The coast is now clear for the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to fulfill the promise he made earlier in March that the state government would complete the reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) road within six months.
The governor announced in a statement, on Wednesday, that the state had received the nod of the Federal Government to embark on the reconstruction of the road.
Ambode, in the statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, commended the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for acceding to the state’s request on the road.
“We are very appreciative of the good gesture of His Excellency, the Acting President for acceding to our request, which is not only very timely but a very heartwarming one. Posterity will never forget this genuine developmental action,” Governor Ambode said.
He also described the approval as a 50th birthday gift to the people of Lagos State, describing it a further demonstration of the determination of the present administration to ensure the effectiveness of the Executive Order on improving the Ease of Doing Business recently signed by the Acting President.
While lamenting his frustration with the road, in March, Ambode had stated that the state already had a design for the reconstruction of the road, as well as the funds to embark on the project, but was yet to get the go ahead from the Federal Government.
He added that if given the approval, his administration was ready to hit the ground running and begin construction of the Airport Road within two weeks and finish same within a period of six months.
The governor had stated: “The road linking Oshodi to the International Airport, you would all agree with me, is a national embarrassment. In the spirit of the regeneration and urbanisation that this administration has set out to achieve, we believe strongly that the image that is exhumed by the decadence of that road must be repaired and we took it upon ourselves to appropriate the 2017 budget that the House of Assembly should approve the total reconstruction of the Airport Road from Oshodi to the International Airport.
“The state currently has a design of 10 lanes to come from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop you towards the Local Airport. The contractor is already set to go and everything, as I said, has been completed and we already have the cash, but alas we are having challenges with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This is a Federal and not a State road. The Federal Ministry of Works believes that they should do the road, but they have not been able to do it all these years past.
“I just want to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Works, to let go or reimburse us with whatever it is that they are owing us. And even if they are not willing to pay us now, we have the money to do it. It is a national disgrace and we would not be part of it. We would like to do it as part of the celebration of Lagos at 50.”
0