The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Association laments effect of FOREX scarcity on telecom sector

    The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has lamented that the scarcity of FOREX is biting hard on the telecommunications sector.

    ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo said on Monday in a statement in Lagos that the exemption of telecommunications from items to be accorded priority in the allocation of FOREX by the banks had adversely impacted on the industry.

    Adebayo said that the scarcity of FOREX had increased the operating cost of providing services in the industry.

    He said that in the absence of local substitutes for its plant and machinery, the service providers were constrained to source FOREX from interbank market at higher rates.

    According to him, the rates are higher compared to sectors like manufacturing, aviation and agriculture accorded priority in FOREX allocation at reduced rates by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    “Owing to the prevailing economic situation in the country, ALTON members cannot transfer the increased cost burden to the consumers, thereby contracting profitability and ability to make further investment to drive growth in the industry,’’ Adebayo said.

     

    He said that the prevailing scarcity of FOREX had created unfavourable credit terms, making it very challenging for ALTON members to honour their obligations to foreign vendors as at when due.

    Adebayo said that this had occasioned delayed payment to equipment suppliers and other foreign vendors who had now resorted to imposing unfavourable payment terms on service providers in Nigeria.

    He said that some of the foreign vendors had issued `Notice of Disconnection of Service’ which could disrupt service availability with attendant impact on customers’ experience.

    “This further underscores the need for an urgent action to be taken toward addressing the lingering scarcity of FOREX facing the industry,’’ the chairman said.

    He said that the FOREX problem had led to delayed implementation of Network Enhancement and Improvement Initiatives.

    According to him, ALTON members made commitments intended to ensure the implementation of National Quality of Service (QoS) Fixing Project.

    Adebayo said that the project was a coordinated network investment plan supervised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at designated locations nationwide over a period of time by the operators to ensure improved QoS.

    He said that the continuity of this initiative was dependent on obtaining FOREX to import equipment required to carry out the intended National QoS Fixing Project.

     

    According to him, if proactive measures are not taken to ensure easy access to FOREX, the project is likely to be adversely impacted, to the detriment of the citizenry and economy.

    He said that if the issue of FOREX scarcity was not addressed, it was bound to affect the National Broadband Plan.

    “The government in 2013 published a National Broadband Plan (2013 to 2018) intended to ensure the deployment of pervasive and ubiquitous broadband infrastructure nationwide.

    “The plan is to facilitate the realisation of a fivefold increase in broadband penetration from six per cent as at 2012 to 30 per cent by 2018.

    “On this note, the commission divided the country into seven zones and has licensed two Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) for Lagos and North Central Zones to deploy metro fibre optic network.

    “The commission recently published a notice on the commencement of the process for the licensing of remaining five InfraCos on Open Access Model for the deployment of optic fibre infrastructure broadband network in the other zones.

    “The zones are the North East, North West, South South, South East and the South West of the country,’’ the ALTON chairman said.

    According to him, it appears that the prevailing scarcity of FOREX has adversely impacted the deployment of metro fibre network, as the earlier licensed InfraCos are yet to make significant progress in their respective licensed locations.

    He said that there was the need for strategic support to service providers by ensuring easy access to FOREX to import required equipment and undertake the pending projects.

    Adebayo said that the support would ensure that operators fulfilled outstanding obligations to foreign vendors without further delay for the continued growth and development of the industry.

  • Police arrest man for stealing fowls

    The Police at Tedi-Muwo Police Post in Ojo, near Lagos on Monday arrested a 55-year-man,  Kazeem Obada, for allegedly stealing fowls.

    The owner of the fowls, Mr Chigozie Okoye, told a police team that arrested the suspect that he had lost five fowls and some eggs to thieves last week.

    He explained that he rented the space, housing his shop at a compound where the suspect was working as a security man and that he was paying the security man weekly.

    “I have a poultry farm at the Lagos State Ojo Farm Settlement but for quick sales l always bring fowl to the residential area where my shop is.

    “On Wednesday l left the shop for the farm in the care of the suspect as my wife who used to be there had just put to bed.

    “When l came back in the evening, l found that the wine net of the fowl shop has been burgled with fowls missing.

    “I made enquiry from neighbours and they told me that they saw the suspect around the place when l was away.

    “Because it was afternoon and the man is the care-taker of the place, the neighbours cannot question what he was doing around the place.

    “I accosted him on the matter and he owned up that he only took two fowls from the shop and that he would give me the money later.’’

    According to Okoye, the latest incident will make it the third time the security man has taken fowls without paying him.

    He said that what made him to arrest Obada was that he came to the shop and saw his shop damaged and that no single fowl was left in the shop.

    “I left the place by 9 p.m. on Sunday with 12 fowls inside the shop on getting to the place this morning, there was none there and the place was damaged.

    “It was when l got to the suspect’s place that l saw the tarpaulin l used to shield the fowls from rain, carefully hidden in his place and he was not around.

    “On further probe, his wife told me that both of them have been quarrying over the fowls all through the night.

    “The wife told me that her husband knew the where about of the fowls and has been scolding her to keep sealed slips over it,’’ Okoye stated.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on sighting the police, the suspect made attempt to escape but was out-witted by Okoye, who grabbed him and handed him over for further interrogation.

    One of the policemen, Mr Sunday Ibe, said that the matter was first reported by Okoye on March 8 and that his men came upon getting report of another fowl-stealing incident.

  • Lagos civil war

    A civil war looms in Lagos, though the reverberations are nationwide!

    Cold comfort, though: it’s not a fight-to-the-finish to share money, as you-know-who were notorious for.  It’s rather a raucous, kindred war to serve. That, to be sure, is comforting, for it could be worse!  Still, that comfort is icy cold.

    Hardball talks of no other than the fracas over the Lagos International Airport access road, which just broke out between former Lagos Governor and now Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and sitting Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. Now, is the Lagos revolution of excellence about to consume its own?

    Governor Ambode, at a news conference, had accused the Federal Works Ministry, under Fashola, of allegedly stalling the Lagos effort to expand the Oshodi-Murtala Muhammed International Airport access road into a 10-laner, befitting of the first point of contact, to foreigners arriving Nigeria. This, he claimed, was despite having a prior agreement, an agreed design and the cash to swing the project — which, he said, could be delivered in six months.

    But Fashola has charged back, accusing Ambode of bad faith and saying the process for the final approval of the project was outside his ministry’s powers. Only the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has the final say. But that body is yet to complete the process on the matter.

    The Yoruba say that no two parties can be chummy again, after dragging themselves to court.  But now that Ambode has dragged Fashola before the court of public opinion, what happens?

    This is a most unnecessary controversy between two young Lagosians, who are happy gifts to Nigeria, in focus and modern governance.  After proving his worth in Lagos, Fashola has moved to the federal plain, doing what he loves best — quality work.

    Ambode too, in Lagos, is busy taking the Fashola legacy to higher heights, just as Fashola built on the solid foundation Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (Lagos governor from 1999-2007) laid. Lagos has been the splendid winner.

    So, why are these two snapping at each other?  That is most unfortunate, for men of ideas seldom have time to row. They are too busy thinking and conceptualising and implementing to have time for such idle and plebeian stuff. Yet, these two are proven men of ideas!

    Well, both should quit this needless fight. It is scandalous to believe that Fashola (“Eko o ni baje!”) would harbour any anti-Lagos agenda. It is even more inconceivable that Ambode (“Itesiwaju Eko lo je wa logun”) would just kick-start a storm, that could well derail the lofty plans he has for a federal patch within his territory.

    Whatever is between them, the duo should sit and iron out. Lagos won’t forgive either, if petty bickering torpedoes any developmental agenda for Lagos.  From “Eko o ni baje” to “Itesiwaju Eko lo je wa logun”, it is time to vigorously walk the talk.

    And after the Lagos Airport project, the two should deliberate and collaborate on fixing the Apapa Expressway eyesore. Apapa cannot be the national goose with the golden egg, and yet remains a national eyesore.

    Lagos must take maximum advantage of its two bright sons: one, as innovative governor; the other, as visionary minister.  Anything less is absolute bunk.

  • Lagos eyes N100b bond for buses to replace Danfo

    Lagos eyes N100b bond for buses to replace Danfo

    Lagos State Government plans to raise about N100 billion bonds for its proposed Bus Reform Initiative (BRI), Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    The bonds will span between seven and 10 years.

    About N30 billion sinking fund has been set aside for its take off, he told reporters during an interview.

    The BRI, he said, was aimed at providing an alternative for Lagosians to commute daily.

    Under the three-year initiative, over 5,000 air-conditioned buses will replace the Danfo, which according to him, was no longer befitting for the state’s mega city status.

    “We decided that the best thing is to allow the yellow buses (Danfo) to go and so the BRI itself is a three-year plan of 2017 to 2019 under which 5,000 units of new buses will be brought in.

    “The bigger size buses will take 70 people and then the medium range buses will take 30 people. We believe that the middle range buses will be supplied up to 70 per cent of the total volume which will amount to about 3,600 units and then the longer range in that direction,” he said.

    The governor stated: “You are aware that the Federal Government paid the refund of the Paris Club Loan last December and this is money belonging to the state governments. So, Lagos State decided not to touch its share of the Paris Club refund. Right now, we have a sinking fund of N14.5billion that is already put in place to drive this public transportation bond.

    “We refused to touch our money and we believe that the second batch of the refund should be paid next month and eventually that will be N29billion that we will have. I will add another N1billion to it making it N30billion to kick-start this initiative.

    “By the time we have N30billion as sinking fund to drive the bus initiative against the bond of N100billion that we want to put into the market, there will be that credibility and credence that the bond will drive itself and that is the whole idea.”

    His administration, Ambode said, would give out franchise to interested stakeholders in multiple of 50 buses, 100 buses and 200 buses each, explaining that what is required is a 25 per cent down payment.

    “So, these are bankable projects as we have a sinking fund and so our exposure as a government is just technically 75 per cent. So, from the kind of machinery we want to use to run the buses, there are no cash takings, everything is automated and obviously, whoever has a franchise, whoever drives, they have the recourse to take part of the money while part of the intake also goes to the repayment of the facility and so it is a comprehensive template,” he said.

  • Many dangers of unsafe schools

    Many dangers of unsafe schools

    An incident happened last year which sent shock waves in Mafoluku,Oshodi Lagos state. A three year old child got down from a school bus, his water bottle fell down and rolled towards the back tyre of the bus, the boy went to the back of the bus to pick up the water bottle, just at that instance, the bus driver reversed and the boy was crushed to death on the spot. What a horrific tragedy!

     That accident could have been avoided, if the school had better safety compliant policy. A few observers at the scene of the accident argued that it was the drivers fault and attempted to lynch him but for the quick intervention of some passersby.

     One of the school safety requirements for schools is that there should be a crossing marshal, whose job it is to monitor drop off areas in school and pick up areas, to make sure that children alight safely from the bus and enter the school safely. Also, it is the job of the school bus attendant to monitor the children in and out of the school bus. Failure of the school to do these shows negligent on the part of the school management.

    School safety is a very important factor that a parent must put into consideration before enrolling his/her child in a school. Before you enroll your children in a school, you must check if the school is complying with at least minimum safety standards. You take a tour of the school and watch out for evidence of safety infrastructure e.g. clean toilets, separate staff toilet, security measures in place, perimeter fencing, the sanitary condition of the school, fire exits, safety signs on the wall, good ventilation, good lighting etc. These are minimum required standards. If a school does not meet these requirements, do not enroll your child in such a school. Some parents are not particularly meticulous in finding schools with high safety standards, to them checking for unsafe conditions in a school are immaterial; they focus more on the academic performance of the school, forgetting that their child’s life is at high risk in a school with no safety standards.

    Most parents don’t even know that they have a right to question any unsafe condition they find in a school and as a matter of fact they should demand for it to be fixed or they withdraw their children from such a school. A school that doesn’t put effort on the safety of children placed in their care should not be patronized or be allowed to function. Children that attend unsafe schools are prone to accidents, infection, abuse, serious injury and even death.

    Before schools are registered shouldn’t they attain minimum safety standard? The truth is that majority of schools in Nigeria are below the school safety standard.  Most classrooms in Nigerian schools are highly overcrowded, there are no safety policies in place, teachers are not trained on safety, no risk assessment  is being carried out, no evidence of safe recruitment, no emergency evacuation plan, no fire exits or fire extinguishers, no smoke detector, no school crossing marshal, no school bus attendants, untrained school bus drivers, no hand washing facilities, no sick bay, fire drill has never been done in the school, no appropriate toilet facilities, no access control and surveillance, hazardous chemicals in the school environment, slippery floors, steep stair ways, stairways without hand rails, no safety signs on the wall, defective structures, no programs on safety for children and so many ignored best practices.

    If you own a school, you must make safety a priority to avoid crisis in your school and parents should demand for safe condition and practices in their children’s school. Children spend a lot of time in school, so schools should offer a safe stimulating environment for children. 

    There is an ongoing Lagos state schools safety project by Lagos state safety commission. Safety inspectors are going to nursery, primary and secondary schools to conduct safety audits to ensure safety culture and compliance. This is highly commendable but should be scaled up and approached with greater aggression so that thousands of schools in our cities and communities can be forced to maintain the minimum required operational standards.

    Njideka obi, a lawyer, Child Safety Advocate/ Child Safety Expert.  08060424282, safersmarterchildren@gmail.com

  • All for Lagos

    All for Lagos

    It is understandable. Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State, is a leader in a hurry. In the next two months, the Chartered Accountant turned politician will reach the half time mark of his four year first term tenure. By this time next year, Lagos and other parts of the country will be in hyperactive election/re-election mode. There will be little time left for meaningful pursuit of the fulfillment of election promises. We can thus appreciate the frenetic pace of governance in Lagos and a few other states since May 29, 2015. The dazzling achievements of Mr Ambode’s first year in office seem today like eons away.

    The Ambode administration has since moved on light years further along the path of elevating Lagos to new heights of excellence transforming the megacity into one vast construction site in the process. Work is going on actively on the comprehensive regeneration of the Ojodu-Berger axis of the state, construction of the expansive Abule- Egba Flyover project as well as the Aboru- Abesan Link Road and Bridge, expansion and modernization of the Lekki Interchange, construction of the 10 Km bridge in Badagry to link the exotic Whispering Palms resort and the massive transformation and modernization of the sprawling Oshodi interchange.

    But then, the governor has his sights set even higher. Apart from constructing five new stadia and Arts Theatres, respectively, to be located in each of the five divisions of the state, Ambode’s prime vision is to expand, reconstruct and modernize the critical road linking Oshodi to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Describing the road, the entry port to Lagos, as a national embarrassment in its present state, Governor Ambode says his administration has already appropriated money for the project in the 2017 budget. In his words, “The state currently has a design of 10 lanes to come from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop you towards the Local Airport. The contractor is already set to go and everything as I said has been completed and we already have the cash, but alas we are having challenges with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH). This is a Federal and not a State road. The FMWH believes they should do the road but they have not been able to do it all these years past”. Mr. Ambode believes that the N2 billion appropriated for the road by the FMWH in the 2017 budget is grossly insufficient compared to the over N8 billion, which Lagos State already has at hand for the project. He emphasizes that if given the approval, Lagos State is poised to commence the job within two weeks and complete it within a time frame of six months.

    Mr. Ambode is equally piqued that six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved the handover of the Presidential Lodge, Marina, to Lagos State the FMWH has yet to honour the directive to enable the state gain access to the premises. Yet, the historic venue has been earmarked to play a pivotal role in ongoing programmes to celebrate Lagos at 50, which will climax on May 29. Ironically, the Minister currently in charge of the FMWH is none other than Mr Ambode’s immediate predecessor as Lagos State Governor, Mr.  Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Even though they may differ in temperament, disposition and political orientation, Ambode and Fashola also share a number of similarities. Both are accomplished professionals in their respective spheres. They are proven competent public sector leaders. Both are passionate about the best interest of Lagos. And the duo has a disdain for bureaucratic red tape and undue delays to policy and project delivery timelines.

    In his unsurprisingly legalistic response to Ambode, Fashola firstly seeks to establish that he has been supportive of Lagos as Federal Minister in the current dispensation. This he says he did by approving the use of the Federal Ministry of Works yard at Oworonsoki for the Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic, approving Lagos State being granted the Rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge and also supporting the approval of a World Bank Loan of $200 million to Lagos State, which had been denied by the previous administration. These are, of course, all highly commendable gestures. But there appears to me to be no reason why the Minister cannot also ensure prompt action on the no less important and critical requests from Lagos State as regards the International Airport Road and the Presidential Lodge, Marina.

    On the International Airport Road, Fashola points out that Lagos actually presented a request to take over four roads. According to him, “Due to the fact that two of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach a decision on them because it requested the input of the other state government affected”. Surely, this cannot apply to the International Airport Road, which is wholly within the territorial jurisdiction of Lagos State. Saying that Lagos State’s request has been presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Fashola explains that Federal Executive Council Memorandum are debated and commented upon by all members and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other material have to be provided to assist members understand the location of and connectivity of the roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist how they vote on the Memorandum”.

    It appears to me that what is needed here is for the Minister to deploy his widely acknowledged persuasive and logical reasoning skills to make a convincing case to his Ministerial colleagues to approve the Lagos State government’s request. The technical issues of surveys, maps and other material will be handled by competent professionals in affected ministries who are not necessarily members of FEC. The role of the latter to the best of my knowledge is essentially political. Most members of the FEC may not necessarily have the training or competence to make sense of what to them may be no more than esoteric technical documents.

    On the issue of the Presidential Lodge, Marina, the Minister was equally painstaking in his response. According to him, “As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the Ministry. After the approval by Mr. President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State Government, there was a directive to the Ministry to work out the modalities for handing over. The ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that is needed is a survey plan”. The only little dilemma here is why it was the FMWH and not any other ministry that was directed by the Presidency to ‘work out the modalities’ for handing over the facility to Lagos state! Matters get even ‘curiouser’ when the Ministry writes that “The Presidential Lodge is a high security location and officials of the Ministry also require security clearance to enter in order to do any works. Access to the lodge is not under the control of the Ministry”. This is a very serious matter. So which Ministry, Department or Agency will grant necessary security permission for the requisite access to ensure the President’s directive is carried out?

    The Minister complains that “If there is any lack of cooperation, it is on the part of the state government that has refused to acknowledge not talk of approving the Ministry’s request for Land for the National Housing Programme in Lagos”. Does this then suggest that the FMWH is deliberately stalling the Lagos State government’s requests because of this reason? That would surely not be a good exhibition of statesmanship. This is more so because as a well known advocate of true federalism, Mr. Fashola really ought to be steering the country’s housing policy away from the past unproductive practices of the Federal Government acquiring land for housing programmes that invariably end up as waste pipes and avenues for rampant corruption. There can be no genuine excuse for the FMWH under Fashola not to expedite action towards actualizing these two requests that are in the best interest of a state he governed with passion and distinction for two terms

  • ‘National Assembly not fair to Lagos’

    The Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Rotimi Abiru,  urged leaders not to play politics with the future of the country.

    Abiru, who spoke on a television programme monitored in Lagos. “The National Assembly is playing politics on the issue of Local Government creation done by Lagos state government during the administration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.”

    He saidthe Lagos state Government at the time did what the constitution   prescribed before new local governments can be created.

    Abiru, who represents Shomolu Constituency II, said: “The Governor of Lagos state then, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has respect for rule of law and craved development for Lagosians, hence the creation of additional 37 local governments to the existing 20.”

    The legislator said that, having done what the 1999 Constitution prescribed through a referendum across the state, it was left for the National Assembly to do its part by listing the new local councils in the constitution.

    “The politics being played by the National Assembly on the matter is condemnable”.

    Abiru stressed that in view of the large population of Lagos State, it is impossible to think that the state would bring optimal development with twenty local governments.

    “I think it’s time we all believed in the project called Nigeria for development and save our citizens from been killed in another country in the process of seeeking greener pasture when we fail to work for the collective greatness of our nation.

    The lawmaker also noted that, the Lagos Assembly has ensured over the years that the state Budget performed above eighty percent, which he said accounted for the development being witnessed today.

  • Policeman ‘shoots’ truck owner at Lagos ports

    Activities were disrupted at the Tin-Can Island Port Complex yesterday after a yet-to-be identified police officer shot a truck owner simply identified as Alhaji Dan Jos.

    The officer, it was learnt, is attached to the RORO Division of the police.

    Members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tin Can Chapter are demanding that the officer should face the law.

    According to an eyewitness, the officer shot Dan Jos for challenging him for urinating on a truck parked in the garage

    He was said to have invited his colleagues who provided him the gun he used to shoot Dan Jos.

    “The police officer was urinating on one of our trucks when Alhaji challenged him, it later led to an altercation and he called his colleagues from the division who came and shot Alhaji at the thigh.”

    The RTEAN chapter Chairman, Isiaka Olalere, said: “I have just been told now that one of my members has been shot by a police officer. I am going to the garage to put everything under control.”

    Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Maritime Command, Sadik Olatunde, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said he was not aware of the crisis.

    He, however, promised to get across to the Divisional Police Officer to put things under control.”

  • Over 100,000 tons of fertilizer raw materials arrive Lagos ports

    Over 100,000 tons of fertilizer raw materials arrive Lagos ports

    The bilateral agreement entered into by President Muhammadu Buhari and the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, on massive production of fertilizers in the country has started yielding positive results, investigation has revealed.

    When The Nation visited the Lagos ports yesterday, over 100,000 tons  of imported  raw materials from Morocco were found at the various terminals at the Tin-Can Island and Lagos Port Complex. They were also being off loaded from ships and transported to various blending plants across the country.

    It was also discovered that seven out of the 13 blending plant have started operation and 13,000 metric tons  have been produced and supplied to agro dealers  in Jigawa and Kebbi states. More states would soon be supplied, it was gathered.

    Farmers in the country, it was gathered, should be expecting bumper harvest in this farming season as one million metric tons of raw materials to produce the fertilizer start to arrive the ports.

    Sources at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said it was part of the initiatives of the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association (FEPSAN), led by Mr Thomas Etuh.

    Etuh, a source said, had been working with the Federal Government on how to make fertilizer available and affordable in the country.

    The urea  raw material,  it was learnt, is being transported from the Indorama plant in Portharcourt to the blending plants in other states to get the finished product.

    Some of the basic ingredients of the fertilizer, the official said, include limestone granules which have have started leaving Okpella in Edo State and Kaduna for the blending plants

  • Ambode’s claims on Airport road, Presidential lodge not true- Works Ministry

    Ambode’s claims on Airport road, Presidential lodge not true- Works Ministry

    The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has denied claims by Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode that it is frustrating his efforts to carry out a “total reconstruction” of the International Airport Road from Oshodi in Lagos.
    It also said it is not true that the Ministry is denying the Lagos Government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved it off for the State.
    The Ministry denied the accusations of Governor Ambode in a statement by Special Adviser, Communications, to the Minister of Works, Hakeem Bello.
    The full statement follows:

    The attention of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has been drawn to certain statements credited to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode claiming that the “Federal Ministry of Works“ has been frustrating the efforts of his administration to carry out a “total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.
    The Governor also reportedly accused the “Federal Ministry of Works and Housing” and Security Services of denying the State Government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved it off for the State.
    This response is to ensure that members of the public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent mis-statements.
    The allegations of lack of cooperation from the Ministry and frustration of Lagos State Government development initiatives are simply not true and the facts do not bear them out.
    In 2016, the Hon Minister for Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, approved the use of the Federal Ministry of works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.
    The Hon Minister also approved that Lagos State be granted the Rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the State, a request which the previous Federal Government administration had denied Lagos State for years.
    During the same year the Hon Minister also supported the approval of the World Bank Loan of $200m to Lagos State, again a request the previous administration had denied Lagos State.
    As far as International Airport Road which is currently the ground for alleged “frustration” is concerned, the correct position is that the Lagos State Government presented a request for FOUR roads that it would wish to take over.
    This is consistent with the position being canvassed by the Hon Minisiter for States who are interested to apply to take over Roads that are within their States.
    The Ministry has presented the Memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State Government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016.
    Due to the fact that TWO of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other State Government affected.
    The Kaduna State Government requested the Federal Government to transfer two roads within Kaduna Metropolis to the State in November 2015. Due process was followed and the request of the State Government was approved in August 2016, a period of ten months.
    Federal Executive Councill Memorandum are debated and commented upon by all members and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other material have to be provided to assist members understand the location and connectivity of the roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist how they vote on the Memorandum.
    As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the Ministry.
    After the approval by Mr President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State Government, there was a directive to the Ministry to work out the modalities for handing over.
    The Ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that is needed is a survey plan.
    The Presidential Lodge is a high security location and officials of the Ministry also require security clearance to enter in order to do any works.
    Access to the lodge is not under the control of the Ministry.
    The motive behind this public accusations must therefore be scrutinized coming barely a week after the Governor spoke with the Honorable Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN on the outstanding requests of the State for several minutes and the Minister took time to explain the situation of things to the Governor. (The first telephone conversation the Governor has had with the Minister since May 29, 2015).
    If there is any lack of co-operation it is on the part of the State Government that has refused to acknowledge not to talk of approving the Ministry’s request for Land of the National Housing Programme in Lagos.
    The Ministry is not frustrated by this lack of response and remains optimistic that a response will come from Lagos State.
    The Ministry remains committed to serving the Government and Good People of Lagos and will treat all their requests on Merit and in accordance with necessary due process as will be done to other States.
    As far as the refund of N51Billion is concerned this is not a new item. Almost all if not all states have these claims and the Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing has verified these claims.
    What is left is the process of raising the finance to pay the Debt owed to the States.
    Those who are familiar with the workings of Government will attest to the fact that it is an intricate sequence of processses, consultation and collaboration.
    Equating processes to a lack of co-operation is therefore akin to creating a storm in a tea cup.