Contrary to earlier statement by the State government insinuating that the announced road diversions will contain expected traffic crisis today on President Muhammadu Buhari’s State visit, Lagos travel consultant, Tunde Demola, has cautioned road users to avoid moving out with their car and join commuter vehicles.
Lagos State Government said yesterday that Mr. President would be in the state between 9am and 3pm, noting within that period traffic on a number of roads would diverted.
Major vehicular highways affected by the visit include “Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way (coming from the Presidential Wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport to LASUTH Under Bridge); Kodesoh Road; Obafemi Awolowo Way; Kudirat Abiola Way; Ikorodu Road (between Ojota Intersection and Anthony Interchange); Oworonshoki-Apapa Expressway (between Anthony and Oshodi Transport Interchange); International Airport Road through the Local Wing of the airport to Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way; and back to Obafemi Awolowo Way.”
However, the state government advised motorists to avoid the roads where necessary and make use of alternative routes of their choice, stressing that where motorists found it unavoidable plying the afore-mentioned roads, patience and cooperation with traffic managers should be their watchword.
In an early morning interview with Business Hilights, he said traffic build up around Oshodi and Ikeja, the principal axis for the presidential visit are already becoming hellish even at the early hours of the morning, predicting that “Today’s evening will be more hellish”.
“I want to advise road users mainly those working Island to at least manage and use public transport to avoid being held up for hours plus the attendant discomfort.
“On the other hand, the whole six hour hours to be used for the presidential visit to me, is too much as it has completely robbed off several businesses that pay their taxes the entire day.
Demola argued that “Shutting down major roads for a whole six hours in a state like Lagos means total lockdown of taxpaying businesses throughout the key working hours of the day in a free market economy”.
The President, according to a statement issued by Lagos State Government on Tuesday, will, during the visit, inaugurate some of the projects by the outgoing administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Key among the projects to be unveiled include the 10-lane Oshodi-Muritala Muhammed International Airport Road; the 170-bed ‘Ayinke House’(maternity hospital) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja; the Lagos State Theatre at Oregun, Ikeja; new 820 mass transit buses; and the multi-level Oshodi Transport Interchange along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
Besides, it was not clear if President Muhammadu Buhari will be convinced enough to announce commissioning of two of the schemes slated for inauguration today as checks carried out late Tuesday evening by Business Hilights Intelligence Unit (BHIU) revealed that they are yet to be completed contrary to the claims of the state government.
For example, works are still ongoing and may not even finish in the next two months at the Oshodi Interchange and the second project, the 10-lane Oshodi- Muritala Muhammed International Airport.
It would be recalled that the Ambode administration had in September 2017 began the reconstruction of the road, with a pledge to complete the project within the next fifteen month but failed despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s acceptance to come for the inauguration.
However, analysts say the Governor forced the inauguration into this month to free up the entire May both for the incoming governor and President Buhari to have enough time to plan and organize their new terms of office which Nigerians may not accept any form of blame for previous governments.
