Sanwo-Olu receives homecoming treatment, as governor inspects infrastructure projects on Lagos Island

…Residents hail governor on the progress of 10-storey New Massey Hospital, Adeniji Adele Road projects

Etim Ekpimah

An exercise for an extensive inspection of the ongoing infrastructural upgrade in Lagos Island, on Wednesday, turned to a homecoming event for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as a tumultuous crowd of residents trooped out to welcome the Governor back to his home base.

Sanwo-Olu, who hails from Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area, was in the community to inspect the progress of the ongoing construction of Tapa-Okepopo streets, Adeniji Adele Road and the construction of the new 10-storey Massey Children Hospital.

The exercise literally turned into a rally when the residents, in showing their appreciation for the projects, joined the Governor on a walk from Adeniji Adele Road into adjoining streets.

According to Mr Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the governor was in company of members of the state cabinet and top Government functionaries.

Inspecting the road projects, Sanwo-Olu expressed satisfaction with the pace of work but urged the contractor to take the advantage of the good weather to scale up construction activities and deliver the projects at the end of the year.

Adeniji Adele Road, before its expansion and dualisation, used to be a single lane. The condition of the road deteriorated due to perennial flooding. The upgrade project, which is at 65 per cent completion, now has interlocked bricks with lidded and channelised drainage to address water overflow.

At the new Massey Children Hospital, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, conducted the Governor round the site, where the 547 piling caps required to fully raise the hospital structure had been completed.

Sanwo-Olu also observed the civil work on the multi-level car park for the hospital.

He said: “Today, we are here for the on-the-spot assessment of the ongoing reconstruction of Tapa-Okepopo streets and Adeniji Adele Road on Lagos Island. Messrs Julius Berger, the contractor, had informed us that the entire project is at 65 per cent; it shows that we are on track and we can complete the project before the end of the year. Interlocking bricks have been laid; the drainages have been largely completed and the whole area looks new.

“We also inspected the construction of the new Massey Children Hospital, where we noticed the two buildings that are supposed to be coming up on the site.

“The nine-storey car park, which is currently on the third floor and the 10-storey children’s hospital. All the 547 piling caps required to fully raise the structure on the hospital site have been completed. The contractor has been working double hard on the terms of the project.”

Sanwo-Olu led the team to Ilubirin where a flood protection channel is being built by the Office of Drainages in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to address water backflow to low plain areas in the city.

The governor said a temporary wall had been erected across the water pumping channel to prevent the backflow of water from the Lagos lagoon to Lagos Island environs.

Without the barricade, Sanwo-Olu said water would naturally be flowing back from the lagoon whenever there are high tides.

He said: “Significant part of Lagos is below sea level. When the water rises from the lagoon, it can flow back to the city. The main observation today is that we are constructing a new 1-kilometre diversion channel from Ilubirin Estate that will take water unto the Lagos lagoon. We are also expecting three high-capacity pumps that are arriving next month. When this is done, issues around flooding on Lagos Island could have been significantly solved.”

The flood prevention effort, the governor said, would be shifted to Ojo-Giwa collector and Thomas collector on Lagos Island for a permanent solution.

Sanwo-Olu’s final stop was at the Lagos Island General Hospital in Aidan, Marina, where the State Government has carried out extensive rehabilitation of outdated facilities in phases.

In the first phase of the work, the Sanwo-Olu fully redesigned and upgraded the hospital’s Accident and Emergency section, Surgical Emergency wards, and training rooms.

The second phase of the project had the Pharmacy department and catering section rehabilitated. Eye Clinic, Administrative Building, Ambulance Bay, Relative Waiting Area and Children’s Surgical Wards were fully renovated in the third phase of the work.

The final phase, Sanwo-Olu said, will ensure a full upgrade of the Pathology Department and the construction of new wards to accommodate more patients on referral.

“In the new hospitals we are building, we have included the construction of Doctors’ Quarters just as we have in Lagos Island General Hospital. We are currently building a quarter for doctors in Gbagada General Hospital and another one at General Hospital, Isolo.

This is to improve the condition of service for our doctors and other health professionals supporting them,” the governor said.