Motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were thrown into a six-hour traffic nightmare on Tuesday as ongoing repairs on the Kara Bridge triggered severe congestion along the busy corridor.

The gridlock, which was compounded by rainfall on Wednesday, disrupted traffic movement and temporarily affected some aspects of the repair work, with the congestion stretching more than 20 kilometres into Lagos.

The worsening situation has forced some motorists to consider alternative routes, while others have contemplated staying overnight in Lagos rather than risk spending several hours trapped in traffic on their way home.

A Federal Road Safety Corps official, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said the rainfall affected the next phase of the repair.

The official, however, said work that could safely continue during the downpour was ongoing.

He said, “Rainfall disrupted the ongoing repair work and forced the temporary suspension of the next phase of construction.

“It also affected the planned concrete and stonework, while workers continued with activities that could be carried out safely during the period. The expansion joint is also being drilled in preparation for its installation.”

For commuters who use the expressway daily, the situation has become increasingly frustrating, with some now considering longer alternative routes to escape the congestion.

One of them, Timilehin Adio, told PUNCH Metro that he was considering travelling through Ikorodu and Sagamu or using the Lekki-Epe route.

He said, “With the repairs practically putting the stretch of the expressway on lockdown, I now consider going through Sagamu and Ikorodu to Lagos. I can also take the Lekki-Epe route. The traffic is becoming unbearable.”

Another motorist, who identified himself simply as Saheed, said Tuesday’s gridlock left him stranded for several hours before he eventually got home around 2am.

Saheed, who lives in the Mowe area of Ogun State and works on the Island, said he was also considering an alternative route.

He said, “The gridlock was worse yesterday. I got home around 2 am. The traffic was at a standstill for a while. This was because of the high volume of vehicles coming in from Lagos. I may have to consider going through the Lekki-Epe route or Ikorodu axis when returning home.”

It was also gathered that some motorists whose offices are located on the Island had considered staying back at their workplaces or seeking temporary shelter in Lagos pending the completion of the repair.

The traffic situation was further worsened by the reduction in the number of available lanes around the bridge.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the first phase of concrete work on the bridge had been completed.

However, only two lanes were available to motorists approaching the bridge towards the OPIC Turning, while the four lanes inbound to Ogun State were reduced to two lanes a few metres before the bridge.

The reduction in available lanes slowed the movement of vehicles and contributed to the worsening congestion along the corridor.

Meanwhile, traffic officials and security personnel remained deployed at strategic points along the corridor to regulate vehicle movement and prevent the congestion from spreading further.

The rainfall, however, was also said to have affected the operations of some personnel managing the traffic.

PUNCH Metro reported on Tuesday that motorists were stranded for several hours as the repair works triggered a massive gridlock stretching from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction in Lagos.

The Federal Government had earlier announced that the replacement of the expansion joints on the Kara-Berger Bridge section would last two weeks, from September 8 to September 22, 2026.

The intervention, being carried out in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works and other relevant stakeholders, is aimed at addressing the deteriorating expansion joints, improving road safety, preserving the structural integrity of the bridge and ensuring smoother movement along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor.

When contacted on Wednesday, the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Michael Komolafe, clarified that the repair works progressed despite the downpour.

He said, “The concrete and stone works were completed before the rain started. I personally partook in covering it so that the rain would not affect the surface. That first phase we worked on was already concluded today; it is according to the plan for today. So we were already breaking the second one when it started raining.”

Komolafe added that plans were underway to ensure that the repair works finished before the scheduled completion.

Source: punchng.com

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, has approved the redeployment of senior officers to key command, operational and staff appointments across the Nigerian Army.

This, according to the service, was part of efforts to strengthen operational effectiveness and align the Service’s leadership structure with the country’s evolving security challenges.

A statement on Wednesday by the Army spokesperson, Appolonia Anele, said that under the new postings, Maj Gen I. A. Ajose moves from the Army Headquarters, Department of Army Operations, to the Theatre Command, Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, as Theatre Commander.

He replaces Maj Gen A.E. Abubakar, who has been redeployed from the theatre command to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre as Dean, Faculty of Operational Research.

Also redeployed to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre is Maj Gen A.M. Alechenu, from the Defence Headquarters Garrison, while Maj Gen R.T. Utsaha moves from the Army Headquarters, Department of Army Standards and Evaluation, to the Defence Headquarters Garrison as Commander.

Anele said the postings were designed to prioritise critical operational theatres and strategic appointments by deploying officers with the requisite leadership experience and expertise.

In other appointments, Maj Gen A.M. Umar moves from the Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs to the Army War College Nigeria as Commandant, while Maj Gen U.M. Alkali moves from the college to the Department of Civil-Military Affairs.

Maj Gen G.S. Muhammed moves from the Office of the National Security Adviser to the Nigerian Army Finance Corporation as Director-General, while Maj Gen J.E. Osifo moves from the corporation to the Military Pension Board as chairman.

Maj Gen I.E. Ekpenyong has also been redeployed to the Defence Headquarters Department of Defence Logistics as Director, Engineering Services.

At the operational level, Brig Gen A.A. Bello moves from 6 Division Garrison/Sector 3 Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, to the Defence Headquarters Department of Defence Operations.

Brig Gen M.S. Adamu moves from the Nigerian Army Women Command to the newly established 8 Brigade as Commander, while Brig Gen M.S. Sule moves from the Special Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, to 27 Task Force Brigade as Commander.

Similarly, Brig Gen I. Sule moves from the Directorate of Recruitment Management to 6 Division Garrison as Commander, while Brig Gen E. Azenda moves from the Land Forces Simulation Centre to 2 Division Garrison as Commander.

Brig Gen A.S. Bugaje, who previously commanded 2 Division Garrison, moves to the Land Forces Simulation Centre as Director, Administration.

Anele said the COAS charged the newly appointed officers to justify the confidence reposed in them through exemplary leadership, operational innovation and professionalism.

“The COAS has charged the newly appointed officers to justify the confidence reposed in them through exemplary leadership, operational innovation, professionalism and unwavering commitment to duty and relentless focus on the constitutional mandate of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty, protecting its territorial integrity and supporting civil authority in maintaining peace and security,” the statement said.

Source: punchng.com

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared a state of emergency on waste collection in the state, ordering immediate measures to address the challenges affecting the sector.

Sanwo-Olu, accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, made the declaration during an inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota on Wednesday.

The governor also held a meeting with stakeholders in the waste management sector at the dumpsite, where he assessed the challenges affecting municipal waste collection and outlined immediate, medium and long-term solutions.

Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the slow pace of waste collection in different parts of the state, attributing the situation partly to the inability of Private Sector Participation operators to meet their obligations in recent weeks.

He said waste compaction activities were ongoing simultaneously at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, adding that the completion of the exercise would facilitate faster waste collection.

The governor said recent fire incidents at the dumpsites had slowed down operations, but added that work had resumed, with contractors working to clear the sites for daily waste disposal.

He explained that the completion of the ongoing projects would enable each of the dumpsites to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the capacity of the PSP operators.

Sanwo-Olu said, “In the past couple of weeks, we have seen pressure and slow turnaround in waste collection in different parts of the city. We have seen residents throwing waste indiscriminately at undesignated areas in the city.

“We are here to see what the problem is and for us to be able to declare a state of emergency so that we can take the state out of this unpleasant situation.

“At Olusosun dumpsite, we are planning with our development partners to build a 2,400-metric-tonne transfer loading station that will receive compacted waste which will, in turn, be transported to Material Recovery Facilities being built at the moment.

“We are currently building two transfer loading stations of the same size that will receive over 500 trucks of waste daily. The second transfer loading station is at Solous 3 in Alimosho. We need to open up the road, and that should be ready in two to three weeks.”

The governor said one of the immediate measures being implemented was the stabilisation of access roads to the five dumpsites to facilitate easier access and faster waste collection.

He directed the rehabilitation of access roads to the dumpsites at Ewu Elepe and Oke Oso, adding that the state government had procured 160 modern compactors to boost waste collection.

Sanwo-Olu said development partners working with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority would also provide additional compactors, while the government would procure landfill compactors specifically designed for use at dumpsites.

He said, “The other solution we are throwing into the mix is raising the capacity of the PSP operators. We currently have a number of compactors that are not fit and proper for the size of the city.

“We have ordered 160 modern compactors, and they will start coming in soon. This will immediately increase the capacity of waste collection from the tenements and roads to bring them to the dumpsites.

“The PSP operators’ leadership has also appreciated the solutions we are proposing, and they are working with us to ensure these solutions work.

“The PSP operators have pledged to reassess their own operations and purge themselves of unserious players in the business. They are willing to take only operators who have the capacity, knowledge and willingness to make additional investments in the business.

“We don’t want to have a situation where we will have 800 PSP operators for a job that can only be done by 400 operators.”

The governor added that the PSP operators had assured the government that they would also procure additional trucks for their members as the government increased its fleet of compactors.

He said the state government would work with the operators to de-risk the financing of the investments and prevent them from going bankrupt.

Sanwo-Olu identified the construction of transfer loading stations and Material Recovery Facilities as part of the medium- to long-term measures to address waste management challenges in the state.

He said Lagos residents would begin to see physical infrastructure being developed at the transfer loading stations and Material Recovery Facilities before the end of the year, although the facilities were not expected to be completed until the first quarter of next year.

“We are building two Material Recovery Facilities. One of them is in Oke Oso, Epe; the other is at Erekiti in Badagry.

“The plan is, if the transfer loading stations are open, waste disposal will be rapid, and from there, we can transfer the compacted waste to recovery stations for further sorting and recycling.

“This is a medium- to long-term plan which, we believe, will come up by the second quarter of next year,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also read the riot act to residents who dump waste indiscriminately in unauthorised areas, directing the immediate prosecution of offenders caught in the act.

The governor also criticised the inefficient supervision of waste management operations by officials, disclosing that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority would undergo organisational reforms to improve its efficiency.

Source: punchng.com

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