Why work is yet to begin on Lagos- Ota- Abeokuta Expressway, by Ogun State government
OGUN State Government has said that work is yet to begin on the reconstruction of Lagos- Ota- Abeokuta Expressway because it is still awaiting the final approval of the concessioning of the road from the Federal Government.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had announced in October last year during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) meeting at the Aso Villa that the Federal Government had finally concessioned the allimportant road to the Ogun State Government to reconstruct after several efforts made to that effect by the Governor Dapo Abiodun- led administration.
The reconstruction was to be carried out under the Highway Development and Management Initiative ( HDMI), with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission ( ICRC) and the Federal Ministry of Finance, to be involved in the process.
Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Media,
Kayode Akinmade, who spoke on the latest development, yesterday, said that although there was a presidential approval for the concessioning, there is no Extract from the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) approving the concessioning.
According to Akinmade, the procedure for the concessioning is not complete without FEC'S Extract paper.
He said that after deliberation and approval, the FEC would have issued an Extract from the office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation ( SGF) transferring the road to Ogun State Government.
The special adviser said that the Ogun State Government is waiting anxiously for FEC'S nod to proceed with the project, adding that the FEC Extract is needed to raise funds for the project and also discuss with investors.
Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, had earlier said that the state had been providing palliatives to make the roughly 70 kilometres road manageable for motorists.