clear evidence from the federal government to begin serious reconstruction work, his administration will take possession of the stretch of road and carry out a total reconstruction.
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