The suspension of Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, has been officially lifted by David Umahi, the Minister of Works, after widespread backlash over the recent closure of a major bridge in the Victoria Island area.
On Monday, Kesha had announced the closure of the bridge for crucial maintenance and rehabilitation, which was expected to last until the end of May. However, the closure led to a massive traffic jam, with commuters and motorists stuck for hours, facing severe delays for over 48 hours.
The resulting gridlock sparked public frustration, with many residents and travelers expressing their displeasure over the disruption.
In response to the mounting outcry, Umahi swiftly intervened, ordering the immediate reopening of the bridge to ease the congestion.
In an interview with Arise TV on Sunday, Umahi admitted that he was deeply troubled by the situation.
He emphasised that the process for such decisions should have been communicated properly, with formal notification to the permanent secretary, both in writing and via WhatsApp, given the emergency nature of the situation.
“And then the permanent secretary would have also reported to me,” he said.
“Of course in an emergency situation, while you’re reporting to the permanent secretary, you are also copying me as the minister because it’s an emergency situation. That was not done.”
Umahi said Kesha was temporarily placed on suspension for her action.
He said the controller, however, presented the picture of the bridge at the time she was closing it.
“We saw that there was a very big crack. If that bridge was not closed at the time it was closed, it would have led to multiple traffic accidents,” he said.
“And that would have not been good, lives would have been lost. When we looked at it, we agreed with her that there was a need to close that bridge.
“The only mistake was that she should have escalated the closure at the time she did. But I also saw that she announced to Lagosians in a couple of days that they are going to close this bridge.”
The minister said after a review process, the ministry recalled Kesha and pardoned her for the “honest mistake”.
“She has resumed her work,” he said.
