The Federal Government appears set to announce a review of the concessioning arrangement on the troubled Lagos/Ibadan expressway any moment from now, as sources confirmed that the government has perfected fresh measures to save the road.

Sources close to the administration confirmed that the Presidency has ordered a full study of the legal implications of cancelation of the concession granted Bi-Courtney, which has refused to take off more than five years after it was granted by the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration.

Sources confirmed that the ideas being conceived for the ever-busy road was part of the discussions at a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of South-West states which held at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.

It was gathered that the meeting between the president and the governors was the first of a series of consultations the president had lined up to intimate the governors of specific policies of his administration as they get to points of execution.

One of the issues said to have been raised by the president is the decision to cede some roads considered as small arteries to states for their control and management, while the Federal Government would concentrate on the bigger arteries and roads connecting state capitals as well as the six geopolitical zones.

But a major blow might have been packaged for Bi-Courtney as the meeting was said to have resolved to alter the plan made by the concessionaire and make the road a 10-lane expressway. Though the president was said to have resisted the bid by the South-West governors to take over the road, he was said to have confirmed that the administration has also affirmed the fears that the concessionaire was incapable of handling the road.

Two of the governors were said to have spoken vehemently against Bi-Courtney, saying that since it won the concession, the company had refused to make any significant impact on the road in the last five years and that the people were tired of excuses. They were said to have requested that the Federal Government handed over the road to a consortium to be put together by the South-West.

But a source said that the government was wary of approving the management of any road linking geopolitical zones to zonal leaders so as not to threaten national unity in the long run.

“The government is being careful not to start something that could create problems for national unity. If the expressway is granted to the South-West, the South-East and other zones are likely to come with similar requests. While government is willing to hand over smaller arteries for management by states, it won’t toy with idea of giving out major outlets that link geopolitical zones. The experience that led to imbroglio over Lekki concessioning in Lagos could also have contributed to discouraging the government in taking such a decision,” a source stated.

According to sources, a new draft concept for Lagos/Ibadan expressway is already in the works and the new plan will see the road expanded to 10 lanes on each side.

It was gathered that the meeting discussed how the government would handle issues that would arise from claims on right of way and that it was resolved that state governments would play major roles in resolving such issues.

Said a source close to the meeting: “The meeting of President Jonathan with the South-West governors was part of a wider infrastructural revolution plan by the administration. The plan is to connect all state capitals by dual carriageways starting with connection of all geopolitical zones. It is possible that the Federal Government may cede some of the smaller roads to states because they are closer to the people and the Federal Government can concerntrate on the bigger arteries. There is also the plan to connect all major cities by rail and the coastal rail project that will link all coastal cities.

“The Lagos/Ibadan road is seen as the most important road in the country in terms of the volume of traffic and economic importance. There is a plan to go beyond the Bi-Courtney’s plan of six lanes to 10 lanes because stakeholders appeared to have convinced the government that since it came on board as concessionaire, the company has done nothing. It is being suggested that it has no funds to do the job and that investors have not granted the company desired credit.

“Two governors spoke against the company and wanted the president to remove it as concessionaire. But the president said he would look at all legal implications to ensure that nothing is done to make the people suffer more on that road. He said he believed that the urgent thing was to get the road fixed and that funds could still be raised locally to get it done.

“The challenges that would arise could be in the issue of right of way, but governors had assured to undertake the necessary liaison. The South-West governors wanted to take over the road, but the government is wary of the security implications because other zones could raise similar issues about roads in their domain. The commotion on Lekki/Epe expressway over concessioning recently was also fresh in the minds of government.”

http://tribune.com.ng/sun/front-page-articles/7473-lagos-ibadan-expresswayinside-details-of-jonathan-swest-govs-meeting-govs-nail-bi-courtney-fg-rethinks-concession-agreement-10lane-road-likely-as-24-vehicles-burn-2-injured-48-hours-after-similar-disaster-on-same-point

Wonderful plan. Hope they will carry it through

Let them start. We don dey wait tire!!