Tinubu absent as Akpabio commissions Ojota-Mende Link Bridge, others

President Bola Tinubu was on Wednesday absent at the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Multi-Purpose Administrative Complex as Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, inaugurated the project on his behalf.

As against the initial announcement by the state government, Tinubu failed to appear at the event as Akpabio led other  political leaders and dignitaries in commissioning the project.

The state government had on Tuesday announced that the event would commence with Tinubu’s commissioning of the Opebi-Mende Link Bridge with a partial road closure announced by the Lagos Commissioner of Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi.

Osiyemi had in a statement issued on Tuesday announced that the roads across the Ojota, Mende, and Opebi axis would be partially closed from 9am to 1pm for the commissioning of the link bridge.

However, the commissioning of the link bridge was delayed by heavy rainfall at the axis.

Akpabio and other political leaders, including state governors, who had earlier arrived at the link bridge were however compelled to inaugurate the link bridge following Tinubu’s absence.

They then proceeded to the multi-purpose complex for the commissioning of the project named after Tinubu.

Meanwhile, the cause of the President’s absence at the event is yet to be disclosed as at the time of filing this report.

Addressing the dignitaries at the event, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, attributed the success of the project to Tinubu.

Sanwo-Olu maintained that projects were borne out of the foundation laid by the President during his time as the state governor.

He described the project as a dividend of democracy.

 “We have worked and toiled for this state. We leave it better than we met it.

“This is the work of a man whose work never finishes because his vision is never small.

“We believe that will change life and impact meaningful economic breakthrough. This is real economy and dividend of democracy that we are passing on to the people,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu thereafter gave a brief on the commissioned projects, especially the Opebi-Mende link bridge which he considered solution to traffic congestion along the Ojota-Maryland axis.

“Let me start with the Opebi link bridge, which is a 5.2 kilometres transport corridor, comprises of a 2.0km road and 2.8km bridge, with 1.76km of adjoining roads from Ikeja-Maryland into the Ojota corridor. It has been one of the busiest routes in our state.

“It is relied on by tens of thousands of Lagosians. Heavy bottleneck along this corridor naturally translates into congestions that is felt withing the lives and businesses of many Lagosians.

“People have lost time; it has reduced productivity. And we said it must not continue under our watch.

“Now we have a brand-new bridge that will provide direct connection between Opebi-Allen straight on to Ikorodu road through the Odo Iya Alaro and the Mende corridor which will create a positive alternative route,” he said.