Dave Umahi, minister of works, says the federal government may shut the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway if safety conditions around the project do not improve.
Umahi spoke on Channels TV following the death of a
construction worker on the site of section one of the coastal highway.
He said the ministry had earlier considered closing the road
in December but was directed by President Bola Tinubu to keep it open to ease
traffic flow.
“We were tempted to close the coastal highway in December,
but the president directed that we should not,” Umahi said.
According to the minister, the incident occurred when a
vehicle travelling at high speed veered off the road and knocked down two
concrete solar poles, killing the worker instantly.
Umahi said the ministry is now engaging the contractor on
whether work can safely continue on the project, noting that the safety of
workers must be prioritised.
“Only today, the worst situation happened. The contractor
was killed while working. He was totally off the carriageway. A very high-speed
vehicle came, brought down two concrete solar poles, veered off again and
killed the worker instantly,” he said.
“I’m here to have a meeting with the contractor because if
the lives of their workers are not safe, then we refuse to work.”
The minister said the continuation of traffic on the road
would depend on assurances from the Lagos state government and security
agencies to enforce traffic control and protect workers.
He said officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management
Authority (LASTMA), the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) would
need to be deployed to curb speeding, driving against traffic and other
violations around the construction area.
Umahi warned that the ministry would not hesitate to shut
the road if the situation persists.
“If we’re able to calm the situation and appeal to the
contractors, with assurances that Lagos state government, LASTMA, the police
and road safety will be deployed to check these excesses and safeguard the
workers, then we will allow traffic to flow,” he said.
“But if after one week the situation remains the same —
people driving against traffic and excessive speeding — then we have no choice
than to close the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway section 1 until we finish,
probably in April.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com