A Badagry monarch, Oba Abraham Ogabi, has urged Federal and Lagos State Government to call back to site the contractors handling Lagos – Badagry expressway to alleviate the suffering of motorists on the highway.

The Onimeke of Imeke Kingdom told Newsmen on Saturday that motorists were facing untold hardship since the contractors abandoned the highway linking Nigeria with other ECOWAS countries six months ago.

“The contractors should be mobilized back to continue the abandoned work on the road.

“The condition is worse now that the rainy season has started.

“The little they had done on the expressway before COVID-19 pandemic has been eroded by the six-month abandonment,” said the Oba of Imeke, where the famous seaside resort, Whispering Palms, is located.

According to reports, the  Lagos State Government is responsible for the Iganmu – Okokomaiko section of the highway while the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is handling Okokomaiko – Agbara axis of the road.

Also, the federal government in 2018 awarded the reconstruction of 46km Agbara – Seme section of Badagry expressway to CGC Nigeria Limited.

Many transporters and other motorists have also continued to decry the deplorable state of the Lagos – Badagry expressway, describing the highway as a death trap.

Although some road users, who spoke with Newsmen, commended FERMA for repairing Okokomaiko – Agbara section, they decried the slow work pace on Agbara-Seme and Alakija – Okokomaiko axis of Badagry expressway.

Mr. Isiaka Lawal, an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NUTRW), said passengers were avoiding Badagry expressway because of the deplorable state of the road.

“Since contractors abandoned the road, it has become worse as passengers have opted to use flying boats between Badagry and Marina, Lagos.

“Since morning, we have just loaded two passenger buses instead of 10 buses on a normal day.

“The road is terribly bad and also there are many security checkpoints on the way; so one spends between four to six hours on a trip of fewer than 60 kilometers.

“Besides, this bad road is damaging our vehicles,” the NURTW official said.

He appealed to the Federal and Lagos State Government to mobilize the contractors back to the site to complete their jobs.

Mr. Miyise Fasinu, a regular user of the road, said motorists had been facing untold hardship since construction workers left the site early this year.

“The road is so bad that we are held up in gridlocks for close to four hours, thus making one to miss important appointments.

“Government should come to our aid by recalling the workers back to the site, enough is enough,” he said.

Meanwhile, CGC Nigeria Limited, the company awarded the 46km Agbara – Seme section of Badagry expressway, said the workers were taken off the site due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yunus Oloolu, Spokesman for CGC Nigerian Limited, told reporters that workers would return to the site when it was safe to start work on the road.

He appealed for understanding from the people plying the road, adding that the situation was not their own making.