The Federal Government has directed truck drivers blocking roads in Apapa to vacate within seven days to enable the reconstruction work on Wharf Road to start.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Godwin Eke, gave the directives during a meeting with stakeholders at the Ministry’s office complex in Lagos.
He also ordered telecommunication service providers and other operators to relocate their service cables on the Right of Way (RoW) of the project for work to begin on the road.
Stakeholders present at the meeting included representatives of telecommunication service providers, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), transport unions, port operators, shippers unions and AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, the construction company handling the project.
“We need to do something urgently to ensure smooth running of the project,” he said.
“When the project starts, we will not be able to wait for companies to relocate utility services; so I am appealing to all stakeholders to act fast in the interest of us all.
“Leave the roads so that this contractor, AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, can begin excavation on site.”
The Managing Director of AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, Ashif Juma, disclosed at the briefing that strategies had been put in place to speed up construction work to the delight of the stakeholders.
Juma explained that the drainage channels were going to be constructed with precast elements which were ready to be moved to site.
“We are ready to begin the drainage works by next week because we are using precast elements and they are ready,” he said.
“The road is two kilometres for each lane both in bound and out bound lane.
“We are to rehabilitate and reconstruct the road using concrete to construct rigid pavement that will last between 30 and 50 years.
“This kick off meeting is to begin this process. There are several utility cables which nobody is aware of except the owners come forward to relocate them.
“We will provide ducts and channels to protect the utilities but we need the help of stakeholders.”
It would be recalled that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Saturday handed over the site to AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd. for reconstruction after the Minister signed a N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with stakeholders who were to fund the project.
The project is to be funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, an arm of the Dangote Group, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.