Motorists in Lagos on Tuesday called on Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure the ongoing road rehabilitation projects across the state are of good quality.
The motorists, who spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, commended Sanwo-Olu for swinging into action to repair roads, but said that many government initiated road repairs do not last.
Recall that the Lagos State Government had on Oct. 13 declared a state of emergency on various dilapidated highways and inner roads.
Sanwo-Olu ordered massive construction work on critical roads and highways across the state, beginning from Oct. 14.
The governor said Lagos State Public Works Corporation would be carrying out repairs on 116 inner roads across the state in addition to over 200 roads already rehabilitated by the corporation in the last three months.
He said that he was not unaware of the pain experienced by road users, which was compounded by persistent downpour.
Mr Emmanuel Babatunde, an Uber driver plying various roads across the state, told NAN that government needed to supervise the rehabilitation closely, to ensure quality repair.
“We need quality repair of roads. It is sad to see portions being repaired after just few weeks of repair; it has got bad because of dishonesty and corruption.
“If we are repairing a-2-kilometre stretch of road, let the work be good enough for all categories of vehicles, including heavy duty, to ply.
“What we see is that most of these repairs don’t last because they are not well repaired and supervised.
“If the repair is good, government will rest for a long time before coming back to those roads, but what we see is the opposite.”
Mr Ayobami Adesina, another motorist, commended the governor for making move to alleviate the suffering of the motoring public by repairing dilapidated roads.
“Motorists and passengers are suffering now in this state because the roads are bad and are flooded anytime it rains. We spend a great deal of hours in traffic gridlock each day now.
“I think that Sanwo-Olu has done well by declaring a state of emergency on roads, but this repair should not be wishy-washy.”
A cleric, Pastor Samuel Apeh, called on the governor to ensure thorough supervision of the ongoing road repairs to ensure standard.
Apeh said: “One thing is to declare state of emergency on road repair; another thing is the quality of job done.
“Most of the roads we are repairing now were also repaired a year or two ago but they don’t last because they just put asphalt and that is all.
“We cannot continue to deceive ourselves, if we want to work, let the work be qualitative so that it will take a long time before coming to work on it again.
“If Lagosians will not complain about some of these roads undergoing repair in few months to come, such repair must be monitored to ensure standard.”
In his remarks, Mr Ganiu Lawal, Head of Public Affairs, Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) told NAN that the heavy rainfall had not allowed actual road rehabilitation to begin, hence ongoing fixing of critical portions.
Lawal explained that the corporation was only using boulder, crushed stones and other sub base materials to stabilize critical roads pending clemency of weather for the actual rehabilitation of the 116 roads to begin.
He said that the corporation had on some occasions called off the final stage of repair works, which was the laying of asphalt, due to heavy rainfall.
“The boulders, crushed stones and sub base materials are just to stabilize the roads until the rains are over; then, we come back and fill with asphalt.
“We know definitely that the rains will wash some of the materials away but it is better for us to do some of those palliatives and reduce the stress of commuters and road users than waiting for the roads to get bad.
“That is why we are doing palliatives by filling the potholes to make it stable for people to have comfort on the roads.
“That is not our best, it is just a palliative for ease of movement, though sometimes there are bumpy rides. It is better than having the craters and potholes without anything being done,” he said.
