Relief has come the way of Lagosians through the announcement by the Federal Government on Friday that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos will be re-opened to traffic as from midnight on Sunday.The Transportation Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said that the repair work had been completed ahead of schedule against the September ending date given by the contractor at the inception of the project.

The minister recalled that the government partially closed down the bridge on the 2nd of August for critical repairs to four of the major expansion joints which posed danger to commuters on a daily basis. To tackle the challenges of the structurally defective bridge, Messrs Borino Porno, one of the original builders of the bridge was invited to handle the reconstruction of the four critical expansion joints, she pointed.

She thanked the contractors, Messrs Borini Porno and commended them on the quality of work at the four critical expansion joints. Earlier, Alison-Madueke commended the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Lagosians and all the government agencies in the state, especially the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) for working assiduously to see to the smooth flow of traffic during the period. She did not leave out the Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police Force and his men, who were an integral part of ensuring that the whole project was handled in the most efficient manner, the Federal Roads Safety Commission and institutions like Chevron, Shell, and A.G. Leventis as well as the United States Embassy.

Further more, she announced that the ministry would return to the Third Mainland Bridge within the next one year to do some extended work, particularly on the scarification and overlay of the actual asphalt or bituminous surface of the bridge, the signage, the lightings and other works. Said she: "That would require longer procedure; we would set it back for some time, and we would give you a lot of notice so that it is also handled in the most efficient manner. In all that we do as the Ministry of Transportation in the works sub-sector, we ask always for the understanding of our public in joining hands with us to produce much better quality roads."

Total contract sum of the rehabilitation work on the 3rd Mainland Bridge stood at N762m at completion.

To track and monitor the standard of operating procedures of both private and public blood banks in the state, the Lagos State Government has inaugurated a Technical Audit Committee to ensure that the product from blood banks are reliable.The committee is also to ensure that standard operating procedures are maintained at all times.

Speaking during the inauguration of the committee, the Chairman of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Services, Professor Ibironke Akinsete reiterated the state government’s resolve to tackle the issue of deaths due to lack of safe blood for transfusion, transmitting transmissible diseases and quacks operating in the blood banks.

Corroborating Akinsete’s position, the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Dr Modupe Olaiya said that blood needs to be safe and available at all times. She added that blood is an important aspect of patients’ care and most efficient way of transmitting diseases, therefore, the source must be safe.

She, however, assured the state government that the Audit Committee will work hard to produce a credible result.

The Blood Bank Audit Committee which is designed to serve as quality control for all the blood banks in the state has Dr. Olaiya and Mr. Taiwo Oloko as the Chairman and the Secretary of the committee respectively. Other members are Dr. U.O. Oyekan, Dr. T.M. Balogun, Dr. B. Ifionu, Mrs. Olubunmi Ajala, Mrs. Olubukola Onadipe, Mrs. Rashidat Mecca and Mrs. Lola Alayande of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Services.

Meanwhile, training for developing guidelines and tools for the committee members is billed for the second week of November 2008, at the conference room of State Blood Transfusion Services. It is expected that members of the committee, representatives from both public and private blood banks, will attend the training programme.