A destroyed refinery By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited( NNPCL) says it has destroyed 134 illegal refineries in the last few weeks. Also, the company said 63 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered during the the weeks . The corporation, In a visual report, stated that at about 2 am on Sunday, a joint team of security agents discovered a large wooden boat illicitly loading stolen crude oil from Barge AGS01 within the OML 18 operating area, noted intelligence report a large wooden wooden boat was caught receiving crude oil from the barge. According to the state-owned oil firm, while the barge was towed away with a tugboat in custody, five speedboats used in towing the large wooden boat to the illegal loading site were also detained and the particulars of the tugboats and barge used for the operation were reportedly seized for further investigation. It further said that two large boats, which involve
By Akinola Ajibade
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Mr Tokunbo Abiru says no country can achieve meaningful developments without industrial growth.
He lauded Nigeria for working to achieve growth in this sphere, adding that with time, the country be better economical.
He spoke during the inspection of the newly constructed Ikorodu/Sagamu road in Lagos last weekend, stressing that the remaining portion of the road would be completed soon.
Abiru, who represent Lagos East Senatorial District at the Red Chamber, was accompanied on the inspection tour by officials from the Federal Ministry of Works.
They include Director, Highway Southwest, Engr. Adedamola Kuti and representatives of the firm handling the road, Arab Contractors, led by its Area Manager, Huzem Monuir.
The road, was beautiful as well as motorable. In fact, motorists are having hitchfree journey on Ikorodu/Sagamu road, which hitherto was a nightmare for for commuters, motorists and residents. Now flood and hassles are foregone issues.
Before now, the 30 Kilometre Ikorodu/ Sagamu was in a deplorable condition for almost forty years due to neglect. It was not until 2018 when the Federal Government decided to award the road for reconstruction.
Even at that, problems such as paucity of funds among other issues have delayed the construction, causing pains for commuters, motorists, companies and those living along the corridor.
Recall that Senator Abiru promised to reconstruct Ikorodu/ Sagamu road , while he was campaigning for the Lagos East Senatorial bye-election in 2020.
He had on the floor of the Senate in April 2021 moved the motion titled, “The Urgent Need For The Rehabilitation Of The Ikorodu-Shagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin- Epe Roads and the desire to bridge infrastructure gap and further enhance economic growth in Nigeria''.
The motion, was unanimously supported and approved by the Senate.
The success of the motion, within the shortest period of time, no doubt, was not without the inputs of the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who provided roadmap how the road construction would be carry out.
Abiru said: “The minister explained that the major challenge of the road was paucity of funds based on the yearly budget constraints. He however assured based on the steps I had taken so far to include the funding of the road (Ikorodu Sagamu) under the Sukuk Financing Scheme, which is an assured funding scheme for road infrastructure”.
“So, as you have seen as we journeyed on this road, the major improvements you saw from Sabo to LASPOTECH First Gate, Odogunyan, Ita-Oluwo, Ogijo, Gbaga, Sotubo, Mosimi, Thames Valley International School to Gbara Village are the fruitful results of those efforts we made”.
“According to the contractors, the work progressed from 25% to 75% in less than a year due to the Sukuk Funding I facilitated through the Honourable minister. I want to express my profound gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister for Fashola for allocating the highest sum of the Sukuk 4 Bond they raised in December 2021 to Ikorodu/Sagamu Road.
“From Eyita, around Sabo Ikorodu to Gbara Village, about 22 Km had been completed, remaining about 8 km to reach Sagamu.
“I remember in 2021 when we journeyed on this road, it took us 2 hours but today in less than 30 minutes, we have travelled to and fro and that is efficiency and that is what brings prosperity and the is the kind of focus we should have in meeting the infrastructural deficit we have in this country”.
Engr. Adedamola Kuti, Director, Highway Southwest, Federal Ministry of Works, while explaining the road design and materials used. He said the road was partly concrete and Asphalt built to withstand heavy duty trucks that ply the road.
He said, “A portion of this road is built on flexible pavements, that is the normal aggregate and Asphalt and we have another section that is built on rigid pavement, that is concrete construction. We have the combination of the two. Just like the Distinguished Senator mentioned, we have a lot of metal fabrication companies along this road, so this road has been built to take care of all those things.
“Even what we have done in some sections, we have done only to binder course, and you will see that you won't see any failure on it before we now put our wear in on it. The road is built to last.
Huzem Monuir, Area Manager, Arab Contractors Company, thanked the distinguished Senator for his contribution to the fast pace of work on the road through Sukuk bond. “We have achieved 50% progress in less than a year”, Monuir said.
On Ikorodu/Itoikin Road, Senator Abiru said the same motion had also brought the attention of the Federal Government to the deplorable state of the road.
“Based on the follow up representations to the Minister, a resolution to rehabilitate the road has commenced, but it has to follow necessary procedures of procurement and award of contracts as laid down by law.
“Again, I have been following up on the situation, and I can assure you that progress is being gradually achieved based on extant law on contract awards”, he assured.
The Senator proceeded to the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), formerly known as LASPOTECH to inspect the 40-bed Hospital and Dental Centre and 200 Solar-powered street lights he facilitated to the university community and neighbouring communities.
Abiru visited the site in the company of the acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Nurudeen Oluremi Olaleye and his management team. The Acting VC commended the Senator for the projects he facilitated to the institution and also Ikorodu Sagamu Road reconstruction.
Senator Abiru said, ‘These projects among other laudable interventions I have prioritised under my three-pillar agenda, which are: Legislative Role, Empowerment/Facilitations and Endowment are geared towards providing greater good to a larger number of our people.
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