Lagos light rail project to be ready in June - Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday undertook an extensive tour of projects across the State just as he disclosed that the first phase of the State's Light Rail Project, from
Iganmu to Marina in Central Lagos, would be completed in June this year.Projects inspected by the Governor during the tour that lasted the entire day include the Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2 Light Rail Stations, on-going projects at the Lagos State University (LASU), Maternal and Child Care Centre, FESTAC, Okota-Ago Palace Road, Ejigbo-Ajao Link Bridge, Network of roads around Jimoh Ajao Street, Igando HOMS and Resettlement Relief Camp, Igando, on-going projects at Alimosho General Hospital (School of Nursing and Hostel among others) and Samuel Jinadu Street in Markaz area of Orile Agege among others.
Speaking at the Iganmu Light Rail Station where he also inspected the tracks already laid for the rail and the coach engine positioned as well as flagged off the Track Laying commencement, Governor Fashola said while the first phase of the project would be ready in June, work on the rail would continue to Okokomaiko even as the expansion of the Lagos Badagry Expressway continues.He told newsmen, "You know we have the two projects linked together, the road expansion and the Light Rail simultaneously. And now we are trying to see how we can take the Rail from the National Theatre to Marina. Hopefully, when that is done, we can heave a sigh of relief. Though there is still work to be done, but so far so good"."This is what we do with the money which we borrow; we do not borrow money to pay salaries, we don't borrow money to run our overhead. We are investing it in infrastructure. This is the type of transportation that I dream for this country; this is the type of transportation that I dream for this State and not mass transportation by motorcycles", the Governor said.He recalled his visit to Ajah Ferry Station recently saying the station links with the Ferry Terminal in Ikorodu as well as the one in Mile 2 adding, "This is what we have been talking about. It may be taking sometime but this is the dream we have, it is manifesting itself more clearly".
Noting that China opened what is, perhaps, the fastest high speed rail in the world that covers about 300 kilometres per hour, Governor Fashola declared, "Why can't that happen here? It is really no rocket science, if we can't invent it, we can buy it and that is what we are doing. We are buying facilities to have it installed here".Governor Fashola, who had earlier addressed some residents of Iganmu at the venue on the need to keep the surroundings of the project clear of refuse, stressed the need for them to take ownership of the project, pointing out that no traveller on the train would like to be seeing refuse on the right and left sides of the Light Rail when it finally becomes functional."
I have spoken to the residents and I am sure we will see some changes. They have to change their refuse management habit", the Governor said disclosing that the State Government is planning a housing estate of about 1008 flats at Ijora."People should be able to live close to the train station and walk about a kilometre to their homes. So it is a dream, it is beginning to come together. This is what we saw and we will deliver it", he said.At the Lagos State University, Ojo, where he inspected the Students' Arcade, the Law Theatre, Main Library, Senate Building, School of Transportation and other projects, Governor Fashola promised that most of the on-going projects would be completed soon adding that the Government is working with the new Governing Council of the institution to upgrade its infrastructure."We are working with the Governing Council that we set up. They already have their own plans too that they are going to present to me. So we are on the move", the Governor said adding that the only issue that remains to be addressed is the people who have encroached on the land belonging to the institution.
According to the Governor, "It is either they leave that land or they come and pay to LASU because that is where LASU will make its own money to fund its own activities, pay its lecturers, manage its schools as a self-supporting independent university deserving of the Centre of Excellence".Also speaking to newsmen after inspecting the Mile 2 Jetty, Governor Fashola, who recalled that the Jetty was built by first civilian governor of the State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, noted that when he visited the Jetty three years ago "all sorts of things had happened here. People had actually built on the property, Government property", adding, "It was a walk back"."But we have reclaimed the premises back. The boats in the water were left there and they are aluminum boats. Aluminum boats don't die; so before the end of this year, those five boats will be back fully retrofitted, with new engines, new seats and new navigation system. And so we are adding another five boats to our Lagos Ferry Service in addition to the two we got in December. That gives us seven", he said.
Noting that there are other operators who are running metro ferry plaza, Governor Fashola declared, "If we finish the retrofitting of the Mile 2 boats and Mile 2 Terminal, it means that the old waterway running from this place to Marina is back and available to people of Amuwo Odofin, Mile 2 and all others and this will extend now to Oke-Afa where we are building another jetty in the course of this year"."This jigsaw is fitting in.
So that means we can get down at Mile 2 Rail Terminus which is about 300 metres from here and take the ferry boat to Marina. This is the intermodal transportation I am talking about. It is beginning to fall into place", the Governor said.Speaking on the Okota Road expansion, the Governor said the community has outgrown the road and there is a need to expand it, adding that it explains the need for increasing infrastructure investment.He added that the population has grown many times past where the government did not build infrastructure to support the road, stressing that as government moved to address that deficit the population has not stopped growing."So, we are trying to expand Okota Road and some of the properties needed to give way. Everybody wants a good road but no one wants it to pass through his house. So, some of the tenements took us to court and I think we have settled out of court now and we have to pay compensation".He reiterated that these are part of the things that the members of the public are not privy as he has heard several complaints that the road is very slow, adding that the basic reason why the job has been slow is because a citizen took the State Government to court.On the new Relief Resettlement Camp at Igando, the Governor said irrespective of how the government has continually advocated for planning, safety and avoidance of accidents and prepared, accidents will happen.He added that there already exists a Resettlement Camp in Agbowa with which the state could respond quickly when it had the problem of flooding in Ajegunle in Ikorodu about two years ago.He said the camp at Igando is the second being built by the state government explaining that while it recognizes that accidents will happen it doesn't want to be caught by surprise as the government is always thinking ahead."We think ahead as we plan to be safe. We also plan that accidents might happen, we should save lives by putting people in a place where government can start thinking of dealing with repairing of roads and repairing other things. We don't pray for accidents but we prepare for the worst and hope for the best", the Governor said.On the progress of work on the Lagos Badagry Road expansion, the Governor stated that contrary to insinuations in certain quarters a lot of work is actually going on.
According to him what is going on now is a soil replacement process as shown by the observed heaps of sands because the soil in the area has become unsuitable having been used as a refuse dump over the years.He said there is also a pipe network just as there is a need to take care of a gas pipeline and the relocation of all the electricity cable, explaining that construction workers cannot just go in and remove PHCN cable without getting the PHCN involved."We are at the stage where we are relocating facilities. That is why to the uninformed, it would appear as if we have stopped work. We have not stopped work, relocation of those facilities is going on", the Governor said.Governor Fashola also said the issue of relocation is also on going as compensation is being given to people who have had to give up their properties so that the work can get done."So, but be very sure that casting and preparation of all the concrete is going on behind the scene. By the time we finish the relocation and the contractor moves to positioning the things, it would be quicker than you think and you would think it happened overnight, Governor Fashola said.On a probable date of completion, the Governor said he could not give a date of completion as it is tied to so many things including challenges that are very observable and those that are not very observable but surfaces on the field and have to be solved.
He also identified funding as one of the determinants, adding that it explains one of the reasons why he went to the House of Representatives to appeal for the approval of a second tranche of 200 million dollars loan out of the 600 million dollars World Bank loan which the government intends to use part of to finance the project.On media reports about plans to demolish about 50 houses in Jakande Estate in Isolo and Gatankowa Market, the Governor said when he went to Gatankowa, what he said was that a committee would be set up and that the present occupants should work with the Ministry of Physical Planning on the issue.He also reminded that the people of Gatankowa had no rights to the land as it belonged to government but in spite of that the government was going to work with the present occupants to redevelop the place in a way that they will not be displaced."People should also understand that we don't just wake up and go and demolish. There is a process. We will not demolish a building unless it was built without authorization. We would not demolish a building unless it is injurious to human life and if we have to choose between property and life, this government will choose life first", the Governor said.He said the reports are sensational stories that make headlines and also sell papers, adding that even for argument sake if it is assumed that it is true, the government won't just demolish the structures and go away wondering why the reports didn't highlight that government is planning to redevelop structures that constitute hazards to their inhabitants.He buttressed his point with one of the places visited at Ajao Ejigbo where in order to save some properties, a bridge project was split into two, adding that government does not get credit for such action which cost more.While also citing the example of Dolphin Scheme, the Governor said three years ago, a new drain was built instead of demolishing properties in order to deflood the area."All the sensationalism about demolition is not consistent with what we are doing. We are building over 400 housing units here, we are building another 400 plus in Ogba, about 500 in Sangotedo and over 600 in Agbowa", Governor Fashola informed."We are starting from Ajara in Badagry. I also told you about what we are going to do in Ijora from this year with about 1008 housing units. That is not consistent with a government that is demolishing. We are builders and not demolishers. We are focused; we know where the target is. We are locked on target and that is why we are all out here as a team from our Local Governments to House of Assembly, members of the House of Representatives. This government is tight, it knows where its goal is and it knows what its people expect of it and would deliver it".On what the reaction of the Governor would be to criticisms that even clearly people oriented projects like jetties, roads, light rail project and Maternal and Child Care Centers are elitist, he said the message to be taken away is that when one becomes the issue and begins to get things done, it is going to generate a lot of controversy.He said governments that have not delivered on the promise that they have made to people would have probably resigned themselves to fate because they could not perform."So, when a government begins to do things, you begin to do things, you begin to hear all sorts of comments. Oh it's too expensive, oh the contractor is his friend, but if it did not happen, there is nothing to talk about. We understand that but that will not stop us from doing what we need to do", he explained."We were at the Maternal and Child Care Hospitals in Alimosho and Amuwo Odofin. You will see their state of readiness. Now, we are testing equipment and we are recruiting the staff preparatory to take off. You also saw the school of Nursing in Alimosho which should start operation sometime this year ".
He added that the personnel training would be the next step and would involve feeding all the MCCs that the State Government has now and also train nurses who are passionate and who care because that is the real challenge in healthcare globally now.Governor Fashola stated that treatment is only halfway now as care is the real issue as exemplified by what the National Health Insurance Scheme is doing by asking patients to fill a form indicating when they have been discharged who has cared for them most which is a measure of service delivery.He also informed that he was at Orile -Agege behind Markaz to inspect a site because the report he got was that it was being put to unacceptable uses which necessitated his including it on his itinerary for the inspection."We have seen but we will go back to our security meeting and take appropriate actions now that we have clear appraisal of what is going on there", he explained.The Governor was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Hon (Mrs) Adejoke Orelope –Adefulire, members of the State Executive Council and was rereceived at each point of visit by Local Government Chairmen including Chairman of Apapa -Iganmu Local Council Development Area, Dr Adedayo Adesola, Ojo Local Government, Hon Mursiq Durosinmi, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, member of the House of Representatives representing Oshodi -Isolo Federal Constituency, Hon Hakeem Muniru, members of the State House of Assembly including, Hon Mufutau Egberongbe representing Apapa 1, and Hon Lanre Ogunyemi representing Ojo II.