News
FG moves to end gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
The Federal government has assured its commitment to ending incessant gridlock and Trucks hazards on Lagos-Ibadan express way, the Coordinating Director, Highway Construction and Rehabilitation, Nigeria, Mr Funsho Adebiyi, has said.
Adebiyi revealed that the Federal government was reconvening another tripartite meeting to tackle the challenges of gridlock.
Speaking while inspecting the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan expressway rehabilitation and reconstruction project, he said that those being invited to the meeting included the Lagos, Ogun and Oyo State governments, as well as truck drivers and owners, traffic regulatory agencies, among others.
According to him, the Federal government will take a drastic step to address the the challenge in conjunction with each State governments.
He lamented the constant presence of articulated trucks parking indiscriminately on the Oghere section of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project damaging new construction work on the highway.
“You see trailers in their hundreds parked on the road shoulders we are just repairing.
“Some of them are not parked empty they are carrying as much as 900 bags of cement and they are abandoned there on the road shoulder,” he said.
According to him, apart from the dead weight of the parked trucks which causes quick road degeneration, the vehicles are usually repaired on the road, thereby spilling petroleum products on the highway.
He said that such petroleum products caused materials used to construct the highway to disintegrate fast thereby damaging the highway to reduce its lifespan.
He said that four previous stakeholders’ meetings held with truck drivers and owners, as well as other stakeholders did not achieve the desired results hence the need for another meeting.
He said: “I had invited my minister to a town hall meeting before and he has met them and we are organising another town hall meeting with them next week Friday and Saturday, to come and sit down with them to discuss with the truck drivers, truck owners, the truck park operators.
“And we are making efforts also to construct parks where they can park, about 4,000 capacity trucks.
“It will be constructed still along this Oghere end but we are begging them to stop parking on the road.
The director appealed to truck drivers to stop the road abuse, adding that, overloading endangered both the safety of highways and that of road users.
Earlier, while inspecting section one of the highway which stretches from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange, Adebiyi said the federal government was constructing additional two major interchanges.
He added that two flyovers were being constructed on section one, in addition to 14 existing ones on other stretches in Ogun and Oyo, to curb gridlock and improve the safety of new communities along the axis.
He added that rickety vehicles and reckless driving were the usual cause of gridlock on the Lagos axis of the highway.
He appealed to owners of such rickety vehicles to stay off highways to avert breakdowns that usually caused gridlock and resultant hardship to road users.
He also appealed for lane discipline as well as adherence to traffic rules to end gridlock on the Lagos end.
In the same vein, the Coordinating Director said that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be completed and completely opened to traffic in December this year.
He said the dual carriageway would be completed, but the bridges would be completed in April 2022.
He reaffirmed that the completion figures earlier presented by Mr. Adedamola Kuti, the Director, Federal Highways, South West who said that by December the entire carriageway would be completed.
Kuti said that the project had reached at least 49.6 percent completion on the first section being handled by Julius Berger and 56.8 percent on the section handled by RCC.
He said that 32 out of 43.6 kilometres of work had been completed and section two which is 84 kilometers has more than 50 kilometres completed on both carriageways.
“This corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway apart from all the flyovers by the time we are coming to December this year, I think there will be substantial progress.
”Section one is 49.6 per cent completed, section two is 56.8 per cent, so, we are making progress,” he stated.
The President of the Nigerian Senate Godswill Obot Akpabio said, he will not be distracted by the baseless allegation and antics of Elisha Abbo who formerly represented Adamawa North Senatorial District in the Senate, stating that it was unfortunate that the ex-lawmaker has started another round of malicious campaign against him.
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, declaring that Elisha Abbo’s outbursts are those of a failed politician who fraudulently represented Adamawa North Senatorial District before the Court intervention cleared him out of way.
Akpabio through his aide was reacting to Elisha Abbo’s blame on Akpabio, suggesting that he was responsible for his electoral woes in an interview he granted on Arise Television on Wednesday while he featured on politics today.
Part of the statement read: “The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to another round of spurious and malicious accusations by Mr. Elisha Abbo, who unlawfully represented Adamawa North Senatorial District save a judicial intervention.
“He has again sought to blame the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, for the travail of his judicial sanction that occasioned his ouster from the Senate.”
Akpabio said he was perturbed the more over Elisha’s outburst on him over an issue he has regretted and apologized to him publicly in 2023—after admitting that his earlier accusation was “premature and based on the available information at his disposal.
He noted further that Abbo had once discussed with him last year and acknowledge that “he was not involved in the judicial process that led to his ouster from the Senate.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court of Appeal, after a thorough legal process, ruled unequivocally that Mr. Abbo’s presence in the Red Chamber was in error. The court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed.
“The court acted in accordance with the extant laws and the Constitution within its sacred duty to uphold the rule of law. Senator Akpabio, a seasoned lawyer and democrat, holds the independence of the judiciary in the highest regard and would never interfere in its processes.”
Given that Abbo has exonerated him, Akpabio said he found it illogical and irresponsible for him to now turn around and heap blames on him.
“Mr. Abbo has also sought to create the impression that he was unjustly denied official benefits following his ouster. He claims entitlement to salaries, allowances, and even an official vehicle, despite the court’s declaration that his tenure was null and void ab initio.”
Akpabio noted that he has no executive fiat to approve finances, except such has been duly vetted and forwarded to him by the appropriate administrative units in line with the public finance guidelines.
If any of Mr. Abbo’s claims for payment did not reach the desk of the Senate President, it is because they failed to meet these lawful standards—not because of any personal or political vendetta.
It is unfortunate that instead of accepting the consequences of his legal and political failings, Mr. Abbo continues to resort to media theatrics and reckless finger-pointing. Even more telling is his record of public conduct. Nigerians will recall that in 2019, he was caught on video assaulting a female citizen in Abuja—an incident for which he was ordered by a competent court to pay N50 million in damages. This is a matter of public record and speaks volumes about his temperament and disposition.
His recent outbursts about unpaid travels and imagined plots further reinforce the conclusion that his actions are driven not by facts or principle, but by bitterness and desperation to remain politically relevant. These claims are not only baseless, but they reek of grievance and a refusal to accept personal responsibility for his removal and loss of public trust.
Senator Godswill Akpabio remains focused on the noble task of nation-building, providing purposeful leadership in the Senate, and strengthening democratic institutions—especially the independence of the judiciary. He will not be distracted by the antics of individuals who seek to rewrite history to mask personal failures.
We urge Mr. Abbo to reflect deeply, respect the rule of law, and focus on rebuilding the confidence of his constituents if he hopes to return to public life. Nigeria’s democracy can only thrive when its actors show maturity, responsibility, and an abiding respect for the truth.
Structured HQ Legal, (SHQ) has issued a public notice warning against any transactions involving the buying, selling, leasing, or letting of the Hampton Harbour landed property.
The landed property measuring at 19.5 hectares is located at Elegushi Royal Family Land, Ikate Ancient City, Eti Osa, Local Government Area, Lagos State with reference number 376/376/2777GC and belongs to the Baggeren International Company.
In an official press statement issued to the news men, the firm disclosed that the property is currently under legal scrutiny, cautioning that any individual or entity engaging in transactions related to Hampton Harbour does so at their own risk. They also emphasized that unauthorized dealings could lead to significant financial loss and expose parties involved to legal consequences.
SHQ further noted that any person(s) who proceeds with any dealings in relation to the Hampton Harbour property risks both financial loss and potential legal actions noting that such transactions may result in criminal and civil liabilities for trespass or fraud.
The public is strongly advised to exercise caution and ensure due diligence before engaging in any transactions concerning Hampton Harbour. Prospective buyers, investors, or stakeholders must seek formal confirmation and approval from Structured HQ Legal or Baggeren International Company Limited to avoid financial and legal risks.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Thursday said, requirements for recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District were lacking in the petition.
In a statement to update circumstances surrounding a purported petition against Natasha, the INEC said, it has rejected the petition.
The Commission said, Natasha is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and there are requirements to recall her or any other Senator, but it cannot consider the petitions that lack merits.
Earlier the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, acknowledged receipt of petition against the embattled lawmaker from her constituents after submitting it to the INEC headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District was the former Chairman of Senate Committee on Local Contents, but was suspended from the Senate over alleged breach of Senate Standing Rules.
Natasha disclosed that she has approached the Court to quash her suspension which she claimed was illegal.
According to the petitioners, over 250,000 constituents’ signed the petition, out of about 480,000 registered voters in the senatorial district.
The petition was titled Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence’.
In a brief statement on Thursday, the Commission said, “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
The female lawmaker also on Tuesday defied ban by Kogi State Government and visited her Senatorial District in what she said, was a Sallah visit to felicitate with those who gave her their mandate.
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