Badagry Expressway: Lagos Confab raises 7-man team to meet FG

 

After two days of deliberations, the yearly Executive-Legislative Parley of the Lagos State Government yesterday resolved to engage the Federal Government on the long-drawn-out rehabilitation work on Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), an agency set up for the monitoring and maintenance of roads recently announced that the ongoing rehabilitation works of a section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway are currently 88 percent complete.

According to Mr. Rufus Onimisi, FERMA Southwest 2 Zonal Coordinator, the project contractors (Wizchino Engineering Ltd) are fast-tracking the implementation of the project which spans from Igboelerin to Agbara.

Rising from the two-day parley, hosted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and attended by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly and Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, participants resolved to have discussion on some lingering issues around the reconstruction work on the international corridor.

To this end, a seven-man ad-hoc committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, was set up with a mandate to have a dialogue with the Federal Government and secure a guarantee for quick completion of ongoing work on Okokomaiko-Seme Border stretch of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The committee is expected to give feedback to the state government within weeks for further action.

All members of the state’s cabinet, all members of House of Assembly, National Assembly members from Lagos, key judicial officers in the state, members of Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and key traditional rulers attended the parley held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.

As part of the resolutions, participants demanded improved protection for federal and state-owned assets within Lagos, and continuous investment in security infrastructure in the state. They said the level of destruction wreaked in Lagos during the violence that trailed last year’s youth protest called for installation of digital security gadgets to complement physical protection being provided for key Government assets in the State.

A statement signed by Gboyega Akosile, The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Lagos State quoted the Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to the Governor, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, who read the seven-point resolutions, agreed at the parley, as saying “the participants pushed for massive investment in the education, entrepreneurship and ICT to address youth unemployment and restiveness.”