By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Works yesterday, attributed the delay in the early completion of Ago-Palace/Okota road, Isolo, to several lawsuits instituted by residents of the area against the state government.

This was revealed as the contractor for the work, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, yesterday returned to site to complete the fourth and final phase of the 7.1 kilometer road project.

It was gathered that the order to return to site was issued by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, barely 48 hours after Vanguard  published a story on the plight of motorists in the axis.

Speaking to newsmen after an inspection tour of the area, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Eng Ajibade Bade-Adebowale disclosed that the road will be completed before Friday, December 25th, 2015.

He said the contractor handling the project had been directed to expedite actions by working tirelessly to deliver the project in record time.

Bade-Adebowale however, appealed to residents to assist the contractor in achieving maximum progress through the use of the alternative roads. And they should desist from dumping refuse in the drains, an action, which he said leads to flooding and subsequent road damage.

Some of the alternative routes include: Lamidi Ariyo, Folarin Fatunisi, Femi Kila, Ostra Lane, Zoostra Lane, Hakeem Dosunmu, Prince Joseph Adebayo, Awka Etiti, Okiki and Jemtok Street.

Also assuring residents of prompt completion, the General Manager of CCECC, Lagos Mr. Li Bing said, “We will be accelerating the work in order to complete it before the end of the year. We hope we can get more support from the residents.”

Ambode flags off quarterly town hall parley

Meantime, Ambode will today hold his maiden edition of his quarterly Town Hall Meeting, starting with the Lagos West Senatorial District.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Folarin Adeyemi, explained that the meeting is in fulfilment of the governor’s campaign promises to duly engage the citizenry and chart a path where regular interactions will take place to inundate people with plans, policies and programmes of the present administration as well as fulfil his pledge of participatory governance.

Adeyemi, said the meeting is slated to take place at Abesan Play ground, Abesan Housing Estate, Ipaja by 11am today.

He added that it was designed to enable people rub minds with the governor on salient issues that are germane to the progress of the state while proffering solutions to them.