Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday said he would revoke the contract for the construction of Obafemi Awolowo road project in Ikorodu Local Government, following extreme delays in the construction of the road.
Governor Fashola disclosed this during a tour to supervise ongoing projects in the state as residents of Ikorodu came out in their numbers to complain about the careless manner the contractor was handling the project.
The aggrieved residents disclosed that the project has been ongoing for a prolonged period of 35 months now.
Ikorodu residents held placards with the words “Road abandoned for 35months, ‘Governor Please Save Us, ‘Our children are afflicted with Asthma”
They regretted the fact that the road was still in this shape after 35 months of construction work, they added that the dust on the road had affected their health negatively.
One of the residents said, “Sir, we want to ask if the residents in this area have offended you that the project will be given to a contractor that is incompetent.”
In response, Fashola told the residents that the government saw the need to construct the road just for the good of the community and it was not going to abandon it in the hands of the contractor.
He said, “There is no need for anyone to be angry, the fact that we awarded the contract is because we want to make things better. This project will henceforth be re-awarded to a more competent contractor that will do a better job.
“These are some of the challenges that come with giving local contractor opportunities, but we are not happy with the service and we will change the contractor.
Fashola however called on communities to support the government in the transformation process because the biggest challenge affecting contractors’ performance was constant pestering by youth, adding that the government needs communities’ support to deliver effectively and promptly.
