The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is on standstill, after two tankers carrying Premium Motor Spirit, collided with each other in the early hours of today.
The Lagos State fire service is already on ground to salvage the situation.
However, movement of motorists coming inward and outward Lagos had to be out on hold as the PMS (fuel) had spilled over the roads.
Those commuting out of Lagos were diverted at the Kara-end of the expressway to continue their journeys.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will now be completed in the first quarter of 2022, Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, said on Thursday.
The road project, awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Construction Company Limited (RCC), at a sum of 167 billion naira, was earlier scheduled to be finished in 2021.
Fashola, in an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the delay was due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has slowed construction activities and affected government revenues.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is part of projects funded under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.
Other projects under the fund include the Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway
On Thursday, Mr. Fashola confirmed all three projects are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022.
“As I speak to you now, we have lost essentially the prime of our working period which is the dry season in the Covid period,” he said. “We have to regain and recover all of that.
“We have also lost some of our expected revenue plans. At the time Covid hit Nigeria, we were doing 2.59 percent growth rate. Now we are heading for a recession globally and Nigeria will not be insulated from that.
“We are working on plans to bring the economy back on track.”
Mr Fashola noted that while work was suspended during the coronavirus lockdown, earnest efforts were made to resume once the federal government started to lift restrictions.
Some 11 contractors executing 53 projects in 26 states were “remobilised back to site in the first week of the easing of the lockdown,” Fashola said.
“We had to work with the Governor to allow men and materials to move,” he added. “We also had to develop new safety guidelines for the construction.”
Assessing the efforts of the Buhari administration over five years on improving road infrastructure across the country, Fashola said much had been done with very little.
“Given the circumstances and the results, we have done a lot much more with less resources,” he said.
He cited refunds – near N700bn – made by the federal government to states for federal road projects worked on since 1999.
“These are debts that the previous government handed over at the time oil was selling at over $100 per barrel,” Fashola said.
“Those roads were neglected then. These governments have inherited them at the time when revenues have dropped significantly, sometimes to as low as $20 per barrel.
“With much less resources, we have committed to more radical infrastructure development across Nigeria. So as I speak to you now, we are executing 600 road projects across all the states.
“We are in universities repairing internal roads that have been left behind.
“The Abuja-Kaduna highway is under construction, so is the Bodo-Bonny bridge. Second Niger-Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“What is the impact? Although we haven’t finished, any road user today will tell you that their journey times have been improved, compared to when we resumed on the major highways.”
On Wednesday, the federal government said it will no longer pay states for constructing federal government roads.
“What the states have done is that they have spent money on roads that have become integral to the development of their cities,” Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos state, said.
But after paying back nearly N700bn to states for federal road projects, the Buhari administration will no longer make refunds, Fashola stressed.
“So what the president has done is to say I will pay the inherited debt, I promised to do so. And he has kept his promise. But please leave my roads alone, go and face your own roads, don’t impose priorities for me, I have mine.
“From January 2016, all the states were notified – don’t touch federal roads again if you want a refund. If you do not want a refund and you want to do it, take permission, approval from the Ministry of Works.
“Because the states too have not completed all their roads, neither have the local governments; we are now focusing on over 600 roads that will impact lives in a very positive way.”
In 2020, the federal government recovered $308m looted by military dictator, Sani Abacha, and pledged it towards the construction of three key infrastructure projects – the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano Expressway and the Second Niger bridge.
On Thursday, Fashola explained that the funds are not domiciled in the Ministry of Works.
Instead, the funds go into the sovereign wealth fund, managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Fashola said.
“I can’t confirm whether the money is ready because it didn’t come to my ministry,” he said. “It was released to the Nigerian government through the Central bank and I believe on to the NSIA.
“So what happens simply is that the contractor does his work. Our staff, from the controller to the directors at the ministry, provide technical governance to make sure that the work is properly done, certified, and then we send the certificate that we validate to the NSIA.
“The NSIA also have their own technical consultants who crosscheck; and if they are satisfied, they pay.
“That is how we have done it in the past 18 months and these funds, when they come in, if they come in, will not change the governance process.
“And there are plans by the attorney-general to also expand the governance process and oversight for it. What we are concerned about is making money work for Nigerians.”
The traffic situation in Lagos State appears to have intensified over the last 24 hours following a tanker explosion.
The explosion involving a fuel tanker occurred on the Longbridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday evening.
Although there were no casualties, the incident resulted in gridlock as commuters were prevented from driving through until the fire was quenched and the remains of the vehicle were removed.
The gridlock spilled over into the early hours of Wednesday, causing hours of delay for commuters heading to various destinations.
This comes amidst the recent ban of tricycles (Keke) and motorcycles (Okada) by the Lagos State government which many say has worsened their plight in commuting to and fro their destinations.
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In addition to the limited means of transportation available, the Lagos/Ibadan expressway has experienced intense levels of traffic as a result of the ongoing reconstruction of the road.
Officials, however, say that the reconstruction which has lasted nearly 2 months is set to be concluded by the end of the month.
Hopefully, some relief will come to Nigerians.
Motorists and commuters plying locations around Lagos-Ibadan expressway were on Wednesday morning left stranded.
This according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was caused by a fully loaded truck that lost control and another truck that broke down at the Kara construction area of the expressway.
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The two broken-down trucks ended up causing an obstruction on both sections of the expressway causing huge traffic at adjoining routes in Isheri Magodo, Alausa, Ogba and incoming traffic from Ojota, Ikorodu road and Alapere axis.
“The traffic is at standstill on Lagos Ibadan expressway following a crash that occurred at Kara construction area.
“A fully loaded truck lost control crossing the entire road both inwards and outwards. Our men are on the ground trying to pull it off the road without much success due to the load it’s carrying,” a statement from the FRSC command explained.
The truck was eventually evacuated.
The Federal Government has signed an agreement with the United States of America and the Island of Jersey to repatriate the sum of $318,460,329 looted and stashed away by former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, the agreement was sealed on Monday at the United States Department of States, Washington DC.
He stated that the Federal Government intends to use the recovered loot to fund three major projects, namely, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja – Kano Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge and will be supervised by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
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The agreement was signed by the Attorney General of the Federation Mr Abubakar Malami on behalf of the Federal Government, Mr Mark Temple, Assistant Solicitor General of the Island of Jersey and Mr Kevin Drisioil, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Government of the United States signed the treaty.
Mr Nwonye also revealed that the agreement was witnessed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his counterparts from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Humanitarian Affairs, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the National Security Adviser, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Group Managing Director of NNPC, and the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, among others.
The delegates had travelled on Sunday for the annual three-day meeting of the United States-Nigeria Bi-national Commission in Washington DC.
The meeting is aimed at reviewing bilateral relationship and taking the necessary steps to advance mutual interest in all diplomatic areas among the two countries.
The road which was re-opened on December 1, 2019, was partially closed in September when the reconstruction work commenced and traffic was diverted on both sides of the expressway.
Channels Television observed that traffic outbound Lagos has already been diverted to the inbound section, with slow vehicular movements witnessed, similar to the one witnessed since the commencement of the reconstruction.
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Both in and out-bound motorists now have had to endure the gridlock which sometimes lasts for hours.
The initial work plan was reviewed when the ministry failed to meet up with the set completion date for the 1.2-kilometer rehabilitation and reconstruction which kicked off in September last year.
According to the Federal Controller of Works, Mr. Adedamola Kuti who spoke to Channels Television, the project is expected to be completed next month.
“We are fully ready for this; we are right in the dry season, a construction season so we don’t expect the kind of experience we had during the rainy season.
“By the time we get ready, here should be taking us this month and next month. By the end of February we should be completing the 600 meters work on the outbound Lagos,” he confirmed.
The rainy season forced the deadline for the completion of the reconstruction of the Kara/Berger, forcing road users to bear the brunt as they spent long hours in traffic.
Commuters have been enjoying an easier flow of traffic on the highway since it was re-opened in December 2019.
See photos below:
Two persons have been killed while one person is in a critical condition following an accident that occurred on the Otedola bridge off the Berger-end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The accident which occurred on Saturday involved a truck carrying granite and an SUV.
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General-Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident and the number of casualties to Channels Television.
According to LASEMA, three others were rescued, while two were treated on the spot and discharged.
The Kara market located along the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has been gutted by fire.
On arriving at the scene, Channels TV observed that some goods, shops and a vehicle had been burnt to ashes.
According to some of the traders, the incident was as a result of a generator explosion.
Currently, there are no casualties and men of the fire service were on ground to quench the inferno.
A total of five road crashes were recorded at various sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Christmas Day.
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Okpe, confirmed this in a situation report forwarded to Channels Television on Thursday.
The first crash was said to have occurred at about 04:48am on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around RCCG CAR PARK C.
This involved a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, which crashed into the road barriers.
Although two persons were involved and none sustained injury or died, the incident impeded traffic for several hours on the outward Lagos section of the highway.
Similarly, a second crash occurred at about 06:55am involving another truck that spilled its alcoholic beverages it was conveying on the road.
Two persons were also involved but no injury or death was recorded from the crash.
The third crash occurred about three hours later also on the highway, claiming the lives of two persons.
“A total of five persons were involved, all male adults,” the Sector Command spokesperson said, adding “three persons were injured but two male adults were killed.”
According to her, the cause of the crash was as a result of route violation at a high speed that led to a loss of control.
Florence explained that the vehicle was driving against traffic before it collided with pedestrians waiting to board commercial vehicles.
She noted that the injured victims were rescued and taken to a hospital in Sagamu while the bodies of the killed victims were deposited at a morgue.
The fourth crash also occurred on the same route with three vehicles involved but this time, under the Sagamu Interchange Bridge at about 5:30pm.
Two tankers conveying petroleum products were said to have crashed into each other on the outward section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Both vehicles went up in flames due to the impact of the crash and this impaired traffic while the section of the road was temporarily closed to traffic.
Six people were involved and no injury or death was recorded from the crash.
About six hours later, the fifth crash occurred around J5 Park at Ogere along the highway, involving three persons.
The three victims were injured but no death was recorded.
A tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, has crashed along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The incident occurred at about 5:10am on Christmas Day around the RCCG Car Park C in Mowe on the outward Lagos section of the highway.
This has resulted in a gridlock on both sections of the road, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ogun State Command, Florence Okpe, said in a statement.
The tanker was said to be conveying petrol before it crashed into the barriers, although the FRSC said it was managing the situation.
Okpe revealed that the agency immediately contacted the Fire Service and Julius Berger Nigeria PLC Emergency Team to commence transloading and removal of the crashed tanker and eventual realignment of the displaced barriers, to restore traffic.
“The FRSC hereby advises the early morning travellers going on far journeys to seek alternative routes away from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway via the Long Bridge to Mowe.
“The alternate corridors available are the Victoria Island-Ajah- Ijebu Ode Corridor and the Lagos-Ota- Itori-Abeokuta Expressway, considering the period it could take to transload the PMS in the crashed vehicle to another empty tanker, remove the crashed vehicle from the ditch, replace the road barriers the crash displaced and restore traffic,” the statement said.
The State Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, also appealed to motorists to note the traffic occurrences and bear with the inconveniences.
He gave the assurance that the FRSC rescue team was working with sister traffic and emergency agencies to restore free vehicular movement in the area.
The Federal Government has reopened the Kara Bridge axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The re-opening of the road began at about 9:00 am on Sunday and has brought about an easier flow of traffic on the highway which has otherwise been notorious for serious traffic jams since the commencement of the reconstruction.
It had been partially closed in September when the reconstruction work commenced and traffic was diverted on both sides of the expressway.
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Both in and out-bound motorists who have had to use the expressway have had to endure the gridlock which sometimes lasted for hours.
However, with the development, commuters may now be able to heave a sigh of relief especially as the festive period approaches.
Reconstruction of the other half of the road is expected to commence in January 2020.
Five persons have died in an accident which occurred along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ogun State Command, confirmed this in a report released on Sunday.
According to the report, the incident which involved one vehicle occurred around 21:10 pm on Saturday.
A total of 14 people (10 male and 4 female) were involved, nine of which survived with injuries.
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The State FRSC Commander, Clement Oladele stated that the Injured victims were rushed to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) Sagamu, for treatment, while the corpses of the dead victims were deposited at the hospital’s morgue.
While the true cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, Oladele noted that it may have been as a result of over speeding.
He commiserated with the victims and enjoined members of the public whose relations travelled in the Ill-fated crash to contact the FRSC Command in Sagamu or the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) Sagamu, for further details.
The sector commander also reiterated the need for motorists to drive cautiously within the recommended speed of 50 kilometers per hour at construction sites.
