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Tinubu inaugurates reconstructed Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday inaugurated the newly reconstructed Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota-Oshodi Expressway.
It is a 36.02km expressway connecting Nigeria’s premier ports – Apapa and Tin Can Island – to larger parts of Lagos State.
Tinubu, who performed the symbolic unveiling of the plaque of the concrete-paved road at the Gbagada stretch, also virtually inaugurated the recently rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge.
Tinubu said that the expressway would enhance access to the ports, boost commercial activities, and spur economic development.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday in Abuja, said Tinubu was represented at the inauguration of the projects, executed by the Federal Ministry of Works, by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Originally constructed between 1975 and 1978, the road had deteriorated significantly over the years, causing severe delays in the evacuation of goods from Apapa Wharf.
The reconstruction of the road was executed in four sections, using Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP), by Dangote Industries Limited under the tax credit method of infrastructure funding, with Hitech Construction Nigeria Limited as the subcontractor.
The rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge, the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, spans about 11.8km.
It was inaugurated by President Shehu Shagari in 1980 and completed by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.
The bridge recently underwent significant rehabilitation to improve its structural integrity and extend its lifespan.
“This is a great feat by any standards, and it is all for Nigeria. I congratulate the Ministry of Works and the contractors for the great work.
“It is not only in Lagos that these good things are happening.
“From the Presidential Villa in Asokoro to the AYA Roundabout in the capital city (Abuja), you will notice a great deal of work and some of these projects will be commissioned this week,’’ the President said.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, explained the reason for the use of concrete technology in constructing the road, noting its durability as well as the rising cost of bitumen used in making asphalt.
“We want our contractors to migrate to the use of concrete technology for road construction,’’ the Minister said, while describing the inauguration of the road as another plus on the utility of tax credits in the country.
On the Third Mainland Bridge, the Minister explained that the project went beyond mere rehabilitation.
“We had to replace all the expansion joints, and we also noticed that over the years all the maintenance on the bridge was only for the surface and that created a lot of super elevation, pot holes, and increased the dead load on the bridge resulting in increased deflection,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Dr Yakubu Kofarmata, announced that Tinubu had directed the ministry to complete the Abuja-Kano Road within one year.
He assured Nigerians that Makurdi-Enugu Expressway was on the verge of completion and that other federal road projects across the country are receiving attention.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Works has saved Nigeria a total of N1.19 trillion through renegotiations of some ongoing road project costs across the country.
“What we are witnessing today is Nigeria working under the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, and the determination to have a better Nigeria where infrastructural facilities are functioning,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Femi Hamzat, commended the President and the Federal Ministry of Works for fixing the roads, adding that it would reduce travel time from 7 hours to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
“About two years ago, a lot of companies on the Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Road moved from this axis because of the deplorable state of the road.
“We are grateful to Mr. President, the Ministry of Works, Dangote Group and Hitech Construction Limited for the current state of the road and also for the Third Mainland Bridge,’’ Hamzat said.(NAN
A coalition of youth organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reconsider its wanted tag on socialite, Dr Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, OFR.
The organisations, Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative said this in a joint press statement they issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to them, the declaration of Achimugu wanted by the anti-corruption agency came to them as a rude shock.
The joint statement was signed by Comrade Emma Niboro and Ali Ameh for Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative, respectively.
They described Achimugu as a dedicated friend of the youths, who had always shown commitment to the welfare and care of the downtrodden.
According to the youth coalition, “we know the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as a man who came with utmost zeal to sanitize the agency. He has already demonstrated this and we are proud of his achievements so far.
“However, we urge him to resist pressure from politicians, which is a plague that has dwarfed EFCC for several years of its existence.
“The commission had hitherto remained a tool for politicians to undue their perceived political foes and this has always rubbed off on the credibility of the agency.
“The case of Achumugu doesn’t appear to be different in any way, as the haste with which she was declared wanted showed there is a hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.
“Our appeal is that the commission should withdraw the wanted tag on her and give her ample time to report to the commission, as she has never been indicted of any offence whether in Nigeria or outside the country.”
While noting that Achimugu is a global figure, they added that they can always vouch for her integrity.
“We know her, she has always been of immense help to the youths and other members of the society.
“Her closeness to certain politicians should not be used as a tool to persecute or harass her,” the youths further stated.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.