The Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) in Lagos State has allayed fears of residents on the possibility of abandoning rehabilitation of the ‘411 Road’ in the Gowon Estate.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the rehabilitation work awarded at a cost of N72 million by the council.
The Gowon Estate is one of the Federal Housing estates in Lagos State.
NAN correspondent, who visited the site, reports that construction workers were not on the ground except a pile of crushed stones and some stack of interlocking stones.
It was also observed that construction had not progressed beyond the grading level, which was done many weeks ago.
Residents of the estate are, therefore, apprehensive about the situation of the road, fearing the rehabilitation might have been abandoned.
But the Council Chairman, Princess Olabisi Adebajo, told NAN on Saturday that the project was not abandoned.
Adebayo explained that the contractor’s materials were undergoing quality assurance test for the next phase of construction.
She said the project was divided into three phases, adding that the first phase was about 80 per cent completed while the entire project had achieved 40 per cent completion.
“For the first phase, they have done about 80 per cent, so they are moving to the second phase.
“The rain is also affecting the project because of heavy flooding in the area.
“So, they need to wait for the rain to subside before they can start the second phase.
“All that is needed for the construction is on site including the stone base and they have brought the paving stones to the local government for test.
“There is what we call material testing so that we will know the contractor is using very good paving stones,’’ she told NAN.
According to the council boss, the materials have been tested and they passed the integrity test.
“The contractor has gone ahead with the production of the paving stones.
“Before this week runs out, the paving stones will be on site and everyone will see that the project is not abandoned.
“The contractor is on site and he is there every day.
“We did not abandon any project in this council.’’
Adebayo said that the project spanned from 41 Road Junction to 411 Road, extending to 34 Road.
She said that after completion of the first and second phases, constructions on the extensions on 34 Road would begin.
Kabiru Yusuf, Managing Director of Razor Edge Project Ltd, the contractor handling the project, told NAN that rainfall was slowing down the laying of interlocking stones on site.
Yusuf said that some materials have been moved from 411 Road for emergency intervention on a bad road causing gridlock in the council, “but residents misunderstood the intention’’.
He explained that another truck carrying materials to the site of the bad road broke down, hence the need to quickly get some materials from the 411 Road site “which residents resisted’’.
He said that project engineers were sent to get materials to quickly fix that portion with pot holes causing hardship in the council.
“Right now all the materials we need to finish this 411 Road are here, including the stone base and interlocking stones.
“We are just waiting for the soil to dry,’’ he said.
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