NGO urges FG to expedite action on reconstruction of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta

A non-governmental organization, Good Governance Initiative (GGI), at the weekend lamented the poor state of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, calling on the Federal Government to expedite action on the reconstruction of the road.

GGI founder, who is also a Public Affairs analyst based in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, Alhaji Malik Ibitoye, said the dilapidated portions of the road have become serious concern for travellers.

According to Ibitoye in a statement, the Ijaiye area of the road, stretching to Kola, Alakuko, Toll Gate Bus Stop, Sango and even extending to other sections on the way to Abeokuta, the state capital, have become eyesores and a source of embarrassment to both the state and Federal Governments.

Noting that Governor Dapo Abiodun is known to be proactive in the area of infrastructure development, Ibitoye said that it is obvious that many residents of the state are ignorant of the delineation of roads as local, state and federal, adding that the issue has led to bad publicity for the state government.

“There is no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola are interested in APC winning Ogun State and some other states apart from winning at the federal level.

“However, early completion of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway will boost the image of the APC, while doing the contrary would lead to bad publicity for the party.

“The adversaries of the Ogun State government and rival political parties are capitalising on the bad state of the road to spread falsehood about the state and federal governments and this is dangerous as the 2023 general elections are fast approaching,” he said.

The NGO founder emphasised the need for the Federal Government to rise to the occasion and make the expressway passable, adding that the road is strategic to the movement of people to the state capital and to other parts of the country.