The Nation Newspaper

Tag: light rail

  • Lagos light rail project dragging too long — PDP

    The Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic PartyParty (PDP) has decried what it called the “frequent delays” in the delivery of the state light rail project.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Taofik Gani, expressed the concern in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday.

    The PDP was reacting to a statement by the state government that the first phase of the project (Blue Line), which commenced in 2008, could only be delivered in 2022.

    The state government had initially promised 2011 and then 2018 as delivery dates for the 27km light rail project running between Marina, Mile 2 and Okokomaiko.

    Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, Director of the Lagos Area Metropolitan Authority (LAMATA) had on Sunday said the shift in date followed a comprehensive review of all the aspects of the project by the state government.

    He explained that the foreign consultants engaged to do the technical and due diligence on the project said detailed work would not finish on it before 2022.

    The PDP, however, said the project had almost become a drain pipe consuming the state ‘s resources endlessly.

    According to Gani, the amount of money spent did not reflect the level of work done so far on the project.

    Gani said it was surprising that Mr Babatunde Fashola, the immediate past governor of the state, now the Minister of Works, could not support the project”s delivery.

    “This project was estimated to end within two years, now it is to end in 2022, that is 12 years after due delivery date.

    “All monies purportedly spent on the project did not reflect in the work done.
    .
    “So many property owners in the axis are still crying for compensation even as government claim total payment of compensatiion.It is a lies.

    “We demand a probe of this project and indeed many other projects suffering the same fate as the rail project,” he said. (NAN)

  • Oyo, Chinese firm sign MoU on light rail

    The Oyo State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, CCECC, for the building of a light rail transport system covering about 24 kilometres within Ibadan, the state capital.

    Speaking at the ceremony, which took place at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Ibadan at the week-end, Governor Abiola Ajimobi described the development as another milestone in his administration’s quest to modernise major cities in the state.

    He said  the project was long overdue for the state with a

    population of over 10 million, stressing that any city with a population of at least two million required a light rail system of

    “We believe that in our quest to modernise Oyo State, particularly in

    the area of transportation having a light rail system is a sine qua non.

    “Ibadan as a city, and indeed, Oyo State, with over 10 million people, is overdue for a rail system that can move people in large numbers from places to places. Rail is the largest and most effective transportation system to achieve this.”

  • Agbaje promises light rail for Ikorodu

    Agbaje promises light rail for Ikorodu

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said his government would construct a light-rail system to tackle the traffic gridlock in Ikorodu and connect it with other parts of the metropolis.

    On a visit to his paternal roots as part of his ongoing tour of local governments, Agbaje said he recognised the harrowing experience the people suffered daily in a bid to access other parts of the state.

    Agbaje hails from the Lasunwon Ruling House. His father, Prince Joseph Kosebinu, is a descendant of the roayl family.

    According to him, part of the holistic solution he would proffer to the problem, if elected, would be the construction of a railway system to link the town with other parts of Lagos.

    In reference to the road construction going on between Ikorodu and Ojota, he said: “This road that they have been constructing for all these years have been inflicting suffering upon the people of Ikorodu. It is not designed to solve the traffic gridlock.”

    Agbaje said, although the current regime in the state had embarked on some infrastructural developments, projects on ground were not commensurate with money reported to have been earned in the last 16 years.

  • ‘Why we delayed Lagos light rail project’

    ‘Why we delayed Lagos light rail project’

    Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Obafemi Hamzat yesterday said the Lagos Light Rail Project was delayed for six months to enable commercial motorcyclists acquire the skills required to be part of the project.

    Hamzat spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while delivering the Second Distinguished Lecture Series, tagged: “Think Oyo”.

    The commissioner, who spoke on: Infrastructure: A Critical Ingredient for National Development, said the government suspended the project when it discovered that the contractors planned to import thousands of skilled artisans from Togo, due to shortage of skilled artisans in Lagos.

    He said the government insisted that Nigerians must be engaged in the project because a major advantage of investing in infrastructure is job creation.

    Hamzat said the government set up five skill acquisition centres, where thousands of commercial motorcyclists and unemployed youths were trained for the project.

    He said: “It is clear that infrastructure, where well implemented, is directly correlated with the development of any community, state or country.

    “Experience has shown that people, especially in developing countries, make this sole demand of their government. It is the true test of their support.”

    Classifying infrastructure into social and economic, Hamzat said studies have shown that infrastructure development is a major determinant of economic growth and lack of it hinders sustainable growth.

    The commissioner cited the example of how the United States (US) developed its infrastructure and the consequent economic stimulation.

    He also referred to Brazil, which spent the last two decades building its infrastructure through borrowing and private sector financing.

    Hamzat said Brazil ranks among the top eight economies in the world today.

    He said Lagos State is focusing on power, agriculture, transportation and housing (PATH) to boost its economy.

    Hamzat said the government was working on a blueprint that will give the state leverage on its geographical, economic and demographic strengths.

    He said the state’s PATH projects include the widening of the Mile 2- Badagry Road, the construction of the Lekki-Epe road, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the light rail project, construction of bridges, roads and others that will connect the state with other countries in West African.

  • Ogun signs MoU on light rail

    •‘We didn’t obtain N85b secret loan’

    The Ogun State Government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) on the light rail mass transit planned to link major cities in the state.

    Signing the MoU in his office in Abeokuta, the state capital, Governor Ibikunle Amosun said there could be no development without putting the necessary infrastructure in place.

    He said: “We have been doing our best on roads, but it is high time we paid attention to rail as well. We are starting the mass transit within Abeokuta metropolis. This will be extended to other major towns, including the Ado-Odo/Ota axis which will encompass all border areas with Lagos.

    “Our first focus is intra-city rail mass transit. After that, we will link the cities together. In the next couple of years, you will begin to see the results of what we are doing to make the transportation of goods and services easier.”

    CCECC Managing Director Cao Bao Gang assured Amosun that the project would be executed in adherence to international standard. He said it would create jobs.

    Also yesterday, the Ogun State government debunked the allegation that it obtained a secret loan of N85 billion without legislative approval.

    Speaking on the floor of the House of Assembly, Commissioner for Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said the claim was a plot by mischief makers to discredit the Amosun administration.

    Mrs. Adeosun said: “The beautiful thing about number is that it is verifiable. We have only borrowed N27 billion for capital projects that you and I can see in 20 years time.

    “Amosun is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and I am a member, so we cannot engage in shady financial transactions. In the last 22 months, we have re-engineered the state’s finances by blocking revenue leakages and encouraging residents to pay tax.

    “This effort has yielded positive results, as the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) has increased from N750 million to N3 billion annually.”