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Rehabilitation of Apapa roads

By Editorial Board
02 July 2017   |   4:02 am
Although, the contractors have not mobilised to site and actual reconstruction has not started, the undue hysteria since the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced the imminent closure of the Apapa-Wharf road for rehabilitation understandable.

Something must give in for Apapa to be rehabilitated. There is no way the rehabilitation of the badly dilapidated road will not cause inconveniences, with huge economic costs as severe traffic gridlock will definitely ensue.

Although, the contractors have not mobilised to site and actual reconstruction has not started, the undue hysteria since the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced the imminent closure of the Apapa-Wharf road for rehabilitation is understandable. Business operators in that axis are apprehensive about the possible loss of businesses if the road is closed but any gesture to alleviate the decade-long suffering on that road should be appreciated.

Something must give in for Apapa to be rehabilitated. There is no way the rehabilitation of the badly dilapidated road will not cause inconveniences, with huge economic costs as severe traffic gridlock will definitely ensue.

The outright closure of the port during the period is also an option, where there is an alternative, to facilitate the reconstruction work. This is the price the country must pay for leaving Apapa to disintegrate over the years without maintenance of the roads.

Consequently, a choice has to be made between leaving the gateway to the nation’s economy in its present condition and enduring some inconveniences, for a while, in order to rehabilitate the roads.

The Minister, the other day, announced the restriction of vehicular movement on the road for reconstruction work to begin. He made the announcement at the official flag-off of the road project at a meeting with stakeholders.

Fashola said the project, which is expected to be completed in 12 months would be funded by the Dangote Group, Flour Mills of Nigeria and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).The Minister noted that the intervention was the first by the Federal Government to ease gridlock on the road caused by potholes, poor drainage system and indiscriminate parking by tankers/truck drivers.

He pointed out that the reconstruction works, which begin from NPA to the base of Marine Bridge, would be concrete based, with a 30-year design life-span. The choice of concrete is highly commendable for durability. This newspaper has in previous editorials advocated the building of concrete roads, especially, in the southern states, where heavy torrential downpours adversely impact on roads.

Fashola equally hinted that the Federal Government would soon intervene in the reconstruction of the Tin Can-Coconut axis of the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway and Creek Road.This section of Apapa is now impassable and has practically closed.

Nevertheless, it is better to allow skeletal movement through this axis while reconstruction is on-going on Wharf road. Thereafter, work can continue on this axis.The N4.34 billion Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction project has reportedly been handed over to AG Dangote Construction Limited. The Minister signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dangote Group and other stakeholders while the cost is to be borne by Flour Mills of Nigeria, AG Dangote Construction Limited and NPA, with the Federal Ministry of Works supervising.

The appalling state of the roads in Apapa has, for long, remained a nightmare and a national embarrassment. Although the intervention is coming on little late, it is, nonetheless, a welcome development that should be encouraged and supported. Members of the public should, therefore, show a sense of patriotism and understanding while the work goes on.

Some factors are responsible for the decay of Apapa roads. These include abnormally heavy haulage traffic due to the absence of railway system from the port. The collapse of the rail system has put severe pressure on the roads that are also not well maintained.

As a matter of fact, Apapa is faced with the same malaise plaguing infrastructure facilities across the country. Roads, bridges, railway system and even airports are ill-maintained and in a decrepit state.

Since 1999, billions of dollars have been budgeted for roads by successive administrations with little to show for the expenditure. With no functional railway system, roads are the only means of movement of people and goods and should be treated as invaluable national assets.

But rather than give premium attention to this vital means of transportation, roads are left in terrible condition nationwide. Apapa deservedly is receiving attention due to its critical economic importance as a major revenue earner after oil. This same attention should be given to other strategically important roads.Bad roads, which have plagued the country since independence, still hobble Nigeria more than five decades after independence. The state of Nigerian roads is a sad commentary on governance and failure of leadership. There is need to set agenda on roads with measurable targets for the three tiers of government.

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