The Mimister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has promised that Orile – Badagry Express road, which construction work began over eight years ago would be completed in two years’ time.
Fashola as governor of Lagos State befun the construction of the gigantic project which jad not progressed atthe paceexpectedby many road users in Lagos.
The minister spoke during a broadcast session on Thursday on the popular TV Continental morning programme Your View.
Satellite residents under the umbrella body of Satellite Town Forum (STF) also appeared on.the programme to speak about the degradation of their community by Tank Farm owners.
Engineer Nurudeen Olalekan Shodeinde from the office of drainage services, ministry of the environment and water resources, also spoke about drainage challenges in the area, in which he made unsuccessful efforts to put the blame on residents whom he claimed indiscriminately disposed waste that have blocked the free flow of water.
His claims were, however, rejected by residents who were at the television programme as they pointed to him that the problem of perennial flooding of the area was due to bad drainage system, compounded by the presence of tank farms that have built on the drainage.
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) officials who were invited by the television house to the programme to explain the rationale for allowing tank farms locate at a purely residential area failed to turn up to give explanation on the matter.
According to Fashola, who appealed to residents living on the Orile-Bagadry area to be patient, said delay in work was due to demand by contractors that payment for work already done be paid for before they would commence completion of the remaining stretch of the road.
He said that was being finalized and work would commence speedily.
Fashola said, the Lagos State government was responsible for the Orile to Okomaiko part of the road, while the federal government is saddled with the construction of the Okokomaiko to Badagry end of the road.
He said while work would commence in earnest to ensure the road construction was completed within the time frame, palliatives would be carried out to alleviate traffic challenges, adding that traffic management officials would also be called upon to ensure that there was free flow of traffic.
But the Shodeinde who spoke mainly on the drainage problems Satellite and Ijegun residents are facing argued that the drainage system in place in those areas was the perfect solution to discharge water from accumulating and filling estates and streets. He said the drains are not working as they should because they have been blocked by waste disposals. The official also said that the drainage system in place was what the resources of the government can afford.
His claims were debunked by president of STF, Governor Imitini and his vice, Navy Captain Bayo Adekoya (rtd), who told him that the drainage system in that area was not suitable to perform effective discharge of water and there was need for a more environment friendly and applicable drainage system to be constructed and maintained by the state government.
The STF officials who painted a scary picture of environmental degradation being carried out in very insensitive and inhuman manner by the tank farm owners also informed the Lagos official that the farmers had built depots0 on the drainage system thereby causing water to be pushed back into homes and streets.
The residents had also informed the Lagos State government of the various representations and appeals, through videos, letters, pictures and personal contacts it had made for its intervention on the woeful drainage system in that area.
The residents who had fielded questions from Your View presenters on the menacing danger of tank farms activities in their community once again called on the federal government of relocate the tank farms from their community before a major fatal occurrence.
They narrated how homes have been submerged, residents are in constant fear of fire outbreak and their health being threatened due to constant pollution of oil and fume from the over 500 tankers that pass through the heart of the communities daily.
