Restore Lagos/Ibadan highway budgetary allocation, Afenifere group tells NASS

THE Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has expressed disgust at the decision of the National Assembly to reduce the budgetary allocation for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The lawmakers had slashed the cost of budgetary allocation of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway from N31 billion to N10 billion.

ARG in a statement by its publicity secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, said the explanation by the National Assembly that the fund removed from the expressway was moved to equalize development across the country was appalling.

The group consequently prayed for a restoration of the N31 billion requested by the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing.

Noting the crucial nature of the road to not only the South West and the country, at large, the ARG advocated that the federal government hand over the road project to South West states, if the deducted sum is not returned.

The statement further added, “The Afenifere Renewal Group is appalled by National Assembly’s reduction of the budgetary allocation for the reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”

“In NASS’s explanation, claiming that the fund removed from the expressway was moved to other projects to equalise ‘development’ across the country left us aghast at the shallow thoughts put into decision making in Nigeria.”

“Our interpretation of this vacuous act is that the National Assembly wants a showdown with the Yoruba people of Southwest and they should be ready for this, if they would not restore the allocation. Otherwise the federal government should handover the road to the southwest states as was requested during the Jonathan presidency.”

“The importance of this expressway to Nigeria’s economy and North-South linkage cannot be overstated, reputed to be the busiest inter-state route in West Africa and carrying in excess of 250,000PCEs daily.”

“Annually, there are, at least, 300 crashes and incidents along the 127km road leading to the death of at least 100 people, alongside hundreds of cases of incapacitation and inestimable loss of revenue and man-hour. The traffic situation along the road also feeds armed robbery, health deterioration and other social malice, particularly by herdsmen.”

“The rapid industrial, residential and tourism expansion along the road is second only to Lekki-Epe corridor, which is reputed to be the fastest growing real estate corridor in Africa.”

“Similar neglect is happening with the poor condition of Apapa roads, which in addition to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, constitute the most economically important roads in Nigeria. Ill-informed decisions such as this, where the goose laying the golden egg is physically abused, cannot but motivate people to question the country’s sovereignty and even rise up against it.”