Press Releases

We Are Thinking Ahead And Not Building Lagos For Today – Fashola

Mar 19, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday assured Lagosians that the present administration is thinking ahead and not building Lagos for today but for 50 to 60 years to come when the present leaders may have left the stage.

Governor Fashola spoke in an interview with newsmen at the end of a tour of on-going projects in Kosofe/Oshodi/Isolo Amuwo Odofin and Ojo Local Government areas of the State.

In his words: “We are not building Lagos for today, we are building for 50 to 60 years ahead when some of us may be too old or may have left the stage. We are trying to make sure that the generation after us does not have to do this kind of work again but make it easier for them.”

Governor Fashola while responding to a question about on-going work on the LASU/ Iba Road said the State Government has decided to expand the central divide of the road in order to ensure that it can be preserved as a landmark for the future.

He added that this would become useful in the event that the road ever gets congested again, it would be used for a mono rail to solve the problem, adding that the work on the road is substantially completed as it is already being put to use. He added that the issue with Lagos is not the lack of, but that there are too many projects to be handed over.

On a request that he assesses his administration in the last one quarter, the Governor said it would take more than one day to assess what the State Government has done in a whole quarter, “today is just day one of what we set ourselves to do. To evaluate our work this quarter. It is a continuous work and we would be on the road for quite a while and may be when we finish may be in the first to second week of April, we would be able to deliver our first quarter report”.

“Certainly, you cannot deliver the first quarter report of this administration in one day. We have just started. We have not been to Alimosho, Surulere, Yaba, Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry. There is so much work going on “, he added.

Governor Fashola also told newsmen that during the tour, the State took over the transfer loading station that would help improve its capacity to manage solid waste and express its happiness that it was achieved with a project team that was made up of brilliant local people, adding that it is a demonstration of what people can do if given the opportunity.

He explained that he was also at Oworonshoki to take possession of the Jetty which the Federal Government released to Lagos last week and which it is ready to make ready for water transportation.

He added that he was also at Gbadaga General Hospital where the State is building kidney transplant centre, heart transplant centre and management facility in addition to a burns and trauma unit.

He revealed that the issues relating to drainage and flooding that has characterized the area with Atunrashe canal has now been resolved.

The Governor who was also at Mafoluku area to inspect the extent of work at Ajibulu road which is expected to link Oshodi with Airport road is progressing with the drainage work well advanced, adding that the project will be delivered ahead of schedule.

Governor Fashola expressed optimism that the work going on the Itire Okota link bridge is progressing and should be completed by August this year and would help connect at least seven Local Governments together and ease traffic congestion around Ijesha, Itire, Mile 2, Okota, Isolo, Ago Palace Way, Amuwo Odofin and Festac.

In his words: “We handed over the Ago Palace Way which we started about 15 months ago. The road is ready now, built into a first class highway with three lanes on both sides with street lights”.

“We expect that the people will take ownership. The tax payers with whose money it was built would take ownership and ensure that those roads are used only for the purpose they are intended which is traffic flow not for markets, not for trading or parking”, he retreated.

The Lagos State Helmsman said he expects that communities and CDAs and Residents Associations will take ownership and project assets which clearly belong to them, adding that this informed the reason why the state is handing over projects to communities at each location they have been completed.

Governor Fashola was also at Amuwo Odofin where he made a quick stop at the General Hospital protect which is expected to house the 100 bed maternal and child care centre designed for women and children and help in addressing the issue of maternal and child mortality.

The Governor rounded off the tour with a visit to the Ariyo-Ira-Amuwo-Tedi-Abule Oshun road under construction in Ojo with a bridge to link the area of Lagos to Alaba International market and provide connectivity to the oncoming Lagos-Badagry Express Way which contract has already been awarded.