Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has defended the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge project, following allegations of funds mismanagement by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deputy governorship candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi.
Hamzat, in a statement on Monday, described the bridge as a landmark infrastructure project that has improved connectivity and eased traffic for commuters travelling within Lagos.
He said the decision to construct the bridge was informed by the need to reduce time spent in traffic, ease the burden on motorists and improve access to the Lekki Peninsula.
According to him, the project was delivered alongside former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and represented an important milestone in the development of the state.
Hamzat said the bridge had become an iconic part of the Lagos skyline, adding that its impact on daily commuters could not be erased by political criticism or attempts to rewrite history.
“Critics may try to rewrite history, make unfair comparisons or turn progress into a political argument but they cannot erase the difference this bridge has made in the lives of the millions of people who use it,” he said.
The deputy governor maintained that his commitment to public service remained centred on transparency, infrastructure development and improving the living conditions of Lagos residents.
He also challenged critics of the project to demonstrate their own contributions to infrastructure development.
“When anyone attempts to undermine projects that have made life better for Lagosians, one simple question is worth asking: What have they built?” he added.
However, Gbadamosi, in a statement on October 31, had questioned the cost of the 1.68-kilometre Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, alleging that the project reflected the mismanagement of public funds under the administration of Fashola, when Hamzat served as Commissioner for Works.
Gbadamosi said Fashola announced in 2013 that the bridge had been fully funded by Lagos State taxpayers at a cost of N29bn, which he put at approximately $195m.
He compared the project with the 42-kilometre Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China, which he said cost approximately $2.3bn, arguing that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge was significantly more expensive on a per-kilometre basis.
According to him, the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge cost approximately $143m per kilometre, compared with $55m per kilometre for the Chinese bridge.
Gbadamosi also questioned the arrangement that allowed a private company, LTC, to collect tolls on the bridge, alleging that the company had not funded its construction.
