The Federal Government has said that flooding recorded on a section of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway after Tuesday’s rainfall was caused by vandalism and indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
The government said the flooding was not due to construction
failure.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr. Olufemi
Dare, stated this while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said videos circulating on social media suggesting that
the flooding was due to construction defects were misleading.
He noted that the highway was designed with an underground
drainage system, including 1.2-metre-diameter pipes capable of channelling
stormwater from one end of the road to the other.
According to him, the drainage system has reinforced
concrete manhole covers strong enough to withstand vehicular and human traffic.
“What we have here is not a construction error. It is
man-made. Vandals remove the concrete manhole covers, break them, and take away
the iron reinforcements to sell.
“After removing the covers, some people dump refuse inside
the manholes, thereby blocking the drainage system.
“When rain falls, the water cannot pass through, and it
results in flooding,” he said.
Dare said the vandalism was widespread, noting that manhole
covers had been removed from Eko Atlantic through the entire stretch of the
road.
He added that about 50 steel sections of the see-through
fence along the corridor were stolen overnight, while seven steel traffic signs
were also recently removed.
He described the development as unfortunate, adding that the
coastal highway is a major federal government investment and must be protected.
The controller said officials of Hitech Construction
Company, the contractor, worked until about 10 p.m. on Tuesday to clear refuse
from the blocked drainage to restore the free flow of water.
On security, Dare said the Commissioner of Police in Lagos
State had deployed a large number of personnel to the corridor.
He said efforts were ongoing to clear shanties and illegal
structures around the Rainoil and Marwa Junction axis, which had been
identified as areas where hoodlums operate.
According to him, security agencies, including a task force
and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, will intensify operations in the
area to address criminal activities.
He also reiterated that commercial motorcycling remains
banned on the highway, warning that vehicles driving against traffic risk
arrest.
“If we do not take drastic steps, we will not move forward.
The coastal highway is a superhighway, and such violations will not be
tolerated,” he said.
Dare noted that the road is still under construction and was
temporarily opened in December by the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, to
ease traffic during the Yuletide season.
He added that the drainage system was designed to channel
water into designated canals approved by the Lagos State Government.
Meanwhile, the controller announced that the annual Access
Bank Marathon would hold on the coastal highway on Saturday.
He said the road would be completely closed to traffic from
midnight on Friday until 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“There will be total closure. All access points will be
blocked. Motorists are advised to plan ahead,” he said.
Dare added that the Minister of Works would visit the
project site on Friday to assess the situation and give further directives.
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