Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has a new task on his to-do list: widen the Isolo-Mushin road from two to four lanes.
This decision was passed as a resolution by the Federal House of Representatives last week through a unanimous voice vote following the consideration of the bill sponsored by the member representing Oshodi-Isolo ll at the green chamber, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson.
The House, realising that this year’s budget has been passed and is already being implemented, is urging the Ministry of Works & Housing to put it in the budget estimates for next year.
The motion was presented to the House as “ need to complete the Isolo -Ejigbo ( NNPC Depot)/Mushin Dual Carriage Road”.
According to the records obtained by Echonews, the House resolved to :
“ Mandate the Committee on Works to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing to make provision for the dualisation of Mushin road from Oke-Afa to Apapa – Oshodi Expressway in the 2021 budget estimates”.
This means the residents of the constituency will have to live within the current situation for another 12 months.
It also gives persons whose buildings will be affected enough notice to prepare for the impact the construction will have on their investments.
During his electioneering campaign, Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II House of Representatives member Johnson had promised to move a motion for the completion of the dualisation project.
His promise, which has been delivered through the House, is expected to be favoured by the minister.
Why? Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works & Housing was the Governor of Lagos State when the project to dualise all roads leading to the NNPC depot in Ejigbo was initiated.
Interestingly, the project was initiated through a similar motion in the House of Representatives by one of Rep. Johnson’s predecessor’s in the House, Rep. Jaiyeola Ajatta about 2010.
Rep. Ajatta had promised to sponsor the motion when a group of activists and youths met him in 2009 to present a plan to picket the NNPC for seven days to drive home their agitation against bad roads.
The documented plan, exclusively available to Echonews, includes the establishment of a working committee, consultation of the Oodua Peoples Congress, National Union Of Road Transport Workers, tanker drivers, market women and workers towards organising a mass mobilisation campaign with leaflets, public addresses and poster campaigns.
The plan also featured the presentation of a petition signed by mass organisations and traditional rulers to the NNPC before the take-off of the picket.
The group listed the minimum conditions that the NNPC must fulfil as:
- construction of roads leading to the NNPC depot
- Thorough clean-up of the environment in which NNPC does business
- Construction of the Ejigbo-Ajao Estate link road
- Allocation of a percentage of employment slots in the low and middle cadre of NNapC to the youths in the community and
- Percentage of contracts in NNPC to local contractors in Ejigbo
Rep. Ajatta nipped the plans in the bud by assuring the group that, instead of the picket, his motion would mandate and bring NNPC to the negotiating table as he was sure that the state government would join him in putting pressure on the petroleum services company.
The success of his plan led the NNPC and the Lagos State Government under Gov Fashola to commence the project albeit in phases. The f
irst phase, handled by the construction firm, Primera, proceeded effectively until 2011 when it stalled for months.
This time, the National Youths Council of Nigeria, Ejigbo chapter held a picket against the company at its headquarters in Ikeja before it returned to finish the job.
Since then, nothing was heard about the second phase until the emergence of Rep. Johnson as an aspirant for the House of Representatives.
Johnson, who spent 35 years of his civil service career in the Ministry of Works & Infrastructures, was, at various times, the General Manager of the Lagos State Public Works, Permanent Secretary, Special Adviser and Commissioner.
Bringing his knowledge of project development to his advantage, he reminded everyone during the campaign that the dualisation project remained another phase and he would do everything possible to realise the dream.
A concerned observer, told Echonews “However, with the resolution of the House urging the Ministry of Works & Housing to handle the project, the NNPC is being let off the hook for what is actually meant to be its responsibility. I want to appeal to Minister Fashola to make sure that the NNPC pays for the project”.
