Mrs Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State in this interview with DAYO AYEYEMI, gives updates on all ongoing federal road projects in Lagos State: Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, Lagos- Badagry, and Lagos-Ibadan expressway phase 1. She also speaks on what the federal government is doing to revamp all Lagos’ bridges, among others.
HOW do you feel as a female engineer, especially finding yourself in men-dominated profession?
If you are a female and you studied civil engineering, even from the class you would have been behaving like a man, especially in our own days while going to school. When we were going to school, we usually had one, two, maximum of five females in a class of 60, 70, 80 men, but now things are getting better as we can have up to 30 females. So for one to have navigated that terrain and have come out and practicing engineering for quite some time now, at least 34 years, I don’t even see myself as a female most of the time and I don’t think my classmates or my colleagues or lecturers treated me as one because I am not a feminist. I believe in giving everybody equal opportunities. Give us equal opportunities. If it is a man that is deserving, let him go; if it is a woman, let her go. I don’t believe in getting something because you are a woman.
If men need 90% pass mark to excel and to attain a position, I believe that if a woman is gunning for that position, you must work towards that 90% too, giving everybody equal opportunity. So the terrain is tough, it is rough, it is only met for the rugged; so if you are focused and you are rugged, you can achieve more.
Let’s look at your job as the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos. You came at a time that one of your projects is generating controversy. How are you coping and how are you managing the situation?
Like I told you, my background had already prepared me. I told you during my own time, I think we were five girls, the people ahead of me used to be one or two but during my time it started becoming like five. If you are four or five in the midst of 80 men, for you to have a voice, for you to excel, you need to do more. So that has prepared me for the challenges ahead. Like I told you, I don’t see myself as a female. It’s just that I have the features of female but the genes in me are more than that of men.
Let’s talk about some of the federal road projects under your control in Lagos State. What’s the level of progress?
My job as the federal controller of works, Lagos has been very challenging but not unsurmountable. I think it is during this my tenure that we have a lot of things going on for the good of Lagosians and Nigeria as a whole. I will start with Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the much talked about. Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is the darling of everybody with the exception of those the road is passing through their homes, and I don’t really blame them. I rather empathize with them because I know that one of the most important need of man is shelter. Once shelter is sorted out, man is seen to be sorted out. So if you have a good shelter over your head, your heart is at rest, your soul is at rest, then every other thing can come along but fortunately or unfortunately for some people, this coastal highway is passing through their shelter. It is one of those things, it is in the overriding public interest. We know that once this road comes on board, every Nigerian is going to feel the impact and we would have a brand new road that will last for at least 50 years. It is a concrete road. If you are going to the south east and the south-south, you no longer have to go through the Shagamu- Ore-Benin Expressway; that axis would be relieved, we’ll take a lot of pressure from there and travel time is reduced.
Then, talking about the economic benefits that the coastal road will bring, it is going to open the commerce, the economy; it is going to bring relief to human beings, the stress and the travel time would be reduced, travel will come as a leisure. The road is safe, it comes with a CCTV, solar light and monitor houses to monitor the road every 10 kilometres. By the time we are done, it is going to be a beautiful site to behold and the pride of all Nigerians.
Can we have updates on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, most especially the phase 1?
For ease of construction, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is in the first phase. That’s Section 1 that I’m involved, that’s from Lagos to Shagamu junction/ interchange. So the phase one of it is just to complete the major highway to give a smooth and comfortable riding surface, which is what we have done.
The Phase 11 now includes the flyovers, the interchange. We have an interchange at Lotto, a major one, then a flyover, pedestrian bridges and underpasses. Those are the outstanding ones that we put together into phase two. We have the issue of inflation, but the ministry and the contractor is looking into it. By the grace of God, by January 2025, the contractor will be back to site to complete all that.
What is the level of work on the Lagos-Badagry expressway?
The road begins from Agbara to Badagry, then extends Cele but we have decided to concentrate on Agbara to Badagry first. That is the 24-kilometre road. We have done the inward Agbara to Badagry. The 24 kilometres has been completed and is being used at the moment. The Badagry coming to Agbara, out of the 24 kilometres, we have done 17 kilometres remaining 7 kilometres to be completed. So it is in between Agbara to Badagry and Ibereko. The contractor worked even till Friday and they are on break now. Once they resume, by first quarter, they will finish everything. The 24 kilometres will be ready for use. There will be street lights and lane marking.
The minister recently raised serious alarm concerning the sorry state of Eko Bridge, Marina Bridge and others. Has there been any progress in fixing them?
As we speak, contractors are working on them. It is just that they are on break now. All the bridges are under procurement, they are under contracts and the contractors are working. Concerning Marine Bridge, the contactors are working; they just closed a section not too long ago for repair works. Eko Bridge, the contractor, you will see that he just resurfaced everywhere, streets light are on going, lane marking is ongoing. The contractor has repaired all the expansion joints; all the bearings that have been going on for a long time even at Marine Bridge, Eko Bridge and other bridge that is ongoing, the contractor would soon deliver, maybe before the next half of next year. Talking about the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, Julius Beger is there, working. If you drive on the Third Mainland Bridge, you will notice some sections where you would hear gbim! The slab there has deflected down a little, we are trying to stop further deflect. The contractor is doing that under. We are working on the exposed concrete that salt water has attacked. We are working to restore all that so that the reinforcements are not attacked. Contractors are working on all the bridges in Lagos; all the bridges are being attended to. As soon as possible, independent Bridge will be closed to traffic so that contractor can fully work on it.
How do you manage your official duties and the family?
I do have a very understanding husband, very supportive and my children are also very supportive because my husband met me in the job. He met me with the hard work, maybe that was what he liked in me, so it is not alien to him. He is already used to it. Most of the times when the children were young, he was always around me, but now that the children are quite old, they are on their own, so I don’t need to tender to them. They are already adults. This gives me a lot of time to really put all my all in my job.
People see you as a tough woman, do you see yourself that way?
Yes! I see myself as a tough person. I am tough because I am not usually dissuaded. I don’t really take No for an answer and whatever has to be done today, I don’t leave it for tomorrow So if that makes me a tough person then I am one. I don’t procrastinate especially with my job because by the time you pile today own with tomorrow, next tomorrow it will start making the layers get more difficult,. Once issue comes, I just like to tackle it. I don’t leave this office until I treat everything that comes to the table even if it is 12 midnight.
If you have more opportunities, what would you have love to do in Lagos as Controller of work?
If more opportunities, I would have just loved to link Lagos state better to other states. Like Lagos-Ibadan, it is long overdue for another road that can tear off from Lagos here and not go through that axis, just go straight to Ibadan. If you look at the map, it is doable.
We have maintained the old road enough, we need to start thinking of doing new things because the population of Lagos is growing at exponential rate while infrastructure provision is growing at linear rate.
If you are to advise students that are looking at engineering as a profession, what will be your advice to them?
I will advise them that it is doable, I will tell them it is tough but it is not unsurmountable. You have to put your heart, your all into what you are doing, but unfortunately, a lot of today’s youths are being diverted by social media and things that are around them. They are not focused, that’s their unfortunate part and they are not patient. It’s like they’ve removed patience from their dictionary. They still have to re-introduce that patience. you can’t plant ewedu today and start eating it, you must water it and give it time to grow. They want to start from where you are, at the point you are now, that’s where they want to start, it can not work. Your job and your skills will find you out if you put your all in it.
I remember when I was admitted into University of Lagos, I had HND before then, but I had to go back to school. One professor came in one morning and said I did not do exam that I wrote, I was the oldest in the class, you had to see how the younger ones rose up to face the professor that what are you talking about because I would be the first to get to class, I won’t tell you to help me do my assignment and I would sit in front whether there was test or exam. I left every other thing, I did not have a social life as you see me. In engineering, if you want to combine that, you will see that you will falter, but if you are focused, engineering needs you to be focused and you have to give your all to it.
I don’t have a social life, once I’m not in this office, I’m at home, once I’m not at home, I’m at the church. The youths have to redirect their focus. It is important that you know what you want in life, ask for the grace of God because that helps too.
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