After almost 10 years of neglect, the federal government yesterday declared its readiness to partner the Ogun State government toward ensuring a joint rehabilitation of the near 77-kilometres Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway corridor.
This was disclosed by the minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, while speaking with journalists yesterday in Abeokuta during a courtesy call he paid to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The minister, who was on a tour of federal roads in the state, along with officials of the ministry noted that if the Federal Government is looking for corporate organisations to get involved in road construction and management, state governments should not be denied the same opportunity.
Umahi, while reacting to Governor Abiodun’s complaint on the frustration experienced by Ogun and Lagos states during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to get the road done, disclosed that the period of bureaucracy in road construction in the country was over.
“Let me say something about the frustration you had while you and the Lagos State government wrote to take over the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road. Let me announce to you that it falls under our new programme, HDMI, which stands for the High Way Development Management Initiative. It is a public-private partnership programme.
Addressing the entourage, Prince Abiodun recalled what he and his colleague in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu went through getting the Federal Government’s permission to take over the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway.
He regretted that despite meeting some of the requirements by the Federal Government, the two states were frustrated, leading to further deterioration of the road.
