5th November, 2010
Respite has finally come the way of the long traumatized policemen serving at the Ilasan Police Division, LASTMA officials whose office is also located beside the police division and residents of Silverbird Road, as the benevolent construction giant, Lekki Concession Company, LCC, currently reconstructing the Lekki-Epe Expressway, has come to their rescue.
LCC has commenced the rehabilitation of the Silverbird Road to ease the movement of residents, police and LASTMA officials.
The road had almost become impassable since the beginning of the rainy season as residents remove their shoes and roll up their trousers before wading through the murky waters into their respective homes or work place.
P.M.NEWS checks revealed that the idea of bringing respite to the community was muted by the company as a way of giving back to the community in which they operate.
LCC’s move is something other corporate bodies in the Lekki Ajah axis should emulate, a resident who spoke with P.M.NEWS said. He commended the LCC for coming to their aid when they thought all hope was lost.
Another resident, Mr. John Edohpolo, said “we have been crying out over the deplorable state of the Silverbird road for long; nobody listened to us, there are wealthy people around Ilasan axis, we thank the LCC for their kind gesture.”
On the proposed toll gates on the expressway, he said, “we will cooperate with them if they put the interest of the poor masses into consideration. It’s either they exempt commuters buses that ferry the poor in and out of Ajah, or reduce the toll plazas to two or one, so that commuter bus drivers would not use it as an excuse to hike fares.
“The LCC has the right to collect tolls to recover the money they are spending on the road, but it should be a reasonable amount, since government doesn’t have the money to construct the road,” he added.
When P.M.NEWS sought his comment on the rehabilitation of Silverbird Road, Mr. Charles Imevbore, Head, Corporate Affairs and Communications of LCC said the company was specially created to finance, rehabilitate and expand the Lekki-Epe Expressway in agreement with the Lagos State Government to build, operate and transfer after 30 years. “The toll collection is to recover our finances and more importantly, to sustain the maintenance,” he said.
“We are not going to start tolling until the Lagos State government completes alternative routes for those who do not want to pay the toll. The toll collection will not be by force, but optional to the residents and motorists.
“The resistance by residents for now is because it is a new strategy in road construction, to open up the Lekki-Epe axis to development. With time, the residents would realise LCC and the Lagos State government mean well,” he stated.
On the rehabilitation of Silverbird Road, Imevbore said, “we decided to rehabilitate the road when we discovered that policemen, LASTMA officials and residents could no longer access their homes and offices, and since LCC and the security operatives are partners in progress, we said we must rehabilitate the road as part of our corporate social responsibility to make life easier for them.”
“Apart from the road, we have also embarked on other projects on the Ajah axis in the last few years, such as the installation of about 2,000 KVA transformer to boost electricity in Ajah. We also installed four relief substations in Ajah, Sangotedo and Badore to boost electricity supply and we are trying to roll out another 1,500 KV sub-station.
“We rehabilitated the Bar Beach/Maroko Police Division and provided patrol van for them to combat crimes.
“Our mission on the Lekki-Epe Expressway is not only about tolling, but to make life better for the residents in collaboration with the Lagos State government,” he stated.
—Paul Iyoghojie
