Senate Asks Works Ministry to Resume Work on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway
Says Apapa bridges nearing collapse, defers debate on Marafa’s suspension 11 House members tackle senator over ‘unpatriotic’ comments
Omololu Ogunmade Damilola Oyedele
The Senate yesterday asked the federal Ministry of Works to resume the suspended rehabilitation of dilapidated Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos State. It also tasked the Lagos State Government to promptly ensure the repair of all roads connecting the expressway.
The chamber also tasked the ministry as well as the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to henceforth remove structures impeding rapid flow of traffic on the road just as it charged ports concessionaires and tank farm owners to provide enough parking space for trucks in accordance with lease agreement.
It also charged the NPA and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to urgently look into the poor state of Apapa’s environment and called on the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to be alive to their traffic control duties.
The resolutions followed the presentation of the report of Senate Committee on Marine Transport which investigated the gridlock on the road by its chairman, Senator Ahmad Sani.
The committee
expressed concerns on the fragile state of bridges in Apapa, noting that it is one disaster in waiting.
“The committee wishes to draw the attention of the Senate to the failing state of most Apapa bridges. The bridges are always vibrating due to persistent pressure. If nothing is urgently done to reduce the gridlock on other roads, the collapse of some of these bridges are disasters in the making,” the committee reported.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday deferred the consideration of the report of Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which investigated Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) over allegations of indiscipline and unguarded utterances.
It was believed that the public interest generated in he alleged move to suspend the senator including the protest against his suspension on Tuesday at the National Assembly by some youths might have been responsible for the decision.
The news of the deferment came as 11 members of the House of Representatives yesterday described as ‘unpatriotic and unfortunate’ comments credited to Marafa that Saraki is using the 2016 budget proposal to blackmail the presidency.
They said by his constant attack on Saraki, Marafa casts aspersions on the integrity of the legislature, an institution of state which ethos must not be allowed to be desecrated by the proclivities and cowboy antics of an individual.
The lawmakers, in a statement issued yesterday, asked Marafa to respect the sanctity of the legislature, and not drag it through the mud to pursue his personal interest.
The statement wassigned by Hon. Kabir Ajanah, Hon. Mustafa Dawaki, Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi, Hon. Supo Adeola, Hon. Adamu Kamale, Hon. Rita Orji, Hon. Chukwuemeka Anohu, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife, Hon. Ali Issa and Hon. Victor Nwokolo.
The statement read in part: “It is indeed regrettable that 8 months after the contest for leadership in the Senate ended, Marafa and his co-travellers have remained in electioneering mode.
“From Saraki’s emergence as senate president to the composition of Senate committees to intermittent disruption of plenary and the making of false claims in media interviews, Marafa has at every turn, never minced words regarding his quest to get Saraki out of office.”
“We are indeed baffled that Marafa would rather have the senate president convicted in Marafa’s court of clowns and jesters, instead of allowing himlike every discerning individual would - to have his day in a court of law, as he (Saraki) has elected to do.”