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Tag: Babatunde Fashola

  • Lagos gets scientific adviser

    Lagos gets scientific adviser

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has presented the state’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Dr Adekemi Sekoni, to the State Executive Council.

    Presenting Sekoni yesterday at the Executive Council Chambers, Lagos House, Ikeja, Fashola said the appointment became necessary due to the occurrences in the health sector and the environment.

    He reiterated that the appointment was borne out of the lessons learnt while combating the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which was successfully contained in the country.

    The governor hoped that the appointment would enable his administration make use of scientific knowledge in combating future challenges.

    Fashola said the amendment draft bill of the Public Health Law, which was sent to the House of Assembly, would empower government to handle issues affecting the sector effectively.

    Sekoni, until her appointment, was a senior lecturer in epidemiology and biostatistics at the Department of Community Health and Primary Health-Care at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

  • 2015: Defining moment for Nigeria, says Fashola

    2015: Defining moment for Nigeria, says Fashola

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola came hard on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration and members of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).

    He said their idea of transformation defied dictionary meaning. The governor said a government that spends an average of 65 per cent of its annual national budget on recurrent expenditure in the last four years cannot be adjudged to be transforming the country.

    Fashola cautioned the government against leading the country on the roads to Rwanda and Detroit in the United States of America, where insecurity, joblessness, poverty, corruption, division and lack of moral values prevail.

    He said for Nigeria to start its journey of true reconstruction, reconciliation and rehabilitation as espoused by the Gowon administration immediately after the civil war, we must collectively rework our value system.

    The governor spoke at the 2014 Leadership annual conference and awards ceremony organised by Leadership Newspapers yesterday in Abuja.

    Fashola, in his paper titled: “Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from Other Lands”, emphasised that the desired change which Nigerians yearn for was only possible through their votes.

    He told the gathering among whom were former of Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Senator Bukola Saraki that the 2015 general elections would be the defining moment for the country.

    A change, he maintained, should begin with the coming elections, if Nigerians are truly desirous of change in the socio-political and economic outlook of the country.

    Fashola said Nigeria politicians were behaving like Detroit politicians who preferred kicking the can around with excuses rather than confronting and addressing the problems facing the state.

    “Detroit, the home of Ford automobile in the 1950 employed 250,000 people, but today it is bankrupt with about $20 billion debt, and hardly able to employ 20,000 people.

    “We must turn Nigeria around. We cannot keep this calm for another four years. The consequences will be grave, it will be global and it will be reverberating.

    “Nigerians must renew their own values and we must find our own solution from within us, and to be specific, that change must come from within our democratic process.”

    The governor said Nigerians have not experienced the promise of this country because our values and moral codes have gone in different directions.

    Fashola said the Federal Government has failed to entrench true transformation as it has professed, describing the on-going Transformation Agenda as mere “slogan”.

    The governor said: “If truly there was a desire to make a change for the better which is what transformation means; it should be obvious as a

    statement of intention from the budget.

    “Our budget spends more on recurrent payment of salaries, travel, and generally running government. I ask is this what transformation is about that?

    “The signs that there was not going to be any transformation in Nigeria were obvious to me since 2011; as mere slogan perhaps yes, but as a call to purposeful action the jury is out.

    “If we want change, the elections in 2015 are a good place to start.  For me, these elections must not be so much about what the opposition brings as some people have argued.

    “I know that what the opposition does might or might not be helpful, if you and I are happy with what we have now and some ambassadors said that they are, then nothing that the opposition does will change how it feels.

    “Conversely, if we are unhappy with what we have, the logical thing to do is to attempt to change it with our votes and to change the next one too if we do not find what we want until we find what we all want. That is when the people would truly have attained power”, the governor asserted.

    He said the promise of Nigeria must be fulfilled whether the present crops of politicians like it or not, noting that moral and ethical rebirth are the surest way to get the nation back on track.

    Chairman of the occasion Sir Amuka Pemu lamented that the civil service mass purge during the tenure of Gen. Murtala Mohammed marked the beginning of the problems confronting the nation today.

    He pointed out that lack of job security in the service turned the civil service into self service with the attendant abuse of public service and diminished integrity.

    Amuka, who canvassed for simple decency and respect for the rule of law, added that with insecurity across the country and the fact that the Chibok girls were still in captivity, it was difficult for the country to celebrate its 54th anniversary and centenary.

    The Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspaper, Azu Ishekwene, said despite the seeming fear and despair across the nation, Leadership Newspaper sees hope in the future of the country.

     

  • Lagos marks horn free day

    Lagos marks horn free day

    •motorists urged to comply, as Assembly back government

    Lagos state government will today mark horn free day for all motorists in the metropolis.

    All motorists are expected to drive without horning and the day will be commemorated every other year.

    Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola explained that the horn free day is a step towards sensitising residents to the harmful effects of noise pollution.

    Fashola said it was important for citizens to understand that there is a better way to live than indulging in noise pollution which has been found to be harmful to their health.

    He said in pursuance of the efforts to reduce environmental pollution in the State his administration has thought up the initiative meant to sensitise residents to the dangers caused by noise pollution to their health and that of their neighbours and family members.

    Fashola said there was need to come down significantly because according to the global standard for measuring noise, saying “90 decibels is rather too high and harmful to human health”.

    “It is for our own good, it is for our own health, it is for our own life. It is not because Governor Fashola said so. It is not because Lagos State Government said so. It is simply because it is good for us. Doctors have told us it is for our own ultimate good.

    “What we see in a way that we now choose to live is that because we live in a very noisy environment, which we can really diminish, we tend to be very noisy ourselves. We speak at the top of our voices, we play music at very high decibels and we do very many things at very high levels”, he said.

    The Governor pointed out that the campaign against noise pollution was a response to the petitions and complaints of citizens and tax payers, adding that on daily basis petition government that somebody is preventing them from sleep either from the noise they are making or from other uncharitable activities they are carrying on without regard for the wellbeing of their neighbours.

    Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa , said the observance of the horn free day is expected to reduce noise pollution from the use of the horn, improve road courtesy, improve lane discipline and draw motorists’ attention to the importance of road discipline and mutual respect for other road users.

    Opeifa said it was designed to complement the on-going efforts by the State Government in the provision and upgrading of traffic infrastructure across the State.

    The State House of Assembly at plenary yesterday threw its weight behind the horn free day, noting that it is geared towards addressing the problem of noise pollution and ultimately ensuring a healthy society.

    Raising the issue under Matter of Urgent Public Importance, the chairman House Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, Bisi Yusuff said “tomorrow (today) has been declared as horn free day to check the abuse of using horns indiscriminately by motorists.”

    He said: “most of time the way our people use horns constitute nuisance. It has caused accidents because it leads to intimidation; it is scary when big horns are used to intimidate people. Inculcating the habit will instill discipline among motorists’ and lead to good driving culture.”

    Lanre Ogunyemi (Ojo II), said, “The state government is blazing the trail on the possibility of having horn free environment. The rate at which drivers use their horns is not only alarming but appalling.”

    He said the experience he had while he was outside the country as regard the use of horn was a far cry from what is obtainable in the country, saying the initiative by the state government is laudable.

    The Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo who presided at plenary said “let us see its possibility come tomorrow (today).”

     

  • Lagos empowers 14,000

    Lagos empowers 14,000

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) launched yesterday the second phase of the Economic Empowerment Programme, aimed at empowering an additional 14,000 residents.

    Addressing participants at the programme held at the Alimosho Local Government, Fashola said the one month programme would enable participants learn various trades, such as bead making, tailoring, sewing, textile design, catering, tie and dye and events planning, among others.

    Fashola, who was represented by Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire urged the beneficiaries to ensure they attend classes daily.

    The governor warned that anyone who missed a day would have his or her name removed from the programme.

    “If you are not ready for this programme, you better stay at home and don’t come. It is compulsory, and the fact that you are not paying for it does not mean you should take it for granted.

    “By the second week of this programme, you should be able to replicate what you are being taught,” he said.

    According to Fashola, the participants would get training kits in line with their chosen vocations.

    Some beneficiaries hailed the government for the initiative, saying the programme had recorded positive impacts on their lives.

     

  • Fashola’s quest to provide potable water for Lagos residents

    Fashola’s quest to provide potable water for Lagos residents

    Though Lagos is almost totally surrounded by water, getting potable water for the residents is a herculean task but the state government is determined to redress this. MIRIAM EKENE-OKORO reports

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the challenge of accessing potable water in Lagos by residents becomes a thing of the past.

    Considering that the ever growing population of the state, projected at 29 million by 2020, has also pushed water demand in the state to 733 million gallons per day in a few years time as against the present need of 540 million gallon per day, the challenge looks herculean.

    But the governor is undaunted and has embarked on a bold road map with the implementation of the Lagos Water Corporation Master Plan targeted to produce 745 million gallons per day to exceed required 733 million gallons per day demand by 2020.

    Intensive work is ongoing at the Adiyan phase 2 waterworks to compliment water generation from other waterworks such as Adiyan phase 1, producing about 72 million gallons per day; Iju Waterworks with capacity for 45 million gallons per day and Ishasi Waterworks producing about four million gallons per day.

    Construction work on this project commenced in 2013 and is expected to be completed in 2016 which will inject additional 70 million gallons of potable water per day into the distribution network.

    On a recent visit to the site Fashola said  the project was designed to put an end to scarcity of potable water supply to the residents.

    According to him, “The construction work on the Adiyan Waterworks phase II is in top gear. The contractor has showed that they could work at night and hopefully, this will speed up the construction of the water works.

    “This is the third major waterworks in the state. The first was the Iju Waterworks which was built in1910. There was no major intervention in the state until 1991 when Adiyan Waterworks phase I was constructed. That is a long time and the population continued to grow in the state.

    “The state government has constructed so many mini and micro water works. The reason why this is important was that we started with the micro water works and to resuscitate some of those that were built by my predecessors, and to construct more as a short term measure in the first term.”

    Fashola explained that the long term plan is to have more of such being built in partnership with private sector to deliver more of such projects.

    “This is direct government funding. The long term plan is that we will need more of this to be able to hit the water demands for the residents of the state. The plan is that by 2020, we should be able to meet the (water) plan of the citizens of the state.” He said provision of water alone is never the answer to water scarcity but the conservation of water.

    Managing Director; LWC Mr. Sayo Holloway, further explained that the new waterworks when completed will boost water supply to the western axis of the State which is not being reliably served now.

    He listed such areas to include Ipaja; Agege; Ayobo; Idimu; Ikotun; Isolo, Festac, Owode; Kirikiri; Ajegunle, Apapa;  and parts of Ogun State host community of Adiyan waterworks that will benefit from this intervention.

    Other axis such as Ikorodu township and environ will also be served, while the Lagos Metropolis will witness pressure boost in the water mains for improved service delivery.

    Holloway explained that Adiyan phase 2 coming 23 years after phase one was constructed is expected to serve over 3 million inhabitants of the aforementioned areas.

    He said state of the art technology is being deployed in the new waterworks for improved operational efficiency and environmental compliance.

    He also added that in the master plan for LWC, technical design is also being finalized for the construction of the 50 million gallons per day Yewa water scheme which will be sited in Badagry to serve the Lagos – Badagry axis.

    “It is expected to grow rapidly in tandem with the ongoing Light rail transportation and the dual carriage way infra structure.  This axis is expected to witness an annual population growth above 5 per cent.

    “Work is also ongoing for the development of the Odomola water scheme with an ultimate 210 million gallons water scheme to serve the Epe /Victoria Island corridor.  This will be undertaken in 3 phases”.

    He said the exponential population growth in Lagos over the last few decades has overstretched available infrastructure as evident in housing, transportation, power and potable water, adding that the government has taken up the gauntlet for rapid water infrastructure development to mitigate proliferation of boreholes and water borne diseases.

    Apart from the reliable and wholesome water supply that the project guarantees, an estimated 700 jobs have also been created for the teaming youths through the ongoing construction.

     

  • Ope joins governorship race in Lagos

    Ope joins governorship race in Lagos

    Former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Lanre Ope has joined the governorship race in Lagos on the platform of the All Progressives   Congress (APC).

    The former legislator told reporters in Lagos that he joined the race because he has the experience to govern the state.

    Ope left the House of Assembly in 2003. He defected from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, he defected to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) two years ago. In 1994, he was a delegate to the National Constitutional Conference in Abuja.

    Urging Lagosians to vote for continuity, the aspirant said the state deserved a competent successor to Giovernor Babatunde Fashola next year.

    Ope said he looked forward to a democratic primaries where the APC flag bearer would emerge.

    The politician called for  a specialstatus for Lagos, adding that the  next governor will inherit the agitation for improved fuunding for the former Federal Capital Terrritory (FCT).

    He said: “If you are talking about the Value Added Tax (VAT), over 65 per cent comes from Lagos. Therefore, Lagos should have more VAT allocation.  In addition, as Lagos population grows, a lot of Federal Government’s responsibilities is being undertaken by the Lagos State Government, thereby overstreching facilities and this has huge security implications.”

    Ope chided the Federal Government for its propaganda on the success of the Transformation Agenda, describing it as a fable.

    He said pro-Jonathan forces are exagerrating the success of the Jonathan Administration, despite the growing poverty, squalour and insecurity in the country.

    Ope said the PDP cannot win the governorship poll in Lagos because the Federal Government has not fought the infrastructure battle in the state.

    He added: “Lagosians cannot vote for the PDP because it lacks what it takes to win the state.”

                                                    

  • Fashola inaugurates centre for new driver’s licence

    Fashola inaugurates centre for new driver’s licence

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) inaugurated yesterday the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency’s One-Stop Centre.

    Fashola, while speaking at the event held at LASTMA yard, Oshodi, said the development was part of the strategies embarked upon by his administration to ensure that transportation is efficient in Lagos.

    The governor pointed out that the influx of vehicles necessitated holistic approach to make life easier for the residents in spite of the growing population.

    He said: “Today, apart from road solutions, from just about 100, 000 commuters a day, who were travelling on Lagos waterways, I can tell you very confidently today that we now have over 3million passengers every months being moved by about 200 ferries privately owned and licensed and more ferries are coming. Before the end of the year, we will deploy three of the big ferries that Alhaji Lateef Jakande bought during his term.”

    Fashola added that the administration has also, through the Lagos Traffic Law, reduced accidents and armed robberies.

    Earlier, state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said with the new one-stop centre, drivers can process and obtain drivers license in two hours.

     

     

  • Synagogue: Fashola to apply the law

    Synagogue: Fashola to apply the law

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola  (SAN) said yesterday that his administration would apply the law when the ongoing investigation into the cause of the collapsed Synagogue Guest House is completed.

    Fashola spoke when members of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners led by the Commissioner for Physical Planning,  Olutoyin Ayinde, visited him at Ikeja, Lagos.

    He said coroner inquest had been instituted by the Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, stressing that investigation on the cause and manner of the collapse would continue.

    “I think we must understand that our government has repeatedly said we will investigate it. We will definitely do so. Last week, the Attorney-General empanelled the Coroner’s Court because that is the appropriate machinery of the government to undertake this kind of investigation, especially when people die in such tragic or unnatural circumstances.

    “I think we should just allow that process to go on.  I think the investigation will be held if we refrain from any comment about this incident. This is the way that every civilised society proceeds and we must assume that all the necessary provisions of law will be complied with.

    “That is our track record here and nothing less will happen in this case. That is the minimum every government must do. People must understand that when accidents like this happen, there are many stages to it. Perhaps, we have got used to what was an inappropriate conduct to get to the scene of crime or accident and to pronounce this is what has happened before the investigation is concluded.

    “We are professionals. We are not trained like that. If people are not used to our methods, they must get used to it because that is the way we are going to act. We are going to act methodically. We are going to act in a civilised manner.”

    The governor noted that investigations are always painstaking and scientific, adding that Lagos has shown capacity in this area.

    He explained that in an incident of that nature, the initial thing to do was to search and rescue, followed by recovery stage.

    “We recover and protect the site and all the materials that can be gathered from there. It is from the recovery stage that the investigation stage follows”, he said, warning that it was wrong for non-professionals to assume that those involved in an accident are dead without certification from a medical doctor.

    “This kind of behaviour must stop. Unless there is anybody keeping dead bodies in his house and private hospital, we are the regulators and all those bodies come to our mortuaries. So, we must account for them as we will. I understand the public interest in this, but we must act methodically.

    The governor attributed incidents of building collapse to human errors and individuals trying to cut corners.

    “Although the planning permit stage is also a stage in which some problems can be nipped in the bud in terms of design, calculation for load bearing structure and so forth. You could have obtained a permit to build in a particular way and you are building in a manner that is inconsistent with the approval that you have.

    “Are you using the right gauge of steel that you got approval for? Are you using inferior gauge or small gauge? Are you mixing your aggregate and cement according to the approval that you got?”

    He added that irrespective of ownership of the structure, the truth remains that professionals breach the rule.

    “Government, as an artificial legal entity, is not the one responsible for those collapses. It is individuals like you and me, men and women, who have broken the rules. If the buildings erected by Europeans are still standing 70 or 80 years after they did so, this generation must be provoked to self-examination.

    “Why is Cocoa House still standing and the buildings constructed 20 years ago coming down? All the professionals in this field must wake up and do their work appropriately,” he said.

  • Fashola decries slow pace of justice delivery

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has decried the slow pace of the country’s adjudication.

    He regretted that reforms put in place to accelerate the course of justice appeared not to have changed the situation for the better.

    The governor spoke yesterday at a valedictory court session in honour of the state’s immediate past Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rtd.)

    Fashola, who was represented by the Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, stated that periodic reviews of the criminal and civil procedure rules were aimed at eliminating delays.

    He noted that the problem was not only an antithetical to the course of justice, but also amounted to a violation of the sections of the constitution, which guarantee fair hearing within reasonable time.

    “Nigeria is still ranked 136 out of the 168 countries surveyed in the aspect of enforcing contracts,” he lamented.

    Quoting the report of a survey, the governor lamented that resolution of contractual disputes could take an average of 447 days and gulp up to 92 per cent of the contract value in terms of attendant costs.

    He urged stakeholders in the justice sector to take steps to redress the situation.

    “The bench, the bar, the government, the academia and other stakeholders must take immediate steps to ensure that the Nigerian justice system is able to meet the real expectations of the people,” he said

    The Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, promised to continue with the reforms initiated by her predecessor.

    “Today, we celebrate our own legal icon and quintessential jurist for her meritorious service to the Lagos State judiciary.

    “She introduced innovative ideas, which helped in reforming our justice delivery system and also imparted a lot of us positively,” she said.

    Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Alex Muoka, in his remarks, hailed the retired chief judge for her achievements.

    He particularly praised her for establishing a quarterly bar-bench forum, which helped to foster the relationship between judges and lawyers.

  • Fashola on the last lap

    Fashola on the last lap

     Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) will bow out of office next year. There are many projects being implemented by his administration. Will he complete them before vacating office? MIRIAM EKENE-OKORO asks.

    Everywhere in Lagos State, posters of aspirants seeking to take over from Governor Babatunde Fashola are visible.

    The governor is expected to bow out of office next year. In the last seven and half years, the governor has worked diligently. He has presided over a model administration.  The governor is still implementing many projects. But, can he complete them before May 29 next year?

    The projects include the Lagos/ Badagry Expressway, housing projects, multi-purpose parastatals building, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and Adiyan Water Works.

    The Lagos/Badagry Expressway project is a milestone. The road is an international route. There is no evidence thet theproject would be completed before the the transfer of power.

    The government has continued to reiterate its desire to transform the over 50-kilometre expressway into a 10-lane dual carriage way of five lanes on each side, with a BRT lite corridor and light rail facilities.

    The project, which is expected to ease the traffic congestion in the area, is divided into three phases.

    The first, known as the eastern section, is about 7.2 kilometers. Ittakes off from Eric Moore to Mile Two. The second section is 24.5 kilometers from Mile Two to Agbara. This is the  central section. The western section,  from Agbara to Badagry, is about 28.5 kilometers.

    On completion, the project will not only ease comfort, but it will transform the corridor into the newest business hub and the connecting route to other West African countries.

    The Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, otherwise known as the ‘Lagos HOMS project,’ is another laudable initiative of the Fashola Administration that will outlive him and generations to come. The governor has admitted the housing deficit in the state. Thus, efforts have been made to provide housing for those who can afford it.

    At the 2013 Ehingbeti Summit, the acronym, ‘PATH,’ which stands for ‘Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing,’ was unveiled and the government has kept the vision moving.

    The Lagos HOMS initiative is aimed at providing homes for residents under a viable mortgage scheme. Over 23 housing projects are on-going. When completed, they will complement the existing 5,200 homes.

    So far, about 300 home owners have emerged since March when the  monthly draw started.

    To ensure the project outlives his administration,  Fashola set up the Lagos Mortgage Board to handle issues relating to the scheme.

    The administration has continued to receive commendation from local and international observers because of the people-oriented programmes.

    Retired university don Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) said the governor  deserved commendation, saying that the governor is a trail blaizer. He submitted that the governor has lived up to expectation.

    “He has performed, not just excellently well in every area of roads bridges, various ministries schools and in terms of things that are not physical and the standard of governance, democracy and rule of law. He  has exhited simplicity, being the only governor that does not use siren to chase people out of the road. To summarise the impact of his governance, I will say he is exceptional as a leader in this part of the world,” he added.

    Sagay however, noted that the governor may not be able to complete the projects.

    “Government is continual. I have no doubt in my mind that, if the next governor is from theAPC, the projects will be completed. But, PDP politicians are not out to render service to the people, but to render service to themselves and their plan is how to colonise the state and subject it to their own personal interest.

    “The PDP is not people-oriented and  it does not have the interest of the people at heart. The PDP represents an ugly face of government and,  if we have a PDP man, I doubt whether the projects will be completed. But, an APC man will complete them,” he added.

    The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Hon. Lateef Raji, said that the administration has done enough to make Lagosians elect a new APC governor. He said since Fashola has performed under the pro-gressive banner, Lagosians will prefer another progressive governor.

    Raji also expressed optimism that some projects will be completed before the administration winds up. He said the next governor will find it difficult to abandon the uncompleted projects because of their importance.

    “The multi-purpose office complex in Alausa will be completed this year. Also, the Lekki Free Trade Zone is continuous and no government will abandon that. Today, we realise that the African Development Bank (ADB) approved about $256 million for the Zone.

    “Government is just creating the platform. It is private sector-driven than public. Government only provides an enabling environment. Badagry express way is a project that cannot be abandoned.

    “Let me assure you that our party will form the next government. Continuity has served Lagos better. I can assure you that, even when the governor leaves, he will look back and smile because he has projects that will outlive him. The ongoing projects will remain and they will be to his credit”.

    Fashola, while inspecting the Badagry Expressway project, said  the projects were aimed at making life comfortable for Lagosians.

    He explained that the government has funded the projects through external sources. He assured that the first phase would be completed before vacating office.

    “So, if the people of Lagos want rail, if they want to see a 10-lane highway on Badagry Expressway, if they want the work we are doing in Mile 12/Ikorodu expansion to continue, if they want to see the developmental works that will add value to their lives, that is the only way to finance it,” he said.

    Fashola explained that, if the government does not borrow, it means it has to wait every month for those who want to pay rent, land use charge, tenement rate, drivers license or a parcel of land and other rents.

    “If we wait, it is a bit-by-bit income.  If you look, our IGR, it is all secured against these assets. I can’t tell our contractor that wait, let me go and collect money from the licensing office to come and give you. This is how it works because a contractor has designed a project, which is going to benefit our people, it would cost billions of naira to do,” he said

    The governor expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far. He lamented that the project has dragged on because it is massive.

    “Track has been constructed, the rail has been laid and four stations are now completed,” he said.

    He noted that what is currently being done is to cross the water to the final station in Marina,” which is another five kilometers of heavy construction work, concrete and iron rods”.

    “They have to build 150 piles across before we can get there. This should come to another 12 months to get to Marina because we have suffered delays. They have to pass through existing properties to get permission, Right of Way and compensation issues; but we are making progress.”