By Kingsley Adegboye

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr. Ejike Mgbemena, an engineer, weekend, attributed the deterioration of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and the attendant perennial flooding on the activities of financial institutions and petrol filling stations who have built on the right of way. The Controller also fingered a motor company over the perennial flooding at First and Second Rainbow.

He stated that the Works ministry will reassert its authority over the right of ways of its roads or the billions Naira spent to make them motorable will go down the drain.

Mgbemena who inspected bad portions of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway noted that it is not only in Lagos that Federal roads are in bad shapes. Decrying the abuse of right of ways of these roads by Nigerians, the controller explained that such actions block the existing drainage outlets.

Describing the condition of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway as very disturbing, the controller said Lagos is in the forefront when it comes to blocking the right of way and drainage channels. “If the drainage channels are functioning, you would not have seen the failure you are seeing now. It is more disturbing when the abusers of the road are corporate bodies, petrol filling stations and individuals, “ he lamented.

“We must do something and that very urgent, but the scope of what is to be done is what I don’t know. All I know is that we are going reaffirm and repossess our right of way, whether they like it or not. We cannot be wasting public funds and not see anything to show for it. What you have seen today has shown that we must collaborate with Lagos State Government because the problem we have is that of both federal and state governments,” he said.

“We are going back to see governor Babatunde Fashola, Commissioners for Environment, Works & Infrastructure as well as Transportation. All of us are coming back to the road next week for us to see and decide what needs to be done. I will brief the Minister about this. The time has come for us to say enough is enough’’, Mgbemena fumed.

According to him, the drainage alignment on the right of way which is supposed to empty at collector drain at the Coconut Bus Stop end towards Oshodi has been blocked by financial institutions who reclaimed the right of way as part of their premises. One of them used removable iron on the drain in front of its premises while others used concrete slabs to block the drainage channel running between Trinity Bus Stop and collector drain at Coconut Bus Stop end.

Similarly, a petrol filling station at Cement Bus Stop opposite Maritime House has frontal part of its premises constructed on the drain that is supposed to take water to the collector towards Berger Yard.

Mgbemena also attributed the constant flooding of the Rainbow area to the activities of a motor company which has his office near Coker Bus Stop. The company, he alleged, pumps water onto the road from its premises at night.

The controller said a proposal is being put together to create a special lane for trailers going to Tin Can Port. This is an attempt to find solution to the menace of trailer drivers on the road. Also work has started on the construction of Trailer Parks A and B opposite Tin Can Port to put a stop to parking of trailers on the expressway.