By Kazeem Ugbodaga.
The Lagos State Government says it has rehabilitated over 280 roads since Governor Akinwunmi Ambode came to power and has earmarked 189 others for immediate repair.
General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, LSPWC, Engr. Ayo Sodeinde disclosed this today at a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Secretariat, Alausa, in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
At the joint Press Conference with the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Sodeinde said when the present government came to power, it met lots of road in terrible conditions.
He said government had been able to put many of these roads in good shape and motorable.
The General Manager disclosed that over 280 roads had been rehabilitated since the governor took over power and that 189 other bad roads had been earmarked for repair.
Sodeinde said the governor had approved the repair of the roads, saying that the corporation is working night and day to ensure that the roads were in good condition. He listed some of the roads rehabilitated to include Metal Box, Acme Road, Ejigbo, Ikotun-Ijegun, Afanla, Epe-Ijebun Ode, among others, while government is also working on the bad portion at Ile Epo Road.
Sodeinde also said the Lagos State Government had worked on 117 Federal Government roads in the state in which it was being owed over N50 billion by the Central Government. He said when the money is paid, the state government would expend the money in completing more roads across the State. “The governor wants to alleviate the plight of the people. In the last three weeks, there has been improvement in our roads. When the roads are good, there is economic growth. By the end of December, we would do very well in terms of road repair,” he said.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde also said the governor had mandated the 57 councils in the state to repair two roads each in their domains to bring it to a total of 114 inner city roads within the state. Ayorinde disclosed that the roads, with street lights, would cost the councils N19 billion to build, adding that each of the councils would choose any two roads each in their domains to work on.
He said by the time the roads were delivered in the next few months, the state would have gone a long way in delivering good roads in Lagos.