Need to rehabilitate the deplorable condition of Ikorodu-Shagamu and Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode Federal highways connecting Lagos and Ogun State
Hon. Babajimi Adegoke Benson
The House:
Notes that Ikorodu-Shagamu and Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode highways connecting Lagos and Ogun State from two different angles are vital trunk ‘A’ roads that are of vital economic importance to the citizens of the two states in particular, and Nigerians who occasionally ply the roads in general;
Notes also,that the roads constructed over forty years ago have been in deplorable state, efforts at rehabilitating them had been halfhearted and produced poor quality work;
Further notes, that the Ikorodu-Shagamu is one of the 17 roads and bridges across 15 states approved by the Federal Executive Council on December 3, 2014, at over N430.5billion with the assertion that N21 billion as at then was available to kickstart the projects as published under the caption,”FG APPROVES N431BN FOR NEW ROAD PROJECTS,” in DailyTrust Newspaer of December 4, 2015;
Observes that the deplorable state of the roads has made commuting on the roads herculean task for over 60 settlements around the environs thus hindering profitable economic activities, causing loss of lives and man hours;
Also observes that on the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road are reputable companies like PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, African steel company, Five Star Cement company, Phoenix Steel limited (steel company) , Monarch Steel, NNPC Depot and African Portland cement, and Odoguyan Industrial Layout, generating over five billion naira into the purse of government annually;
Further observes that Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has its office located at the end of Ikorodu-Shagamu road, yet has practically abandoned the road without engaging in palliative efforts;
Again notes that, Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode road has companies like Lucky Fibre, Hypo Hygiene, and also leads to the crash site of the November 7, 1996, Lagos-bound Boeing 727-213 aircraft operated by Aviation Development Corporation (ADC) that killed 142 passengers and nine crew on board, and has not be awarded for upgrade or repair;
Observes that the Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode road serves as an alternative route to Epe and Lekki Free Trade Zone which is the largest free trade zone in West Africa with the total area of 16,500 hectares and, which will create over 400, 000 direct and indirect jobs when completed;
Considering the economic viability of Lekki Free Trade Zone which according to the Master Plan will accommodate a total resident population of 120,000 and with the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy, infrastructure such as modern motorable roads should not be allowed to hinder such project. The Free Trade Zone is poised to improve the local economy and generate employment amongst other benefits;
Recalls that Newswatch Newspaper Editor, Mr. Toyin Obadina, was killed in 2014 while in traffic as a result of the bad state of this same Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode road. This was reported in ThisDay newspaper of October 22, 2014, under the caption,”Police Arrest Newswatch Editor, Obadina’s Suspected Killers in Lagos”;
Worried that every part of Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode road is a death trap. Hardly can you drive a minute without meeting a pothole causing loss of innocent lives. A news report titled,”Lamentations over abandoned federal roads,” by Daily Independent Newspaper on November 11, 2012, vividly captures the suffering of the affected communities, the sour point however, is that the situation is more critical now;
RESOLVES TO:
(i) Mandate FERMA to immediately commence palliatives on the roads;
(ii) also mandate the Committee on Works (when constituted) to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Works (FMW) to find out the cause of delay on the approved Ikorodu-Shagamu road and report back to the House in two weeks;
(iii) also mandate the Federal Government to consider Ikorodu-Itokin-Ijebu-Ode road as priority and include same in its 2016 budget for approval.
