LAGOS – Commuters plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have asked the Julius Berger, the construction company handling the road rehabilitation to expedite action on the ongoing project. They expressed worries over the slow pace of work of the road firm, wondering why the supervisory team of the Federal ministry of works are handling the conclusive phase of the project with levity.
Speaking with Saturday INDEPENDENT, a retired octogenarian matron, Chief (Mrs.) Ronke Lawal, who resides in Magboro community in Ogun State, observed that the delay in the completion of the road project has not only adversely affected Nigeria economy but has also wasted lives of several people.
“I cannot understand the reason Julius Berger and those people supervising them are taking us for a ride. The other time a circular was issued out that they were going to begin to close the joints on the road, they didn’t tell us it will take them the rest of the year to complete. I don’t sleep until my daughter who I live with comes back everyday because of reports of insecurity and accident on the Long bridge of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. I witnessed an accident recently on the road when a long vehicle was trying to avoid the wide joint on the bridge. It hit a car which was coming from the back on a fast speed and at least one life went for it and many were injured. You can imagine how many lives have been sacrificed for this road project since it began.”
She, therefore, called on the Federal government to check Julius Berger on their lackadaisical attitude. She also said the road contractor should finally ensure they complete the project this time and “save Nigerians from agony of avoidable man-hour delays and loss of lives.”
A school teacher, Razak Adigun also told this reporter that Julius Berger should include flood control in the last phase of the road project.
“I have taken time to assess the work done on this road and I weep for Nigeria. Julius Berger has used several years to repair the road. Buhari was almost commissioning the uncompleted project if not for resistance from the people through social media protest and others. Does it mean that Julius Berger didn’t know that these joints they are just filling needed to be filled? My concern again now is the flood. Once it rains, don’t bother to ply this road or else you will spend several hours in traffic jam. You will see that after the filling of the joints that is taking months, they will come back again when people start complaining about flood on the road to spend another one year. It is a shame. The government should please intervene on this matter,” he said.
All efforts to get the reaction of Julius Berger on this issue failed as at the time of this report as all their phone numbers were not connecting and there was no response to the text messages sent to the head of operation.