By Baron Ike
Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has got the go ahead of the Federal Government to fix the Lagos International Airport Road from Oshodi which has constituted a big menace and destroyed the image of the country as far as first time visitors to the country are concerned.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo granted the permission to Lagos State Government to embark on a total reconstruction of the International Airport Road stretching from Oshodi.
Ambode made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday, May 31 by the Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, adding that the approval was a 50th birthday gift to the state.
The governor commended Osinbajo’s “statesman-like approach” to issues and for fast-tracking the process.
Ambode said: “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.”
He described the approval as 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.
Ambode gave kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investment into the nation, adding that with the upgrading of the International Airport Road which is the gateway to the nation’s commercial nerve centre, the country will attract new investments.
In March this year, the governor raised the alarm about the current state of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport Road, describing it as a national disgrace which required immediate attention to salvage the nation’s image.
He had said that the state has a design for the reconstruction of the road as well as the funds to embark on the project but was being frustrated by the Federal Ministry of Health headed by his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola.
Ambode had said: “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.”
Ambode had said if given the approval, his administration would hit the ground running and begin construction within two weeks and finish the job within six months.
However, Fashola denied what the governor said, accusing him of misleading Nigerians.
Fashola’s minitry said the delay in granting the request was because the memorandum conveying the request of Lagos State which was already before the Federal Executive Council has not reached completion stage. He spoke through his media aide, Hakeem Bello.
Said the former governor: “The allegations of lack of cooperation from the Ministry and frustration of Lagos State Government development initiatives are simply not true and the facts do not bear them out.
“The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing Ministry has presented the Memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State Government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016.
“Due to the fact that two of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other State Government affected.”