Tinubu committed to building roads that will last 100 years – Umahi

Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, on Wednesday said that President Bola Tinubu is committed to building roads that will last 100 years.

Umahi, who disclosed this, while speaking with journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of of Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Benin expressway as well as section two of Lagos-Ibadan expressway which runs from Sagamu Interchange to Ojoo in Ibadan, Oyo State, said the adoption of the concrete pavement technology in road construction is to ensure durability and superiority compared to asphalt.

The Minister said, “Show me any asphalt road in this country that has lasted 50 years. Even the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is already failing in some portions. But the concrete road built in my state in the 1950s is still standing.

“We are not just constructing roads; we are building roads that will last over 100 years,” the Minister stressed.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the road reconstruction project, describing it as a model of the new standard for federal road infrastructure in Nigeria.

Umahi, who condemned the dumping of refuse on the nation’s highways, said such acts portray lack of patriotism.

Expressing sadness over the heap of refuse around Ojoo end of the highway, Umahi wondered why the federal government will be committing so much resources to upgrading its infrastructure, yet Nigerians who are supposed to take ownership and ensure that such projects are put into good use will be engaging in acts capable of destroying such project.

The Minister said, “We can’t be doing this to ourselves, it is not possible for us to be at every section of the road. We should know that the road is for the good use of all of us.

“Why will the government be doing all that is within its power to fix the road and some people want to turn it to a refuse dump? This puts question mark on the attitude of each of us that we must do away with.

“Let content creator also condemn this dirty acts of our citizens. It is not the best way to act because these are condemnable acts that are capable of damaging the road.

“So, we all must condemn this barbaric behaviour and put a stop to it. It is the duty of all of us to take back our country and do what is right. The government can provide all the infrastructure, but it is the duty of the citizens to put such infrastructure into good use.”

He said that he decided to inspect the road to see how far the contractor handling the road had gone with asphalting of some turnings along the highway, repair a damaged section of the road and ensure that the barriers were also put in place.

Umahi explained that it is the wish of the federal government to concession the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, install CCTV on the road and give it to a private operator to operate and maintain, but an ongoing litigation over the construction of the road against the federal government has been a stumbling block.

He stated that “the federal government has always been willing to ensure that the CCTV is installed on the road. It is our plan to concession the Lagos-Ibadan expressway but someone took us to court.