CATHOLIC Archdiocesan director of Social Communications of Lagos, Very Rev. Msgr. Gabriel Osu has decried the worsening state of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, saying its continuous neglect is a sign of government’s insensitivity to the protection of the lives of its citizens.

In an apparent reaction to a recent accident along the expressway which led to the loss of several lives, the cleric wondered why the Federal Government has, over the years, failed to respond to the clarion call for the urgently rehabilitation of the bad portions of, arguably, the busiest road in the country.

“That road which is the major one that links Lagos to other parts of the country is gradually becoming a source of national embarrassment. I don’t know why the government is playing politics about its rehabilitation. If the company handling the project is incapable of doing so, why can’t the Ministry of Works award the contract to a more capable firm?

“I even learnt the Ogun State government once indicated willingness to assist in its repairs but were rebuffed. Every day, innocent travelers are killed on that road through avoidable road mishaps and tanker fire explosions. Look at what happened recently at Okogbe in Rivers State. That too could have been avoided if the road was in a good condition,” Osu added.

According to him, the Ministry of Works must do something urgently to fix our deplorable federal roads to avoid further loss of lives.

Osu also bemoaned the very unwholesome presence of fuel tankers and haulage vehicles plying that major road, saying they have continued to constitute a nuisance to other road users, particularly as many of the accidents recorded have been attributed to the recklessness of drivers.