Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Sunday at the state House Marina, has declared a state of emergency on numerous dilapidated roads in the state. Sanwo-Olu also ordered massive construction work on vital roads and highways across the city starting from Monday.

The governor's chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, announced this in a statement in Marina's Lagos House on Sunday.

According to Akosile, the governor who had been in a series of meetings with eight engineering firms said he was aware of the pains that Lagosians had in the past couple of days, exacerbated by heavy rainfall.

The governor appealed to Lagosians to bear with the government while efforts were being made to bring permanent relief to them.

He said a total of eight construction companies have been given the mandate to immediately mobilise their equipment on the sites and commence major construction works on the identified roads.

The companies deployed by the government included Julius Berger, Hitech, Arab Contractors, Metropolitan Construction, Slavabogu Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Rajaf Foundation Construction, and RCF Nigeria Limited.

He said: “This afternoon, we have just concluded meeting with various reputable construction companies and all of them have been given the brief to immediately commence major construction work in various parts of the State. The exercise will begin tomorrow with palliative work on the selected roads, which are both on the Island and mainland divisions of the State.

“The contractors have been given the mandate to start mobilising their equipment to their respective sites without further delay. Their activities must first give our people an immediate relief on the affected roads so that there can be free flow of traffic even during the rehabilitation work.”

The governor said to complement the major construction work on the highway, Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) would be carrying out repairs of 116 inner roads across the State. This, he said, would be in addition to over 200 roads already rehabilitated by the corporation in the last three months.

Sanwo-Olu said he was not unaware of the pain experienced by road users in the past few days, which was compound by persistent downpour.

The governor, however, appealed to residents to bear with the Government while efforts were being made to assuage their pains and bring permanent relief to them.

He said: “We expect the rains will begin to subside in this month of October and this is why we are mobilising our contractors to immediately start the major construction work on the identified highways and bring permanent relief to residents. I am giving all Lagosians the assurance that the contractors will start the construction in earnest and will deliver on the terms of agreements reached with them.”

Sanwo-Olu said officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will be working round the clock to control traffic on the areas where the construction would take place.

According to the statement, Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, listed some of the critical highways and roads to be constructed to include Ojota stretch of the Ikorodu Road, Motorways-Kudirat Abiola Way, Apogbon Highway, Babs Animashaun Road, Agric/Ishawo Road and Ijede Road in Ikorodu, and Lekki-Epe Expressway from Abraham Adesanya to Eleko Junction.

She added that there would be massive re-construction work on a network of roads in Ikoyi, Ikeja GRA and Victoria Island.