By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo, with Agency reports

Lagos—Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday, paid an unscheduled visit to the Ikotun-Ejigbo Road, assuring the residents that work on the road will commence within the next one week.

Governor Ambode, who described the state of the road as unacceptable, assured residents who trooped out to hear from him that the road will get a face-lift very soon.

The governor said, “I have come personally to see the state of Ejigbo Road and it is very clear that this is totally unacceptable and there is no other remedy than to let our officials come to site within the next one week and the people of this neighbourhood should be guaranteed that work will start on Ikotun-Ejigbo-Isolo axis within the next seven days”.

He said the road was too strategic as it serves as a major link road connecting several local governments, hence it could not be left at the state it was.

The governor, therefore, directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Mr. Paul Bamgboye-Martins and the General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), Mr Ayotunde Sodeinde to move immediately to the area to commence work within the next 48 hours.

He also appealed to residents for understanding when the construction commences, saying that the State Public Works Deparment will be mobilised to provide palliative measure to ease the traffic gridlock often experienced by motorists plying the route on a daily basis due to the condition of the road.

“We would make sure that you have immediate relief and that in the course of the rehabilitation the people in the neighbourhood should just bear with us   but you can take it for granted that work will commence immediately after Ramadan”, he said.

Gov stresses need for citizens to plant trees

Meantime, Governor Ambode and his wife, Bolanle, have urged citizens on the need to imbibe tree planting as a way of life in order to further engender sustainable environment as well as  restore the dignity of the earth.

They made the  calls yesterday, at different fora to commemorate the commencement of the 2015 tree planting exercise even as he warned residents to desist from indiscriminate felling of trees.

The governor, speaking at the Technical College, Ikotun, where he planted a tree, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the  preservation of the environment and mitigation of global warming via tree planting.

The first Lady, at Yaba area where she also planted a tree, listed numerous benefits of trees ranging from aesthetics to their herbal uses, and urged residents of the state to desist from indiscriminate felling of trees for environmental sustainability.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment, Engineer Hakeem Ogunbanbi, said the 2015 tree planting exercise is a worthy step to stem the tide of environmental degradation and inordinate exploitation of earth’s resources.

He hinted that the exercise took place simultaneously in all the 20 Local Government Areas, and 37 Local Council Development Areas, with six sites designated as ceremonial sites across the state to commemorate the annual event.