Good Governance Initiative (GGI), a non-governmental organisation led by Alhaji Malik Ibitoye, a Public Affairs analyst based in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, to expedite action on the reconstruction of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.
In a statement, the organisation told Fashola that the deteriorating condition of some sections of the road was producing unwanted publicity for the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
According to Ibitoye's statement, the Sango area of the road, as well as other parts stretching from Ijaiye to Kola, Alakuko, Toll Gate Bus Stop, and other parts of the road leading to Abeokuta, the state capital, have become eyesores and a source of embarrassment to both the state and federal governments.
While the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, is known to be proactive in the area of infrastructure development, the analyst stated that it is obvious that many residents of the state are unaware of the demarcation of roads as local, state, and federal roads, adding that the issue has resulted in negative publicity for the APC.
He said: “There is no doubt that President Buhari and the Minister of Works and Housing, Fashola, are interested in APC winning Ogun State and some other states apart from winning at the federal level.
“However, the early completion of Lagos-Abeokuta expressway will boost the image of the APC, while doing the contrary would lead to a bad publicity for the party.
“The adversaries of the Ogun State Government and rival political parties are capitalising on the bad state of the road to spread falsehood about the state and federal governments, and this is dangerous as the 2023 general election is fast approaching.”
The organisation emphasised the need of the federal government rising to the occasion and making the expressway motorable, noting that the route is critical for people's transportation to the state capital and other regions of the country.
In reference to a viral road video, Malik stated that immediate action is required to make the road usable, as Abiodun has been working with the minimal resources available to the state government to offer excellent governance for the people of the gateway state.