By Emeka Alex Duru
(08054103327)
To state that Nigeria is undergoing leadership failure, is presenting the situation mildly. It is perhaps, rather apt to put it that we are gradually approaching the stage of collapse in infrastructure and other indices of development in the country. The Lagos-Badagry Expressway, is among the sore thumbs in this regard. This highway, has in fact, lost all the attributes of what an expressway should be. It is now, a pathway to frustration. Or death.
For the residents of the entire stretch of the road commencing from FESTAC Town, Satellite Town through Ojo Local Council to Lagos State University, hence Okokomaiko inwards Badagry, the stress begins on approach to Alakija Bus Stop (FESTAC Third Gate). This is after wading through the drudgery of the Mile 2 traffic occasioned by Heavy Duty Trucks. From this point (Alakija), accessing Satellite Town, which ordinarily should not last beyond 15 minutes, can, at times, take more than three hours. For those heading towards Ojo and Badagry, it takes upwards of five hours or more. The stress comes with costs in hours and fuel burnt on traffic and regular incidences of robbery attacks on motorists and other road users.
It was not as if the road had been particularly good before now. As a matter of fact, in the last two decades, plying the route, had been associated with anguish and pain for road users, including visitors from neighbouring countries.
It thus came as good news to users of the route when Lagos State Government, under Babatunde Fashola, in 2009, embarked on extensive reconstruction of the road from four lanes to 10 lanes, including Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane and new mass transit light rail line in the median.
The expansion project, was initially scheduled to be completed within three years, that is, 2012. But the project has, however, stretched far beyond that date, creating more sufferings and causing unbearable gridlocks for road users. The worst moment for residents of the stretch of the road was during the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode era in the state. The former governor had, incidentally, raised hopes on sustaining the work on the road early in his administration. While on inspection, he had flaunted the road as a priority project by his government. “I am committed to this project; I am committed to the expansion of the economy of the east area of Lagos. By this project, we would also expand the real estate value and the tourism potentials of the Badagry area. I am confident that we should have a complete project before the end of 2019,” he said.
But that was all that was heard of Ambode till he left office. In fact, for the four years he stayed in office, the project was completely abandoned. That, to some extent, accounts for the current deplorable condition of the road. A couple of days ago, the state government put up a ceremony at the Construction Site of the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), contractors handling the project, which it advertised as a flag-off for the continuation of the contract. That, ordinarily, should have elicited excitement from the road users on the stretch. But on account of similar exercises in the past that did not translate to any meaningful action on the road, they are not overtly enthused. They are rather cautious in celebrating the, otherwise, bold intervention by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration. You really don’t need to blame them.
The Badagry Expressway means a lot to Nigeria as a country and its claim of leadership in West African sub-region and the African Continent at large. It is the Nigerian section of the Trans–West African Coastal Highway that connects Lagos, Nigeria with Dakar, Senegal. The highway represents Nigeria’s commitment to the May 1979, protocol by the the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member States on free movement of persons, residence and establishment. This, by extension, speaks on the sincerity of the country in keeping with its foreign policy objectives, that in some parts, speak of promotion of African integration and international cooperation for the consolidation of universal peace.
But successive administrations in the land, do not seem to reckon with this. This is why the Lagos – Badagry Expressway, like others across the country, has remained in its decrepit situation. Between the Trade Fair Complex and LASU Gate Bus Stop, are, on a bad day, more than five fallen container – laden Trailers with their contents emptied on the road on account of deadly craters on the expressway. Some have on occasions, crashed on Buses and Cars, often resulting to injuries and fatalities on other road users. The wounded or the dead, are, often Nigerians. The owners of the fallen heavy duty trucks or the goods strewn or spilt on the roads, are also, Nigerians. These are tax payers, who cannot get protection from the government of their land. They are, in turn, expected to be patriotic to the country. It does not work like that. It has indeed, never worked so, anywhere. Governance is a social contract. The leader has his side of the obligation, just as the led has his. In Nigeria, the situation is however different. The government is rather increasingly indicating that it is existing for the mere fun of it and not impacting on the citizenry. Lagos-Badagry Expressway is a bad publicity for Lagos State and the Federal Government. In it, governance has gone on recess, if not completely dead at both tiers of the government. In it, Nigeria gets ranked among the failed states in Africa.