Fashola: FG’s Plan to Take Over Lagos-Badagry Road Unfortunate

Fashola: FG’s Plan to Take Over Lagos-Badagry Road Unfortunate

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said on Sunday that the plan of the federal government to take over the Lagos-Badagry expressway currently being re-developed by his administration was ill-fated and unfortunate.
He also lamented the delay of the federal government to approve a corridor for the development of a light rail (red line) project which, he said, had been designed and perfected.
He expressed disappointment with the federal government’s approach to issues relating to Lagos State development, while giving his account of stewardship to mark 2,700 days in office at the Lagos TV complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja yesterday.
Fashola, who addressed a wide range of stakeholders in the state, including the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, and Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefilure, at the public meeting, said the federal government “will have the state to deal with on the planned takeover.”
He said: “About the light rail project, I have told you that the red line was delayed because we have to receive the federal government’s approval to share their corridor. On the statement credited to the Minister for Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, honestly, I do not know.
“I have not heard it. I have not read it. I think it will be wise to hear what he has to say about the matter. I think it will be a very unfortunate journey to even contemplate that kind of idea,” the governor explained.
Fashola, however, said the federal government “will have us to deal with if that is the case. I do not think that anybody who is sensible want will want to stand in the way of development,” expressing doubt about the plan.
According to the governor, what will the objective be when you are not providing the money? You are not providing the design. We are reconstructing the road so that our state can move forward. I do not want to believe that he made that statement. I think we will leave it there.
On Ebola Virus Disease, (EVD),Fashola said the state government had finalised arrangements to deploy some health workers who had helped in the containment of the deadly virus in the state to Sierra Leone.
The governor said the health workers were to replicate the state’s virus containment strategies in the Sierra-Leone with a view to assisting the Ebola-hit country overcome the health crisis.
Fashola said though Nigeria was as of now free from the disease, there “is still the risk of new infections from cross-border movements.“
The state’s planned mission to Sierra Leone is not only to assist the country to deal with the huge health challenge but also to reduce the risk of the disease crossing to countries within the sub-region.
“Lagos is free from Ebola, Nigeria is free from Ebola. But that does not mean there cannot be another case. For as long as people are moving from country to country, the risk of infections is still there. That is why I appeal to the federal government to continue to scrutinise people travelling into Nigeria from land, sea and air from regions where the problem is still ravaging.
“That is why some of the things the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, will be announcing very soon is the arrangements we are making to send some of our health workers and volunteers to go and help out in Sierra Leone. That is the only way we, the whole of Africa and the World, can be