Press Releases

700 Days In Office: Fashola Hands Over 3 Roads In Yaba, Says, “Our Vision Is Vindicated”

Apr 28, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday handed over three completed roads in Yaba to the communities in the Yaba Local Council Development Area, saying the vision of his administration has been vindicated.

The three roads, Montgomery Road, Commercial Avenue and Aje Street, are part of the total 37 roads slated for reconstruction in the area by the present administration in fulfillment of the campaign promises of the Governor.

Addressing a crowd comprising residents, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, at the Herbert Macaulay/Commercial Avenue Junction, Sabo venue of the handover ceremony, which also witnessed the unveiling of the statue of Sir Herbert Macaulay, Governor Fashola said the vision of his administration to attract back investors and residents to the former middleclass town and entertainment centre of the Lagos Metropolis has been vindicated with the return of business concerns like Domino Stores.

Governor Fashola, who recalled that Yaba was once one of the most sought after real estate in Lagos and host to Nigeria’s emerging middleclass elite immediately after Independence, however, lamented that the glory of the area was lost as a result of many years of political instability.

“This was a place to find Kakadu Nite Club and many other resorts where Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Bobby Benson, Tunde Nightingale, Art Alade and so many other Nigerian musicians, artists and entertainment impresarios strutted the stage and displayed their talents. Yaba never had a dull moment”, the Governor recalled.

Expressing regrets that many years of political instability denied places like Yaba of the presence of any meaningful government that had time for developmental programmes, the Governor further lamented, “Yaba thereafter became the place everyone passed through but did not want to stay. Many chose Ikeja, the new State capital while others chose Ikoyi and new emerging settlements like Lekki”.

“Domino Stores folded up, Mainland Hotel struggled to attract clientele in spite of investments. Oyingbo Market could not find investments for its re-development, Railway compound depreciated as a prime real estate, Iddo, a historic settlement in the history of Lagos and Otto, became slums, property values slumped”, he said.

The Governor, however, expressed joy that many people have started coming back to live in Yaba even as property values and income have improved with the developments going on, indicating that the vision of his administration to restore the full glory of Yaba would be realized as other developments slated for the area come to fruition.

Such developments, according to the Governor, include the two Tejuosho Markets currently under construction and the Red Route intra-city rail that will link Lagos with Ijoko in Ogun State which will originate from Iddo through Yaba corridor to Mushin and Agege, as well as the various road networks slated for the area.

Urging the residents to develop a strong Residents Association to protect the assets on behalf of Lagosians, Governor Fashola commended the efforts of some individuals who, according to him, grew up in Yaba and who have come back home and are currently leading from the front and acting as the vanguard to help his administration achieve the renewal of the area.

The Governor described the working relationship between the people and the Local Government Chairman as the best evidence of democratic governance in Lagos State, a government owned by the people and working with the people, adding, “I urge you to keep it up and implore other neighbourhoods to emulate the Yaba rebirth”.

Governor Fashola called for more prompt payment of taxes saying this would ensure the tempo of development would not slow down and that such developments would be spread to other parts of the Metropolis, such as Ajegunle, Mushin, Agege, and other sub-urban towns around the State

Calling on the people to go beyond the payment of taxes to protect the infrastructures being put on ground, Governor Fashola declared, “We would need more of your civic responsibility, not to build on drains or obstruct them with refuse. We would need you to dispose your refuse through our PSP Operations and LAWMA and to pay your refuse bills promptly. This is the way it is done everywhere else. Lagos or Yaba cannot be left behind. This is taxation representation. This is the reason you elected us to serve you”.

The Governor also urged property owners to paint the exterior of their buildings as a way of complementing the transformation efforts of the government while he also urged those whose buildings are old and defective to immediately apply to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for permission to demolish and rebuild them. The Governor later commissioned the rehabilitated Domino Stores

In a letter of gratitude, the Aje Street, Commercial Avenue, McNeil Road, Agard Street and Chapel Street Residents Association described the transformation of the area by the State Government as an epic and historic feat.

In the letter signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Association, Chief (Mrs.) Q. Wusu-Adeniji (Towe of Badagry), the Association declared, “Fashola has done very well indeed and we in this community say a very big thank you to you our indefatigable Governor for upgrading our neighbourhood”.

The Association prayed that God in His infinite mercies will bless the Governor and his family and grant Nigeria more leaders like him while they urged all Lagosians to pay their taxes in order to see more and enjoy the benefit of such civil obligation.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, lamented that the statue of Sir Herbert Macaulay was defaced over the years as traders, miscreants and mentally challenged people took over the arena and carried out unwholesome activities which negated the spirit for which the statue was erected.

According to him, in fulfillment of the directive of the Governor that tombs, gardens, parks, statues etc built in memory of revered heroes of the State should never again be allowed to relapse into rot, the Ministry of the Environment embarked on the renovation of the statue and the beautification and landscaping of the site.

The Commissioner said the three roads being handed over were among the 18 roads awarded to Messrs PW Nigeria Limited within the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area in February 2008 as part of the Government’s infrastructural renewal Programme in the State.

He said due to lack of infrastructural maintenance over the years, the Lagos Mainland has lost its glory as a highbrow area adding that the only standard road in the area was the Herbert Macaulay Road which was constructed by the Federal Government in the 1970s.

According to him, the three roads have a combined length of 1.51 kilometres with an average width of 10 metres to allow for roadside parking adding that a number of other inner roads are at various stages of construction to bring relief to commuters and service Murtala Mohammed Way which is also under reconstruction.

He said the three roads will distribute traffic to Herbert Macaulay Way which has also been slated for reconstruction and expansion with provision for BRT lanes.

Warning against cutting of the roads, the Commissioner urged the CDAs, Resident Associations and corporate community in the area to assume responsibility for the roads and protect the assets on the roads.

Also present at the ceremony were the Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN), the Special Adviser on Works, among other members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries and top government functionaries.