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Fashola Blames Litigations, Technical Issues For Late Delivery Of Roads

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the weekend threw more light on the reasons behind seeming delays in some road projects across the … Continue reading Fashola Blames Litigations, Technical Issues For Late Delivery Of Roads


Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the weekend threw more light on the reasons behind seeming delays in some road projects across the State saying they are much more complex, sophisticated and with people issues involved.

Fielding questions from journalists at an interactive session at the Lagos House, Marina, in Central Lagos, Governor Fashola said some of the roads being built in the Mainland areas of the State needed piling and other underground work before surfacing while others were facing problems of lack of urban planning, community resistance and court actions. 

Governor Fashola explained that what is going on with  the Lagos-Badagry Expressway Expansion project was that the road was awarded to two contractors, Messrs Julius Berger, which is doing the 10 lane road and Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) which is handling the Light Rail section of the road adding that because of the piling work which CCECC has to complete before the road is filled, Julius Berger had to step aside until the piling is finished.

The Governor told the journalists, “Remember we have two major contractors on the road, Julius Berger, doing the road surfacing while China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is handling the rail. We asked Julius Berger  to stop meanwhile for CCECC to complete the piling on the road before they come to surface it”.

 “Julius Berger cannot handover the road because any time they finish a project, they sign off and they have not in this case. Besides, there are going to be 11 pedestrian crossings between Alaba, Orile and National Theatre and they have to drive in piles along the road. The project as it is now is like a building you have finished but you cannot paint until all the external works are finished then you paint”, the Governor said.

According to the Governor, “That is why in order to avoid those problems, we have now awarded Phase 2 from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko . The reason we have two contractors there in the first instance was that we wanted Julius Berger to build the roads. There were a lot of things under that road which the other contractors who bid for the road did not see. Julius Berger found it”.

“The most difficult part of the road is from Eric Moore to Mile 2 and we thought they should do it. The CCECC is doing the rails on the same road so they were getting in each other’s way. That in itself was a nightmare”, the Governor further explained adding that the current Phase of the road being done, Eric Moore to Mile 2, consists of seven kilometres of 10 lanes totaling 70 kilometres with two contractors in one place.

On the other inner city roads in various parts of the State, Governor Fashola said some of the delays came from the owners of land on which the roads pass, some of who went to court to stop Government from acquiring their land while others protested and fought contractors on site.

“The work we are doing now is much more people issue because we are now engaged in holding a lot of meetings with communities and people and explaining to them to allow us build the roads. The alternative is that all our projects can hang up in courts and I will be the last person to defy court injunction”, the Governor said.

Governor Fashola also explained that lack of urban planning and people building without permit have caused delays in the execution of inner city road projects adding that in some places, people just build anywhere, including drainage channels so that it becomes difficult to construct roads without damaging many properties and incurring cost of compensations.

“The projects are getting much more complex, much more sophisticated involving densely populated areas where people have built without  a plan. It was easy to build many places in the city because there was a plan there and the setbacks were already in place. But in these inner roads, there are no plans; people just build anywhere, joining building here and there and later they say they have no roads”, the Governor said.

Citing Ago Palace Road as example, Governor Fashola declared, “Everybody just started building and that is why they are having problems. If there was right of way, it would have been just to follow it and start building the road. That was why Surulere was easy, that was why Yaba was easy. So when we are insisting on urban planning, getting building permit, these are the consequences in the future. If there is a plan, it is easy to work with”.

On Ikorodu Road, Governor Fashola explained that there are eight bridges to be built on the road and the contractors, Messrs CCECC, are at the moment engaged in doing the bridge section of the project before embarking on the surfacing of the road adding that as soon as the bridge section is finished the rest would be easy.

“What you see today is that the contractors are doing the bridge sections. The moment they are finished the road is easy. All they need to do is pour sand”, the Governor said adding, however, that there are also community issues that are related to the road with owners of land not ready to let go of their land.

According to the Governor, “Communities, Baales and other stakeholders don’t want to give up their land but they want road. So these are some of the issues. You can pass through Apongbon today. Some people gave up land so that we can have Eko Bridge. The resident community there I remember how they relocated, they fought, they rioted they fought. I have the video recording”. 

“So that is how we go about it. My lawyer’s instinct, I have to lay aside if this work must be done because if I follow it we won’t get out of the courts. I will simply tell you that we are in court and I can’t disobey court processes and injunctions”, the Governor said.