Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has blamed the recent flooding on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway on blocked underground drainage channels, saying refuse dumped into manholes caused the disruption.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Umahi said the flooding was not due to construction defects but human activities obstructing drainage systems.
“The flooding of the coastal highway was because our underground channel were blocked with refuse,” he said.
“This is the basic reason why we even have flooding in most cases in Lagos. Where people carry their daily refuse and then put it inside the manhole.”
He urged the public to take responsibility in safeguarding infrastructure, adding that vandalism along the coastal road has worsened the situation.
“The first we have done to protect the coastal road is being destroyed by people,” he said. “The green you know the barbed wire we put to expose the beauty of the coastal you know roads in a number of sections are being caught and taken by people.”
Umahi disclosed that reinforcement materials installed on sections of the road had also been tampered with.
“So there is still three meters to be laid and so there is a connecting bar we call it Dower bars you know and this bar is no more than one meter and people go there and cut it,” he said.
The minister warned that illegal mining and sand harvesting activities are damaging bridges nationwide, citing structural threats to key infrastructure.
“And so what happened to these two bridges? People harvested the sand under,” he said. “And so what is holding the bridges are the sand holding the piles.”
He revealed that investigations showed illegal miners had interfered with bridge foundations.
“Just about three months back you know an illegal miner hit the one of the piles and removed the piles,” he said, adding that he “directed for prosecution of that company that did that.”
On the deteriorating condition of some bridges, Umahi disclosed that one may have to be demolished.
“To the extent that by investigations, by you know the stakeholders meeting, by the experts of consultants, Carter bridge has to be demolished,” he said.
He stressed that roads and bridges are not designed to bear stationary heavy loads, warning against trucks parking on critical structures.
“Roads and bridges are never designed for static loads,” he said. “We’re asking for trouble by allowing you know vehicles and big trucks and small trucks to be parking on our bridges.”
Umahi said the ministry had introduced CCTV surveillance on major bridges to curb vandalism.
“But thanks to Mr. President who directed me to introduce CCTV on our roads. And that’s why we introduced CCTV on Third Mainland Bridge and it was very easy for the police in Lagos to catch the vandals,” he said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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