By Kingsley Adegboye

Lagos State Public Works Corporation has restated its commitment to meet the target of completing 1,200 roads before the end of this year as part of the Corporation’s road maintenance programme for the year 2012.

The Chairman of the maintenance agency, Mr. Gbenga Akintola disclosed this at weekend while leading journalists and  his management team on an inspection of projects being carried out within Ojo and Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Areas.

Akintola disclosed that the Corporation’s road maintenance programme for 2012  has been divided into phases; each with a targeted number of roads to be worked on across all the Local Government and  Council Development Areas in the state.

He reflected on the 298 roads allegedly maintained between December 2011 and February 2012, saying they represent  the first phase of the programme. The LSPWC helmsman said the tour became necessary in order  to assess work being carried out by the maintenance gangs with a view to  ensuring that progress is being made from the points of view of quantity and quality.

He noted that with the  clement weather being experienced, there is hope that the on-going second phase which is between March and May 2012, will enable the Corporation to maintain not less than 400 roads and gradually arrive at the total of 1,200 roads at the end of the year.

“One major reason you can see our men in the nooks and crannies of Lagos State in recent times is that we have further increased the number of our maintenance gangs from about thirty to forty-eight” he said.

This means that our presence shall be felt in about fifty locations on a daily basis, especially in places far from our operational base, such as Epe, Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, Badagry, Ojo, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho and Amuwo-Odofin axes of Lagos State.

Earlier in his remarks,  the Chairman, Community Development Association of Olugbemi Community in Ojo Local Government Area, Mr. Chucks Igwilo expressed gratitude on behalf of the residents of the area for the tireless efforts being made by the present administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Lagos State.