Omi-gbigbona Collective

Fashola signs new model city bill into law

2009-05-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 05, 2009 Guardianonline

Fashola signs new model city bill into law
By Seye Olumide

THE Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday signed into law the new model city plan bill.

The law, meant to address the frequent collapse of buildings, is described as one of the most important legislations that the administration has enacted to prevent re-occurrence of collapsed building and carelessness of developers and structure owners in the state.

It stated that any landed property developer who embarks on construction or development facility contrary to the provisions of the physical town planning and development law shall henceforth be liable to two years imprisonment and a million naira fine or both if convicted.

According to Fashola: "The new bill will become very handy as it will help in the enforcement of town planning law, incidence of collapsed and unorganised buildings in the state.

Reiterating his commitment to fulfil the promises made to Lagosians, Fashola said "we would find a workable solution towards effectively addressing the incidence of collapsed building in Lagos. The law stipulates that any occupier, developer or owner who embarks on any construction or erection of any structure or development facility contrary to the provisions of the physical town planning and development law of Lagos State, if found guilty, shall be liable to two years imprisonment, N1 million fine or both."

The governor, who said this is one of the first steps his administration is taking towards resolving the disaster of collapsed building, added that other approaches would be adopted for full enforcement of the town planning laws and regulations on urban development.

Fashola added that the bill put into 30 sections was the awaited law for rapid urban development in the state.

According to him, "the model city development committee will be the implementation arm of the new law in their respective areas where they have been designated. Part of the power of the committee will be to monitor compliance with the state building development plan and approval order.

"By so doing government would be bringing into force the concept of participatory development and encouraging members of the public, Community Development Associations (CDAs), to come on board and participate in the development of their areas. The committee would also be empowered to enter into any premises to inspect and ensure compliance with urban development law of the state", the governor said.

Fashola warns against wholesale amendment of Land Use Act

2009-05-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Published 5/5/2009 2:52:00 AM Punchonline

Fashola warns against wholesale amendment of Land Use Act
Simon Utebor

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has cautioned against a wholesale amendment of the Land Use Act for its sake, saying the solution lies in making its administration more efficient through the use of technology.

In a statement by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, on Saturday, Fashola was quoted as saying this at the annual dinner of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Lagos.

The governor said, “It has taken 31 years of painstaking efforts by judges at different levels to interpret every section of the Land Use Act to ensure that Nigerians have a clear regime of land administration. This portends a grave danger for the country to move from certainty to uncertainty.”

Governor Fashola explained that the Land Use Act was not new in terms of the land tenure system it prescribed, but was modeled after the old land tenure law of Northern Nigeria, which has now been consolidated upon by the country to develop a uniform system of land administration.

He added that because of the increasing population of the country and the resultant need by people in diverse areas of life for land, methods of keeping records and gaining access to records should be made more efficient to respond to the increasing demand and make transaction more seamless before tearing down the law.

This necessity, he said, informed the several innovative steps taken by the present administration to improve efficiency in land transaction; adding that the state government had embarked upon the GIS mapping of the state towards ensuring that it was put to use before the end of 2009.

Fashola, while supporting the call for electoral reforms, argued that electoral reforms would not be effective in Nigeria until everyone insisted that rules were meant to be binding and that those who violated them must face sanctions.

He identified what he called ‘the fundamental problem with the country’ as the inability to make rules work; adding that despite the fact that elections were governed by rules, Nigeria had never had an election enquiry as to why elections had not succeeded.

Fashola said, “I think all attorneys-general and members of the legal profession must begin to get creative, if possible, to initiate private prosecution to begin to punish those who threaten our collective patrimony.”

Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), warned the operators of electoral laws in the country not to set the country ablaze with their unwholesome conduct; adding that when elections were conducted in a free and fair manner, results would be gladly accepted by all parties.

LASTMA Impounds 39 Tankers at Amuwo-Odofin

2009-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

LASTMA Impounds 39 Tankers at Amuwo-Odofin
Channels TV 21/2/09

LASTMA Impounds 39 Tankers at Amuwo-OdofinOver a hundred and thirty tankers have been impounded by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority [LASTMA] around Amuwo-Odofin Estate Area of Lagos, south-west Nigeria.

The Acting General Manager of LASTMA, Engineer Babatunde Edu who spoke with newsmen during the operation said operation became necessary after the State Government gave several warnings to tanker operators not to park their vehicles indiscriminately.

Engineer Edu also asked other road users to always obey laid down traffic rules by the state.

Lagos May Lose Mega-City Status, DPA Warns

2009-02-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Lagos May Lose Mega-City Status, DPA Warns
Sunday, 22 February 2009 08:58 By FELIX OBOAGWINA

Lagos may lose its mega-city status if the attack on businesses and buildings stampedes population out of the state, the state’s chapter of the Democratic Peoples’ Alliance (DPA) has warned.

DPA pointed out that the state had lately rolled out several disincentives threatening its large population, including: High tenements, high rents, cut-throat transport fares, duplicated and double taxation and excruciating land charges –forcing developers on cost-cutting and bureaucracy-evading compromises which have resulted in collapsed buildings and avoidable deaths.

“Officials appear to be losing sight of the fact that the mega-city status is a function of large populations, not beautiful flowers and pavements,” Lagos DPA said in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Felix Oboagwina. “What we are saying is that Lagos has lost sight of the human factor. Infrastructures and orderliness are important, but development ought to be people-centred.”
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The party said displaced Lagosians had drifted to neighbouring Ogun State in search of friendlier habitation and business regulations.

According to DPA, the world reserved the mega-city status for places containing populations of between 9 and 10 million. Although the last census placed it at 9 million, Lagos State claims a population of over 15 million.

According to the party, Lagos needed to pay attention to the possibility of a thinning population, especially as stringent building and business regulations threatened to worsen its poverty profile. Statistics show that while the country had succeeded in reducing poverty in the last eight years, Lagos conversely recorded an increase with two-thirds of the population earning less than N4,000 monthly and 64 percent residents categorised as poor.

The party considered it wrong that Lagos administrators attempted to clone the state in the image of Abuja.

In the words of DPA: “The Action Congress wants to duplicate in Lagos what Mallam Nasir El-Rufai did in Abuja. But they should know that no international classification is placing Abuja as a mega-city despite its beautiful structures and perfect layout. It just lacks the population of a mega-city.”

According to DPA, AC chieftains had clearly misconstrued the concept of the mega-city.

“They are interpreting it in terms of infrastructure and beautification. But it really has to do with the population. Once an area attains a population of 9 to 10 million it gets the rating of a mega-city. It has nothing to do with beautiful environment. It is a market rating. But with the way businesses are being closed down, with the way residences are being demolished, with the unbridled and indiscriminate demolition of shops and markets, Lagos may witness a population flight that will wipe away its mega-city status.”

Citing an example of business-unfriendly regulations, the party pointed out that the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) had launched a pernicious war against small businesses, through mass confiscating of wooden chalkboards advertising small shops, phone calls and menial job vacancies.

“Today, we witness a frightening expansion of LASAA’s war which it initiated against big business by destroying billboards. This display of unbridled impunity has degenerated into a full-scale war against blackboards used by petty traders to announce products and services,” DPA lamented.

FELIX OBOAGWINA
Director of Publicity, Lagos DPA
08033327355

No more cheating the taxman

2009-02-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

Published 2/22/2009 2:15:00 AM
Sunday Punch

No more cheating the taxman
Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe

Mrs. Mopelola Akinboboye, a businesswoman, deals in textile materials. For the past 20 years,

she has been in the Ogba Retail Market in Lagos doing what she knows best – sourcing for state-of-the-arts fabrics and selling them to her numerous clients.

If anyone had said anything about tax to her, she would have most probably waved it aside as one big joke. To her and her kind, asking them to pay tax would be akin to asking a vulture to visit a barber.

But all that has changed, at least in Lagos State. Thanks and no thanks to the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration that has decided that every Lagos resident who earns an income, must begin to pay tax. Right now, each year, she must pay the sum of N2,600 in tax. “They came to our market from Alausa last year and told us that we all had to pay tax, no matter what we are selling and how much we are making from it,” she explains. In fact, right now in the market, the ‘tax collectors‘ have got an office, so the chances of anyone defaulting appear quite slim.

And for someone who hasn‘t ever paid a dime, you would think she would have complained, but she says it is all in order. She says, ”They told us that the tax we are paying is what they will use to improve Lagos State and we can already see what Fashola is doing in the state. So I don‘t really mind paying the money because they are using it to make Lagos a better place.”

But if you think Ogba Retail Market‘s case is a peculiar one, a visit to Alade Market, located in Allen Avenue, will surely change your mind. Just like the situation in Ogba, a portacabin right in front of the market serves as an office of the tax officials from Alausa. Though in this case, rather than N2,600 that is obtainable in Ogba, each trader is obliged to part with N5,000 and display the receipt for the payment conspicuously at the shop entrance. And just like Akinboboye, Abiola is not perturbed that she has to pay tax to the government. ”I think it is a very good development. Some people are complaining, but it is because they are not used to it. ”You know in Nigeria we are not used to paying tax, but abroad it is something that is taken very seriously. Here people don‘t want to pay tax, but they want the government to keep working for them. It doesn‘t work that way, people must learn to pay tax because that‘s the only way the government can work for the society,” she says.

This renewed tax regime isn‘t limited to business people alone. A civil servant who works with the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, who pleads anonymity, says she and her colleagues were shocked when they realised that a sizeable chunk of their January salary had been deducted. “I was paying N1,355.22 up till December 2008, but when I got my January pay slip, I discovered that N6,355 was deducted from my salary,” she says.

Their grouse with the whole thing, she discloses, hinges on the fact that they were not informed about the new tax structure. “Actually, it was at the bank we found out we would be paying much more than before in tax. Many of my colleagues, including the senior staff member (who had to forfeit as much as between N20,000 and N30,000 in tax) were not happy. If they had told us earlier, probably we would have accepted the news better, without complaining,” she adds.

However, according to the Lagos State Government, the fault lies with employers, who obviously have not been deducting tax appropriately. That explains why some employees are feeling they are paying more than they should in tax. The Managing Director, Lagos State Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Tunde Fowler, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone, insists that the tax rate has remained constant in the last 10 years. He says, ”The tax rate has not changed in the last 10 years. So if you are now paying much more than you used to pay, that means your organisation has not been deducting the correct amount of tax and they are afraid that we would come after them.” Such defaulting companies, he says, will be penalised for audit liability.

He is not alone here. Discreet enquiries in a number of organisations revealed that the fear of the Lagos State Revenue Board Service is the beginning of wisdom. Obviously, many organisations have been short-changing the government when it comes to deduction and remitting of tax.

The Public Relations Officer of the government-owned hospital cited above, Mrs. Lydia Ajayi, when contacted, says there is no arbitrariness in whatever the members of staff are paying. ”Everyone, right from the Medical Director to the lowest paid worker is involved. It is based on the individual earning and we based our calculation on the Lagos State tax law. We have even given them relief forms to fill, which we have also returned to the revenue board. It is a very transparent process and we are doing it to avoid unnecessary back duty charges, which is what would happen if we don‘t charge the correct tax,” she explains.

But it is one thing to deduct money from members of staff in the name of tax, it is quite another to remit the money to the government. And that is one major concern some employees have expressed. According to Mr. Olabintan Adebayo, an engineer who works with a manufacturing company in Lagos, it was when he needed to participate in a United Kingdom immigration scheme that he realised that his employers had not been remitting the tax they had been deducting from his salary to the state government. ”I was asked to bring my tax clearance certificate as part of the process, but I was shocked when I went to the accounts department and discovered that they couldn‘t help me. That was when I realised that the company had been pocketing the tax I had been paying.”

In such situations, Fowler says they usually advise the affected staff to speak up, howbeit discreetly. He says, ”If your company has been deducting money from your salary in the name of tax and not remitting to the government, you should make a confidential report without mentioning your name and we go and investigate. And if found guilty, we will penalise such an organisation.”

A city by the Lagoon and the blessing of poetry

2009-02-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 23, 2009
The Guardian

A city by the Lagoon and the blessing of poetry

Lagos of the Poets; Odia Ofeimun; Hornbill House of the Arts; Lagos; 2009By Reuben Abati .

ODIA Ofeimun in Lagos of the Poets (2009) defines through his selection of poems and poets, the essential humanizing value of the arts and the subliminal manner in which literature is locked in a continuously dynamic relationship with place and space that is simultaneously spiritual, physical, interactive and artistic.

The subject matter of the collection is Lagos: "lagos of the poets"and what it means as the author puts it to be "lagosed". But foregrounded here is the city as a subject of imaginative exploration, of romantic and intellectual wrestling, how one city compels a journey within and throws up a creative dialogue with the environment of being and living. Cities are places to be lived in, places of destination and departures, locations of identity, of gain and loss, of great contentions, of continuities and discontinuities, landmarks, culture, relationships and vanishing modes; each city like a living being has a soul, but these souls exist at different planes of value and intersections.

It is an ontological phenomenon that litters the landscape of literary imagining: so much has been written about London, New York, Dublin, Oxford, Cambridge, Morocco, Ibadan, Nsukka, Ife, Jo'Burg, and all spaces where man strives to manage self and nature, and it is understandable because writers are human beings whose sense of place and home and of space provides inspiration for romanticism or revulsion or protest or irridentism. What does it mean to live in a city? What does it mean to pass through a city and to be touched by its special identity? What is it about cities that moves artists to an imaginary land of expression? Catharsis? Identity? Or turmoil.

The city of Lagos is perhaps the most bibliographised of Nigerian cities and places: tomes have been written on it and about it by doctors, lawyers, anthropologists, historians, photographers, biographers, architects, novelists, dramatists, with each contribution capturing aspects of this cosmopolitan melting pot of intriguing diversity. In telling the story of Lagos through the eyes, the words and the imagination of poets, Odia Ofeimun, a leading light among the second generation of contemporary Nigerian poets, tells the story of Nigeria, the story of state and citizen.

The poets that are featured in this collection, with the exception of three are all Nigerians, and each one confesses an identification with the city of Lagos, born in Lagos, or passing through Lagos, or visiting Lagos, or hearing about Lagos or dreaming about Lagos, or working in Lagos, one city that touches not just every Nigerian citizen or a visitor to the country, but which leaves an impression.

In building Lagos, in historicizing Lagos, we gain a sense of national history, of how Nigeria has been built. In Lagos of the Poets, Odia Ofeimun allows the poets, and himself to paint a picture of the city on a broad canvas of words and imagery that runs from Lord Lugard, to Nnamdi Azikiwe to Dennis Osadebay to L. K. Jakande, Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola. Odia Ofeimun's selection is by no means exhaustive, and many poets have probably been left out, but he chooses the poets that he knows, he chooses poems and poets that he considers of "sufficient artistic ambition to provide a sense of meaning beyond the here and now."

As editor however, Odia Ofeimun seems to have been propelled a bit too hard by a sense of balance, of geographical and generational balance, but the clear danger of seeking such balance, despite his resistance of the option of calling for open entries, and working hard at balance as a "hunter-gatherer", as he describes himself, is that the editor may not even achieve his sub-textual, political objective. Infusing a literary collection with a sense of Federal Character may be a wise thing to do but it may also impose undue concessions, spelled out in form of the unevenness of content.

But on the generational plane, Odia Ofeimun's broad canvas succeeds much more easily: in Lagos of the Poets, poets across generations write about this city of great ambivalence: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dennis Osadebey, Gabriel Okara, Wole Soyinka, J. P. Clark, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, Odia Ofeimun, Olu Obafemi, Mamman Vatsa, Funsho Aiyejina, Femi Fatoba, Kayode Aderinokun, Ben Okri, Ezenwa Ohaeto, Uche Nduka, Chiedu Ezeanah, Afam Akeh, Esiaba Irobi, Remi Raji, Wumi Raji, Emman Usman Shehu, Uche Nduka, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Nduka Otiono, Promise Ugochukwu, Maik Nwosu, Angela Nwosu, Obi Nwakannma, Helon Habila, Funmi Adewole, Rashida Ismaili, Idzia Ahmad, Kemi Atanda-Ilori, Lola Soneyin, Akeem Lasisi, Jumoke Verissimo, Austyn Njoku, Uzoma Azuah, Nenghi Ilagha, Ismail Garba, Al-Kasim, Abdulahi Ismaila, Aminu Muhammad, Simbo Olorunfemi, Funmi Adewole and so on, And then the outsiders: Maria Antonieta Flores, Saul Ibargoyen and Claire Harris.

Through this selection, the "hunter-gatherer"of poems on and about Lagos succeeds in conveying the cosmopolitanism, the diversity, the energy and the verve of a city that accomodates all and leaves an impression at every encounter, even from a distance: the city of insiders and outsiders, the city of troubadours, of potentates and ordinary citizens, and with each poem from one generation to another, we gain a sense of a generational romance, and of a city with unfinished possibilities, a city with a future as Odia Ofeimun sets up a dialogue and draws our attention in the direction of a city and a poetic tradition around it. In his preface to the anthology, Ofeimun attempts a deliberately ambitious commentary in which he tries to address all questions about the centrality and value of the city of Lagos, and the politics of his composition.

This part of the anthology is important for its absolute originality, its informativeness, Odia's autobiographical accent on his own connections with the city of Lagos and how this is the original impetus for the anthology. But more importantly, the author celebrates the city of Lagos, and in selecting poems and poets, he pays tribute to genius, talent and ambition: unfortunately, a vanishing attribute in Nigeria's troubled literary scene, long overtaken by illiteracy, pretence, and ethnic posturings.

But Odia Ofeimun knows: he is one of the clearest voices in Nigerian literature. His previous offerings include The Poet Lied, A Handle for the Flutist, Dreams at Work, Go Tell the Generals, A Feast of Return, A Boiling Caracas, I will ask questions with stones if they take my voice, in addition to forthcoming books which cover the areas of cultural studies, politics, polemics, journalism, literature and civil society activism, the many areas to which Odia Ofeimun has for more than three decades applied his polyvalent intelligence.

The tone of celebration of city and poetry that is struck in Ofeimun's preface runs through the entire anthology, even there is so much angst, so much obsession with the dark sides of Lagos. But this is one city that the poets love to distraction and they engage it in various forms as icon, as semiotic signifier, as symbol, and metaphor and idiom. As referent, they love it, they quarrel with it, they protest its inadequacies. They share with it an umbilical intimacy. So Akeem Lasisi writes in A song for Lagos: � have been with Lagos since the birth of the moon/When the lagoon was just a bottle of wine/And the magical ocean/A tiny pool in a roving gourd..." This romanticism is echoed in Rotimi Fasan's Eko Ile: "I came here on my head/ blood on my face/birth cries on my lips".

Even more graphically in Niyi Osundare's "Ikoyi" (p. 96), and "Eko" (p. 100), and Nnamdi Azikiwe's "Tarkwa bay" (p. 131). Many Lagos acolytes are unable to leave the city, they are like devotees at a pristine temple. Hear Mamman Vatsa, the soldier-poet reacting to the change of Nigeria's capital from Lagos to Abuja: "Take me back to Lagos/Where everyone's a boss/I miss the frequent go-slow/That can take you to and fro...../Keep your new capital city/It's too much of a great pity/I'm rushing back to my Lagos/Where everyone's a big boss".

This refusal to leave the city, this umbilical bond is further explored in the contributions by Emman Usman Shehu especially "How I will miss you" (p. 136): "How I will miss you, Lagos./If I should die from these wounds/My love is the broken shutters/I long again and again for your wayward ways." And in Promise Ugochukwu's Lagos (p.273), the poet writes: "may my tongue/stick to my palette/If I remember you not, Lagos/....You are my favoured yawn/Away from you, I am/Lost in the bulrushes/Anxious to return to you/City of hope, I lose sleep/Above the bridge of time."

This love of the city resonates as a connecting theme throughout the anthology, in form of songs and lyrical celebration of places and their peculiar circumstances: Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajegunle, National Theatre, Fela's Shrine, Ikeja, Tarkwa Bay, Allen Avenue, Mile 12 market, Okokomaiko, Ojuelegba, Idumota, Obalende CMS, Maroko, Oshodi Oke.

But this aesthetic and practical fusion of man and space is of the critical variety. There exists in spite of the romance a continuous oscillation of opposites: love/hate, admiration/protest, revulsion/identity; hope/frustrations, triumphs and impediments. Funmi Adewole says "the city is red"; Ben Okri protests about a "darkening city" ; Wumi Raji's "�n seeing a Dead Body at Oshodi" (p.27) is on all fours with Ogaga Ifowodo's "She Lay Dying at Oshodi" (p. 46), Aminu Muhammed writes about "Glow and Darkness" (p. 227)" and "�ko of Oddity" (p. 230) - comments on the increasing devaluation of human life in Lagos. The underlying note of disappointment is expressed more frontally in Okinba Launko's "Go to Lagos they said"(p. 134): "Lagos they said is the choice place to go/But nobody remembered the pain.../So go to Lagos they say/But with a heart to shelter pain."

The nature of this pain is fleshed out in the contributions by Jumoke Verissimo, Rotimi Fasan, Tolu Ogunlesi, Ogaga Ifowodo, Lola Shoneyin, Afam Akeh, Uche Nduka, Helon Habila, J. P. Clark, Wole Soyinka and Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The inclusion of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti among the poets is particularly instructive, as a special tribute by the author to an avant-garde artist whose lyrical compositions merged the modes of drama, agit-prop, narration and street poetry.

The anthology covers a range of techniques and talent available in contemporary Nigerian poetry, trends and styles in a representative manner, across four generations, from the more technically accomplished poetry of Wole Soyinka, J. P. Clark, Odia Ofeimun himself, Niyi Osundare, and Okinba Launko, to the definite and impressive continuity in the compositions of Chiedu Ezeanah, Ezenwa Ohaeto, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Remi Raji, Maik Nwosu, Obi Nwakannma, Esiaba Irobi, Wumi Raji, Uche Nduka, Nduka Otiono, Ogaga Ifowodo, Lola Shoneyin and the promise indicated in the works of Promise Ugochukwu, Helon Habila, Akeem Lasisi, Simbo Olorunfemi, Tolu Ogunlesi and Jumoke Verissimo. What is missing perhaps is Charles Nnolim's observation of an obsession with prurience in contemporary Nigerian literature; perhaps poetry which records a more bountiful harvest is more morally correct than the novel form, the subject of Nnolim's investigation under reference.

Protest has been a strong element of the literature of Nigeria's 90s and 20s, and much of it runs through these pages. There is a sense of frustration which is not only about the abuse of the Lagos environment, but more about the politics of dispossesion in the Nigerian society. J. P. Clark and Wole Soyinka and Odia Ofeimun are just as angry as the younger poets; the cadence is strong and direct. This protest or revolt is not in the long run, an expression of hate for the city itself, but revolt against its fortunes over time: a habitat that continues to burst at the seams, a city where many live and they refuse to leave or to part, even when the politics of its management and governance is problematic. And so Adebayo Lamikanra writes in "True Love betrayed" (p. 266): "I hate Lagos/I really do/I hate Lagos/ with deep intensity/The quality of intensity/reserved for true love/I hate Lagos/For what she has become/I hate Lagos/for the dreams she has/ destroyed/I hate Lagos for selling her heart/to the devil".

Contemporary poetic trends in Nigeria have shown much predilection for experimentation and the editor captures this, as evident in Ogaga Ifowodo's "God Punish you, Lugard" (p.45), Mamman Vatsa's "Obokun Oda bo" (p. 93); Niyi Osundare's "Eko" (p. 100); Rashida Ismaili's "Lagos" (p. 141); Esiaba Irobi's "The Lagoon" (p. 110), Odia Ofeimun's "London Letter" (p.195) and Fela Anikulapo Kuti's "Confusion Break Bone" (p. 277) wherein the poets press language into service, to reflect the varieties of English spoken in a city that is multilingual and linguistically innovative in all possible forms: the local tongue, pidgin English, and international languages.

Poetry, like the other genres of literature, heals and inspires. Here, the character, culture and the complexities of a city and invariably of a nation, its poltics and governance have been captured in long and short and varied strokes of words. In the process, the author claims ownership of the city for poets and writers, and the multiple sympathies it enjoys. Hear Femi Fatoba: "If you don't want to talk about Lagos/Lagos wil tease your tongue/If you don't want to discuss Lagos/Lagos will taunt your lips/And make your tongue itch/Whoever gets an itch in the tongue and does not talk/Let him swallow the tongue and become dumb/That is the way Lagos is". Odia Ofeimun's Lagos of the Poets is useful as both literature and sociology. It will, without doubt, find an enthusiastic audience among both the literati and the general reader.

Dos...don'ts on Lagos Island

2009-02-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 20, 2009 Guardian

Dos...don'ts on Lagos Island
By Nnamdi Inyama and Seye Olumide

FOR too long, Lagosians had parked their cars almost anywhere and traders, usually with the acquiescence of local council officials had taken over sections of the road to display their wares without anyone doing much about it.

Whatever threats and penalties by the Lagos State government for the disregard of regulations against such practices had been ignored as the defaulters had counted on weak and ineffectual enforcement by officials.

But it may no longer be business as usual for those who deliberately abandon their vehicles along the road or the traders who allow their commercial activities to spill onto the highway and beggars within the Lagos Central Business District (CBD).

A joint publication by Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy and Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts (CBD) has called on Lagosians to take note of the various penalties awaiting those found guilty of any of the several offences.

The publication states: "In an initiative to re-enforce law and order around the CBD, the Lagos State government hereby draws attention of the public to the following public disorder offences contained in the Control of Traffic Special Provision Edict, 1978, which hereby by virtue of Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution is now a law of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Road Traffic Law 2003 laws of Lagos State and the sanctions that may be imposed upon conviction for prohibition of parking along CBD, street trading and illegal markets and begging for or gathering or collecting alms".

The statement forbids anybody to park or pick passengers, sell, hawk, or expose for sale, any goods, wares, articles or things or offer services whether or not from a stationary position along walkway and likewise begging for or gathering or collecting alms on streets within the CBD which include: Outer and Inner Marina, Balogun, Broad Street, Martins, Nnamdi Azikwe, Eko and Carter Bridge, Apongbon, Idumagbo.

Others are Campbell, Breadfruit, Tinubu, Abibu-Oki, Oke Olowogbowo, Davies, Adeniji Adele, Church Docemo, Odunlami, Iga Iduganran, Ereko, Kakawa, Campos, Bamgbose, Alli Balogun, Ehingbeti (Marina Foreshore), Ebute Ero, Force Road, King George and all flyovers in Lagos Island.

It further states that vehicles abandoned within the specified areas "will be impounded by authorized persons while the owners shall be liable upon conviction to a fine or terms of imprisonment."

Any articulated vehicle impounded will attract a penalty of N150,000 fine before release, empty trailers or tankers N100,000, lorries and tippers, high capacity busses and mini busses, jeeps and cars N50,000 while in addition the owner will be liable to a fine of N50,000 or (N70,000 for commercial buses) or three months jail term.

Likewise those found sleeping in market places and on all flyovers or those trading illegally as earlier stated shall be guilty and liable on conviction to a fine between N5, 000 or N15, 000 or term of imprisonment of between six months and one year.

On wandering, begging or other criminal and environmental offences , offenders shall be liable to various amounts of fine or jail terms.

This includes defecating and urinating in the drainage or open spaces, erection of structures on road setbacks and abuse of open spaces and walkways.

However, while the state government may have determined to enforce sanity within the CBD, concerned citizens have expressed fear that unauthorized persons may want to take advantage of the situation to exploit innocent people.

For instance, a trader in Balogun Market, Mathias Okoi told The Guardian that though the laws are not new " but it is quiet unfortunate that most people do not know that such laws exist in the CBD area.

According to him, "What I want government to do is to give the laws more publicity while it should ensure that only authorized officials are given the mandate to apprehend offenders.

A situation where all kinds of people lay claim to powers to impound vehicles or arrest offenders would create its own army of touts.

The government should also use the councils, community development associations, newspapers, radio and television, to spread the message wider."

Reacting to the penalty for those found defecating or urinating inside canals or in open spaces, a resident of Idumagbo, Kehinde Anifowose urged government to go back to the regulation in force many years ago when all tenements were required to build, at least, one toilet.

"Of course, nobody will defecate in the canal during the broad day. It is mostly done at night and most people who do, are either miscreants that do not have accommodation or those residing in houses without toilets".

He lamented that there are still houses without toilets in Lagos, not just within the CBD area but also all over the state.

According to him: "There is still a lot more to be done in terms of improving the environment," he said.

Enquiries so far by The Guardian indicate most Lagosians are not so aware of the laws and the penalties for offenders.

It emerged that much as the citizens may have expressed support for the various efforts of the Lagos State government to improve the lives of citizens, there is need to re-orientate and re-train enforcement agents like Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade, Neighbourhood Watch and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) , on conduct and method of approach.

Reacting to the issues raised, the Special Adviser to the Governor on CBD, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole said the laws are neither new nor made to victimize any Lagosians.

The laws, which would now be vigorously enforced are to protect the billions government invested to turn the CBD areas around to what it is at present.

He explained that for several decades millions of citizens deliberately avoided going to Lagos Island due to nuisance trading activities, criminality and other vices that could not be corrected.

According to him: "When the last administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu reconstructed the CBD area in less than a year, the whole exercise was defaced and if there are no laws and proper enforcement to protect the investment and ensure sanity now then the whole efforts would end in futility".

The Special Adviser further assure that the enforcement team would be no one other than the CBD Enforcement Unit mostly on brown uniform with the team of armed mobile policemen to facilitate their job.

According to him: "We cannot afford to allow the N22 billion investment in the CBD area to be destroyed by traders or beggars".

On illegal parking and abandoned vehicles, Danmole said government wants to start impounding vehicles parked by owners without due consideration for traffic as well as those abandoned along the road within the mentioned places since the perennial traffic chaos synonymous with CBD area can partially be blamed on this factor.

"I still cannot imagine why anybody who could not maintain his vehicle would choose to park it on the road for years.

Apart from the fact that these abandoned vehicles obstruct traffic, they also cause litter and are sometimes hiding places for criminals," he said.

But a businessman, Dauda Alaba, was skeptical that the government could sustain the move.

"This is only for the next few weeks or months. The situation will not change. Do you know the number of beggars in CMS area alone, which is the heart of the CBD?

What are they doing there, if there is any seriousness in the efforts to sanitise the CBD?

If there must be sanitation, it must be total, thorough and continuous."

So far, the Commandant General of CBD, Mr. Raimi Asunramu had commended the level of compliance to all sanitation laws within the CBD.

He told The Guardian that over 16 offenders have been arrested and prosecuted for various offences.

Expert canvasses support for Lagos mega-city project

2009-02-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 20, 2009 Sunday Guardian

Expert canvasses support for Lagos mega-city project
By David Ibemere

THE current efforts by the Lagos State government to transform Lagos to a true mega-city, which involves re-planning, decongesting and cleaning up the environment deserves support, as it must also be understood that the present problems have accumulated over the decades.

Delivering a lecture entitled: 'Lagos As a Mega-city', in Ikorodu on Wednesday, transportation expert, Prof. Isaac Ayinde Adalem also said serious thought should be given to those that are already displaced by the unbridled influx of people into Lagos state.

In his words, "For Lagos to attain the status of a mega-city, there should be redistribution of employment opportunities, provision of adequate transportation facilities, improving infrastructure facilities for the supply of power and energy, ensuring housing availability through mass estate development, urban renewal, slum upgrading and encouraging the participation of the private sector.

"There should also be tactful waste management, strengthening capacity and capabilities of the police and other security agencies, and also improving the quality of urban environment."

Adalemo noted that one of the problems retarding the transformation of Lagos State is the un-identification of the territorial limits of her area.

He also pointed out that massive influx of people to urban areas in search of better means of livelihood resulted to high rate of unemployment, and under-employment, insufficient housing and shelter, thus causing the emergence of slums.

"Power supply, overloaded and congested transport system, air, water, flood and noise pollution, budget crises, raise in crime and other malaise we be inherent", he continued

Adelemo further stated that the unemployed or underemployed constitute a ready pool of personnel for recruitment by crime barons, thus heightening security problem.

"Another problem facing Lagos in quest of becoming a mega city is lack of effective mass transit facilities and over-reliance on road transport, resulting to traffic congestion, delays, health sapping, and for these problems to be solve, there should be two-fold transport system," he said.

Adalemo maintained that local council administration is the bedrock of sustainable national development, as it would ensure effective participation of all citizens in activities that would promote development at all levels.

He further asserted that at the national level, development planning must address the issue of urban bias through the promotion of decentralization and also a national human settlement policy supportive of decentralization spatial development must be formulated and implemented

" For the big cities to be decongested, the small and medium-sized cities should be developed and there should be provision of facilities and services should be made accessible as long as these root causes are not addressed, the challenges facing mega-city administration will continue to mount and defy solution," he reaffirmed.

Adelemo also stated, "Management of large system requires same level of technology and resource management. Unless we attain that level of technology and resource management capacity and capabilities, allowing our cities to grow, uncontrolled to enormous sizes will continue to present us with insurmountable problems and any attempt to solve them could be very expensive and may result in waste of valuable resources as we are currently experiencing in Nigeria."

"Speaking to The Guardian, Adelemo acknowledged that the cause of the state of Lagos presently was due to the past neglect and poor planning of how we organize space for development causing bottlenecks congestion in our roads and loss of huge amount that could be channeled for development."

The Lagos Way and the Bell Jar Effect

2009-02-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

The Lagos Way and the Bell Jar Effect

The impressive results of the administration of Babatunde Raji Fashola in Lagos State are being financed through an aggressive revenue drive by its relevant agencies.

At the core of this aggressive revenue generation is the Ministry of Finance and the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue in addition to other agencies and directorates.

Lagos State receives about N2 billion monthly as its share of statutory revenue allocation and VAT proceeds, but its internally generated revenue exceeds N10 billion monthly.

With the expanding list of development projects planned for execution in the next few years, LSG is already ramping up its IGR especially as statutory allocations are declining.

In Nigeria's version of the practice of Federalism, the bulk of sectors for revenue generation outside taxation of individuals are controlled by the Federal Government.

Although Lagos State generates the largest VAT proceeds, the money is shared among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory using a formula that shortchanges the state.

Thus Lagos State has limited options in the various means it can resort to in ramping up IGR to meet its developmental challenges which are unique due to its mega status.

However LSG has not shrieked from taking up this challenge and has over the years implemented other measures to increase its taxable base.

Lagosians deserve some praise as they have borne the brunt of the aggressive revenue drive embarked upon by LSG.

They are however consoled by the developments they see going on around the state and the plans slated for implementation in the near future.

Lagosians have a legal duty to pay their taxes but the Babatunde Fashola administration is executing its development agenda in a way that makes the duty easier to discharge.

However, in the light of the global economic crises, which has not spared the Nigerian economy, LSG aggressive pursuit of IGR may run into a head wind.

This is because as the economic fortunes of Lagosians and businesses in Lagos nose dive, the IGR of Lagos State will also be affected.

From the near collapse of the Nigerian Stock Market, to the financial crises rocking the banking sector, and the ongoing lull in the property market, no sector has been spared.

While developed nations are packaging stimulus packages containing a mix of tax cuts and massive spending, the possibility of that happening in Lagos State is quite slim.
The Babatunde Fashola administration is not insensitive to the plight of Lagosians but the developmental and social challenges confronting the state are awesome.

Since the infrastructural developments of the 1970s Lagos State has been in a state of steady descent into a mass slum except for the brief revival experienced in the mid 1990s.

The developmental momentum already attained by the Babatunde Fashola administration efforts needs to be sustained and supported all well meaning Lagosians.

Also Lagos State is relying on debt financing to push its developmental agenda, and with the recent N50 billion bond, the debt level of the state may be in excess of N300 billion.

There is nothing wrong with the debt situation of Lagos State as long as its IGR supported by statutory and VAT proceeds is sustained at an acceptable level.

Should the economic fortunes of Lagosians continue to decline which is likely to result in a fall in IGR, then the state’s creditors may cash in on their bonds.

To avoid this, the LSG may further intensify its already aggressive IGR drive leading to possible confrontation between Lagosians and the state government.

There is evidence across Lagos State that LSG has already intensified its IGR drive since the start of 2009.

In January 2009, our office block was sealed up by officials of LAWMA for not paying for a drum to be used for garbage collection and was only reopened after a fine was paid.

Next it was the turn of officials of the Ministry of Environment who have served us notice that our sound proof generator is causing noise pollution.

Now we have been served with another notice to pay Land Use Charges for the same building running into millions of Naira.

I have also received inquiries from some clients who are locked in battles with their landlords over who has responsibility for paying the Land Use Charge.

While we celebrate the monumental developments going in Lagos State, we also must avoid a situation where willing horses may be ridden to their deaths.

The recent stimulus packages announced in most developed nations’ shows that governments can not afford to ignore the economic misfortunes of their citizens.

But at the same time we cannot even contemplate the reduction or stoppage of the development agenda of LSG.

And the willing horses are mostly Lagosians in the legal as opposed to the extra-legal sector, and who are a small percentage of the over 15, 000, 000 people in the state.

Lagosians in the legal sector as it were are trapped in a bell jar and kept in display for the IGR drive of LSG.

Most Lagosians in the extra-legal sector are caught off from the bell jar while enjoying the developments that are being financed by those in the legal sector.

Integrating the legal and extra-legal sectors in Lagos State and albeit, Nigeria, is one of the principal challenges that has to be overcome if the tax base is to be expanded.

Project Nigeria and the Lagos Way

2009-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Project Nigeria and the Lagos Way

I recently came across a definition of faith that has restored once more my hope in attainment of the awesome possibilities of what I call Project Nigeria.

According to the New Century Version of the Bible, "Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it".

This definition set me thinking and I realized that I had almost lost faith in Project Nigeria seeing that my recent articles had been lamentations saturated.

Matters had not been helped by the ongoing global economic recession which has now gripped the Nigerian economy in spite of assurances by some that we were insulated.

Fall in crude oil prices to record levels and capital flight have seen the Naira also fall in value and the Nigerian Stock Market severely crippled.

But having read about faith as being sure of the things hoped for, I was shocked to find that there was nothing within my recollection that I was hoping for regarding Nigeria.

It was as though a thick dark cloud was hovering over Nigeria, completely blocking the light from the Sun from illuminating any sector of Nigeria.

There is no sector you look at in Nigeria today that has any semblance of positive news whether finance, manufacturing, oil and gas, education, health and other social services.

Every where you go the monster called corruption has become entrenched and something one must partake of in to survive the harsh jungle reality that Nigeria has become.

The adoption of a democratic system of government has become an albatross on Nigerians draining available resources to the political actors that have hijacked the system.

In the midst of all the gloomy news and dire forecasts, I would have to concede that there are many things I am hoping for regarding Lagos State.

The popular theme of Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, "Eko O Ni Baja" (Lagos will not spoil) is becoming a reality right before our eyes.

I am not just referring to the introduction of a mass transit system and the extensive infrastructural development going on across the state.

I am also not just referring to the restoration of law and order back to our streets and the environment or the educational and health initiatives introduced by the government.

Also long forgotten communities such as Orile-Iganmu in Coker Aguda LCDA are experiencing development ensuring their integration into the larger Lagos community.

The ability of LSG to drive its development plan relying on a mix of internal generated revenue, debt financing and a public private partnership is delivering real dividends.

Reliance on Statutory Allocations and VAT proceeds has almost being relegated to the background thus freeing the state from the stranglehold of a dependent mentality.

Lagos State did not arrive at this position by choice but out of necessity occasioned by efforts on the part of the then Obasanjo government to financially cripple Lagos State.

Not even the intervention of the Supreme Court could sway the Obasanjo government to release withheld statutory allocations.

This was in an effort to make the Bola Tinubu government to jump political ships or loose out in the power struggle.

Thank God that Bola Tinubu did not yield to the blackmail unlike the governors of some Northern States have already done and more are planning to do.

That confrontation forced the Bola Tinubu government to look inwards to other sources to generate revenue to meet its developmental goals.

Today Babatunde Raji Fashola is building on that foundation which is making Lagos State Nigeria's beacon of hope.

Relegated to the background are complaints about increasing Lagos State's share of statutory allocations considering its huge population and limited land area.

Lagos State Government has finally come to realize what developed nations have always known and whiles the rest of Nigeria is still grouping in the dark.

It is this, that the people and not natural resources are the best assets of a nation and explains why developed nations have productivity indexes.

PIs accurately measure the productivity of the people so as to gauge the health of the economy seeing that taxation is the main means of generating state revenues.

Developed nations are confident enough to leave major sectors of the economy in the hands of the private sector while ensuring that adequate regulations are put in place.

These developed nations have been somewhat lax in their oversight functions of late resulting in the present global economic crises.

However, the dividends of the boom years have lifted millions of their citizens from the depths of poverty into the middle class.

It is the billions of US Dollars that governments of developed nations took in during the boom years that are now being injected into their economies as stimulus packages.

Countries such as Nigeria who depend on commodities as the main stay of revenue generation are busy trying to defend the value of their national currencies.

Using dwindling foreign exchange reserves amidst falling foreign revenue earnings the responses of these countries will not achieve the desired results.

OPEC, the cartel of oil producing countries has drastically slashed daily production of crude oil in vain efforts to push up prices.

In January 2009 the revenue available for sharing in the Federation account fell by N150 billion especially with the crises in the Niger Delta and fall in crude oil prices.

Receipts from crude oil will continue to fall plunging the Federal, State and Local Governments that are yet to be weaned from relying on crude oil proceeds into financial crises.

In the midst of this the Lagos State Government is pushing ahead with many capital projects and has just raised N50 billion through a bond that was over subscribed.

What LSG has done is to present its monthly IGR as proof that it can meet its debt obligations and the investing private sector has endorsed this with a resounding yes vote.

The Lagos Way is the pathway to development for the Federal, State and Local Governments, as survival in the deepening global economic recession depends on it.

Yearning for additional BRT services

2009-01-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Published 1/11/2009 1:33:00 Sunday Punch

Yearning for additional BRT services
CHARLES ABAH

For now, we have to realise that we only have BRT on one corridor. And I tell you, the BRT will not touch every part of Lagos because there are going to be other modes of transportation that will be put in place.

”For instance, from Agbado to Marina, we plan a rail system that we believe will be operational by 2011. It is projected to carry about 1.3 million passengers per day. The other one from Okokomaiko to CMS is projected to carry a little over 300,000 passengers per day.

”You see, we are talking about a system that will move 1.6 million passengers per day. So by the time we have this, do we then really need a BRT system there? Of course, no.”

The remarks above came from no less a personality than the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority External Relations Specialist, Mr. Kolawale Ojelabi, while trying to explain why the Bus Rapid Transit scheme will not get to every nook and cranny of the state, at least, for now.

In stating this, he made no pretence about it, just as there was no mounting feeling of fear in his voice. He buttressed this not only offhandedly, but with a touch of finality and a measure of precision.

It will be recalled that a survey conducted late in 2008 by some postgraduate diploma students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos under the superintendence of Prof. Idowu Sobowale and published in SUNDAY PUNCH last week, had disclosed that the majority of Lagosians were yet to feel the impact of the BRT scheme.

According to the survey conducted in five local government areas of the state and which involved 837 respondents, only 21.9 per cent of the residents of the councils were covered in the scheme, a development that leaves 78.1 per cent others out of the BRT services.

It added that the 66.9 per cent of the respondents said the scheme did not cover their places of work, while the remaining 33.1 per cent said it did.

Reacting to this development, Ojelabi who notes that the scheme is so far limited from Mile 12 to CMS, explains that this does not in any way diminish its huge benefits to the inhabitants of the state.

”I can tell you that on a daily basis, there are more than 200,000 persons using the BRT system from Mile 12 to CMS. Our initial projection was that the BRT will carry 60,000 passengers per day, but today we are carrying 215,000 passengers,” he states with an air of certainty.

The fact that there is this increased patronage, he says, is a justification that the scheme has been embraced by Lagosians.

He explains that the BRT service has come to the rescue of many Lagos commuters, rendering wonderful service and saving them a great deal of time and money.

”When you look at the BRT operation itself, it is not one where fares are just raised arbitrarily. Since we started operations on March 17, 2008, we have not increased fares for once and this has made commuters enjoy our services the more,” he says.

On plans of extending the scheme to other parts of the state so that more persons will benefit from it, Ojelabi says that the infrastructural layout for it is enormous, declaring that it cost about N5bn to just improve on the Mile 12 to CMS route alone.

”Remember the road already had infrastructure. What we only did was to improve on it. So you can imagine where you have to build infrastructure all over again. That, however, is not to say that we shall not extend it to other corridors. So far the governor has approved it to be extended to Ikorodu town,” he discloses.

Ojelabi‘s argument notwithstanding, many commuters, especially those who reside in Alimosho, Oshodi-Isolo, Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and Ifako-Ijaiye to mention but a few, think of the BRT services as a fairy tale told to the Marines. Indeed, they have every reason to think this way, recognising that for almost one year since the scheme was inaugurated in the state, they are yet to benefit from it.

According to them, the huge public transportation predicament being experienced in the state is not limited to the Mile 12/CMS route and therefore the initiative should be extended to other areas so as to make it more successful and comprehensive.

Specifically, a businessman, Mr Christian Anyiam, who resides at Ikotun on the outskirts of Lagos, says he is yet to feel the impact of BRT.

Agreed, the BRT has no route at least for now in Ikotun, the state government, he says should think of bringing the initiative to the council in order to alleviate the suffering of the residents.

Mrs. Bosede Bucknor similarly supports the idea of extending the service to other parts of the city, saying that it will enable more residents to benefit from the exercise.

”I spend an average of N400 from my Isolo residence to Apapa every day, but I believe that a spread of the scheme will make many more people to reap the benefit,” she says.

Interestingly, even as these sundry arguments go on, a visit to some of the BRT shelters indicates a beehive of activities. At some of the shelters, including the ones on the Ikorodu Road route, SUNDAY PUNCH observes that many commuters have come to embrace the initiative. For them, the BRT has become the way out of their transportation problem.

According to Miss Bimbo Jegede, a student of Yaba College of Technology, the scheme has made life a lot easier for her.

Jegede, a Higher National Diploma student of the college, while speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH notes that apart from saving some money courtesy of the BRT, she no longer worries about the arbitrary hike by commercial buses, just as she is not bothered again of their molestation and the likelihood of running into ‘one chance’ operators.

“While I was doing my Ordinary National Diploma, I had been a victim of bus thieves and ‘one chance’ operators several times. But since the coming of BRT on this route, things have really changed and changed for good for so many of us,” Jegede says.

”Again, I have never had cause to think of increased transport fare, whether it is in peak period or not,” an excited Jegede remarks.

Another commuter and banker, who speaks glowingly about the BRT, says since the advent of the scheme, he spends only N4,000 to and from his place of work against N55,000 before now.

”BRT has reduced transport cost for me. It has put more money in my purse and I can use this excess for some other things. Prior to the launch of the scheme, I had a driver who I paid N35,000 monthly and I was buying N5,000 fuel every week. This implies that I spent N55,000 every month on transportation. But today, it is no more. What I did was to empower the driver in another way and now I spend an average of N4,000 every month. So in terms of putting more money in my pocket, that has been achieved and I give kudos to BRT,” the banker, who does not want his name in print, explains.

For the banker, therefore, there is no contesting the significant role of the BRT. His biggest concern now is that more buses be put on the route, especially during the peak hours.

On this request, Ojelabi says that ”LAMATA is not the owners of these buses. What LAMATA has done as a public entity is to put the infrastructure and regulate the services. We have a co-operative of National Union of Road Transport Workers, who are the owners of the buses,” he says.

He, nonetheless, cautions that if more buses are put on the dedicated lanes, there will be congestion and the purpose of the rapidity will be lost.

“What we have now is the BRT lite. It is not the full BRT. With full BRT, we will have two lanes on either side. So there is a limit to which you can put more buses on the road. But what we normally do is that we have monitors at every bus shelter. If there are too many people at the shelter, the monitor will inform the operational base to send more buses to these shelters,” he says.

The LAMATA official, who declares that all hope is not lost for other Lagos residents, cites the Iyana-Ipaja/Ikotun pilot bus franchise scheme, saying the initiative is to open up other routes so as to alleviate the suffering of the masses.

“The project construction is going on now. Maybe by April/May, the operation will start. So it is another project that will relieve commuters around that corridor and it is being projected that some time later this year, this particular bus scheme will take passengers as far as Maryland, so that those going to Lagos can link the BRT at that point,” he concludes.

Oshodi: Loved by few, dreaded by many

2009-01-11T12:52:00.001-08:00

Published 1/11/2009 1:23:00 Sunday Punch

Oshodi: Loved by few, dreaded by many
Sam Awoyinfa

OSHODI, situated in the Oshodi/Isolo LGA in Lagos State, conjures different images in the minds of the residents of Nigeria‘s commercial capital. To the landlords, who have houses in this settlement, it has been a bitter-sweet story. A sweet story, because those who put their property up for rental to traders smile to the banks each time payments are made. But it is a bitter experience when the ‘demons‘ at Oshodi decide to possess the miscreants, who have seen the area as their territory and fiefdom.

To the residents, who have had a raw deal in the hands of those miscreants, who dispossess people of their valuables such as jewellery, mobile phone handsets, cash and other personal effects, even in daylight, it is a dreaded zone. Oshodi assumes even a more notoriety, when one considers the occasional, but bloody clashes by the factions of National Union of Road Transport Workers, who saw it as one of their ‘cash cows.‘ In one of the violent clashes that happened last year, cutlasses, knives and other dangerous weapons were freely used. Some innocent residents were caught up in the melee; some died while those who were lucky escaped with injuries.

What about the gridlock normally caused by commercial bus drivers, who pick passengers in the middle of the road, and also make U-turns there?

What really makes Oshodi popular? Oshodi is a major bus terminus to other areas of Lagos such as Mushin, Mile 2, Iyana Ipaja, Ojuelegba, Lagos Island, etc. Again, inter state buses from Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and the South-East region have found the terminus irresistible. More importantly, Oshodi has become a commercial nerve centre, where businesses of all sorts thrive - both legal and illegal.

But on Sunday January 4, 2009, Oshodi woke up and discovered that it has lost some of its notoriety. The shanties that provided cover for the miscreants were pulled down, and burnt. Also, the makeshift stalls under the bridge, where traders had carried on their business suffered the same fate.

In fact, all illegal structures were not spared. The men of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Kick Against Indiscipline, and the police, accompanied by bulldozers and other earth moving equipment, had moved in around 3am, and demolished all illegal structures on sight.

Since that exercise, some Lagosians are already hailing Governor Raji Fashola for taking a decisive action to clean up Oshodi. On the other hand, the displaced traders are singing a different tune.

Kemi Ololade, who worked with Flour Mills, Apapa, will not forget the nasty experience she suffered at Oshodi Bus Stop in 2007. She narrates to SUNDAY PUNCH how she was robbed at the bus stop while waiting to catch a bus to Gbagada.

”It happened in 2007; I was waiting to board a bus to Gbagada at Oshodi around 8pm on that fateful evening, when three young men emerged from nowhere. Before I knew what hit me, they started frisking me, and they dispossessed me of my handset, cash and jewellery,” she explains.

Ololade is full of commendation for Fashola on his resolve to sanitise Oshodi and other notorious spots in Lagos. She stresses that she is yet to shake off the shock she experienced during the attack.

”I commend Gov. Fashola for demolishing all those shanties and shacks in Oshodi. Those miscreants use them as hideouts, from where they pounce on unsuspecting commuters at the bus stop,” she adds.

Austin Oniyokor, a journalist with a national newspaper along the Fatai Atere Way, Oshodi equally appreciates the free flow of traffic on the Oshodi end of the Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway. At times, he says, he spends more than an hour from the Sogunle area before he gets to his office, which is less than five minutes drive from the same point.

”The Molue and Danfo drivers were a law to themselves at Oshodi. They make illegal U-turns and pick passengers in the middle of the road with reckless abandon. So, valuable time is wasted in the traffic, and one is sapped physically,” he notes.

But he is now singing a new song. ”Nobody needs to tell you that Oshodi is now changed. There is no more endless traffic on that route, and you can see the law enforcement agents ensuring that everything is in order,” he says.

When the SUNDAY PUNCH correspondent visited the place on Wednesday, the Molue and Danfo drivers, who would have blocked the road, were seen maintaining a single lane, on both sides of the road, avoiding obstructing the traffic.

Also, the men of Lagos State Waste Management Authority were busy sweeping the streets, and removing the debris occasioned by the recent demolition exercise. The burnt particles were being cleared and hurled into their trucks.

A caterpillar was at work under the bridge, crushing and levelling the land bordering the rail line.

Besides, the law enforcement agents were equally on hand to maintain law and order. This is not the first time bulldozers will be visiting Oshodi.

The late Minister of Works, Gen. Abdukareem Adisa, in 1996, rolled out bulldozers, while he was bent on demolishing illegal structures under the bridges in Lagos, which he said, were veritable hideouts for criminals, and were causing physical damage to the facilities. And Oshodi was one of the spots his bulldozers visited. But the lack of continuity in most government policies saw under the bridges once more brimming with shanties and all manner of shady characters shortly thereafter.

However, the traders that were displaced from under the bridge, the rail line and other illegal structures, were seen milling around in groups, discussing their plight, and pondering on what next step to take.

Mrs Christiana Akiode, who claims she sells rubber slippers by the roadside, confides in SUNDAY PUNCH that the mega city dream of the state governor must be supported by all, but she pleads that he (Fashola) must do it with a human face. According to her, she feeds her four children from the proceeds of the business, and she pays their school fees.

”My first child is 20 years old; she is in the higher institution. I pay her school fees from the proceeds I make from this business. You can see that this is a small business, and I cannot afford to take up a lock-up shop, where they charge N10,000 per month. The governor should help us by constructing low cost stalls for people in our category,” she pleads.

The chairman, Unity Traders, Oshodi, Mr. Christopher Azubike, equally agrees that the governor means well for the state, but he says they did not receive any formal notice before the demolition. He explains that he and other members of the association are still confounded and cannot think of what to do next.

He says, ”We voted for the governor; we even had to close the market when he came here to campaign. We share his mega city dream, but he should help us. He should give us another place, which is affordable to our members. We cannot afford the N15,000 per month lock-up shops at Bolade.”

He appeals further, ”Next (this) week, our children will resume in school, and we must pay their school fees. This is where we make the money to pay such fees, and now that the place has been demolished, we are in a limbo. Only God can help us.”

Mr Oluwole Olugbesan, another victim of the demolition, explains that apart from his two children and wife, who he feeds from his corporate shirts and wear business, he is responsible for the school fees of his younger brother, a law undergraduate at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.

Messrs Chike Nwaeze and John Akumefuna, who equally suffered the same fate, are also literally on their knees, begging.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Muiz Banire, while reacting to the demolition exercise said that ”it is a matter of policy of the Lagos State to ensure that all major highways are cleared of the menace of street traders and miscreants.”

On the plight of Oshodi traders, he said they had been offered alternative sites, including a large expanse of land near Ilasamaja. And for those traders who are still carrying out their business in unauthorised sites, Banire added that the action would be extended to other markets in the state and warned traders against returning to the highways.

On the whole, one can conveniently say for now that the jinx, which has held Oshodi in perpetual grip of confusion and rowdiness, has been broken.

Yearning for additional BRT services

2009-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Published 1/11/2009 1:33:00

Yearning for additional BRT services
CHARLES ABAH

For now, we have to realise that we only have BRT on one corridor. And I tell you, the BRT will not touch every part of Lagos because there are going to be other modes of transportation that will be put in place.

”For instance, from Agbado to Marina, we plan a rail system that we believe will be operational by 2011. It is projected to carry about 1.3 million passengers per day. The other one from Okokomaiko to CMS is projected to carry a little over 300,000 passengers per day.

”You see, we are talking about a system that will move 1.6 million passengers per day. So by the time we have this, do we then really need a BRT system there? Of course, no.”

The remarks above came from no less a personality than the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority External Relations Specialist, Mr. Kolawale Ojelabi, while trying to explain why the Bus Rapid Transit scheme will not get to every nook and cranny of the state, at least, for now.

In stating this, he made no pretence about it, just as there was no mounting feeling of fear in his voice. He buttressed this not only offhandedly, but with a touch of finality and a measure of precision.

It will be recalled that a survey conducted late in 2008 by some postgraduate diploma students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos under the superintendence of Prof. Idowu Sobowale and published in SUNDAY PUNCH last week, had disclosed that the majority of Lagosians were yet to feel the impact of the BRT scheme.

According to the survey conducted in five local government areas of the state and which involved 837 respondents, only 21.9 per cent of the residents of the councils were covered in the scheme, a development that leaves 78.1 per cent others out of the BRT services.

It added that the 66.9 per cent of the respondents said the scheme did not cover their places of work, while the remaining 33.1 per cent said it did.

Reacting to this development, Ojelabi who notes that the scheme is so far limited from Mile 12 to CMS, explains that this does not in any way diminish its huge benefits to the inhabitants of the state.

”I can tell you that on a daily basis, there are more than 200,000 persons using the BRT system from Mile 12 to CMS. Our initial projection was that the BRT will carry 60,000 passengers per day, but today we are carrying 215,000 passengers,” he states with an air of certainty.

The fact that there is this increased patronage, he says, is a justification that the scheme has been embraced by Lagosians.

He explains that the BRT service has come to the rescue of many Lagos commuters, rendering wonderful service and saving them a great deal of time and money.

”When you look at the BRT operation itself, it is not one where fares are just raised arbitrarily. Since we started operations on March 17, 2008, we have not increased fares for once and this has made commuters enjoy our services the more,” he says.

On plans of extending the scheme to other parts of the state so that more persons will benefit from it, Ojelabi says that the infrastructural layout for it is enormous, declaring that it cost about N5bn to just improve on the Mile 12 to CMS route alone.

”Remember the road already had infrastructure. What we only did was to improve on it. So you can imagine where you have to build infrastructure all over again. That, however, is not to say that we shall not extend it to other corridors. So far the governor has approved it to be extended to Ikorodu town,” he discloses.

Ojelabi‘s argument notwithstanding, many commuters, especially those who reside in Alimosho, Oshodi-Isolo, Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and Ifako-Ijaiye to mention but a few, think of the BRT services as a fairy tale told to the Marines. Indeed, they have every reason to think this way, recognising that for almost one year since the scheme was inaugurated in the state, they are yet to benefit from it.

According to them, the huge public transportation predicament being experienced in the state is not limited to the Mile 12/CMS route and therefore the initiative should be extended to other areas so as to make it more successful and comprehensive.

Specifically, a businessman, Mr Christian Anyiam, who resides at Ikotun on the outskirts of Lagos, says he is yet to feel the impact of BRT.

Agreed, the BRT has no route at least for now in Ikotun, the state government, he says should think of bringing the initiative to the council in order to alleviate the suffering of the residents.

Mrs. Bosede Bucknor similarly supports the idea of extending the service to other parts of the city, saying that it will enable more residents to benefit from the exercise.

”I spend an average of N400 from my Isolo residence to Apapa every day, but I believe that a spread of the scheme will make many more people to reap the benefit,” she says.

Interestingly, even as these sundry arguments go on, a visit to some of the BRT shelters indicates a beehive of activities. At some of the shelters, including the ones on the Ikorodu Road route, SUNDAY PUNCH observes that many commuters have come to embrace the initiative. For them, the BRT has become the way out of their transportation problem.

According to Miss Bimbo Jegede, a student of Yaba College of Technology, the scheme has made life a lot easier for her.

Jegede, a Higher National Diploma student of the college, while speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH notes that apart from saving some money courtesy of the BRT, she no longer worries about the arbitrary hike by commercial buses, just as she is not bothered again of their molestation and the likelihood of running into ‘one chance’ operators.

“While I was doing my Ordinary National Diploma, I had been a victim of bus thieves and ‘one chance’ operators several times. But since the coming of BRT on this route, things have really changed and changed for good for so many of us,” Jegede says.

”Again, I have never had cause to think of increased transport fare, whether it is in peak period or not,” an excited Jegede remarks.

Another commuter and banker, who speaks glowingly about the BRT, says since the advent of the scheme, he spends only N4,000 to and from his place of work against N55,000 before now.

”BRT has reduced transport cost for me. It has put more money in my purse and I can use this excess for some other things. Prior to the launch of the scheme, I had a driver who I paid N35,000 monthly and I was buying N5,000 fuel every week. This implies that I spent N55,000 every month on transportation. But today, it is no more. What I did was to empower the driver in another way and now I spend an average of N4,000 every month. So in terms of putting more money in my pocket, that has been achieved and I give kudos to BRT,” the banker, who does not want his name in print, explains.

For the banker, therefore, there is no contesting the significant role of the BRT. His biggest concern now is that more buses be put on the route, especially during the peak hours.

On this request, Ojelabi says that ”LAMATA is not the owners of these buses. What LAMATA has done as a public entity is to put the infrastructure and regulate the services. We have a co-operative of National Union of Road Transport Workers, who are the owners of the buses,” he says.

He, nonetheless, cautions that if more buses are put on the dedicated lanes, there will be congestion and the purpose of the rapidity will be lost.

“What we have now is the BRT lite. It is not the full BRT. With full BRT, we will have two lanes on either side. So there is a limit to which you can put more buses on the road. But what we normally do is that we have monitors at every bus shelter. If there are too many people at the shelter, the monitor will inform the operational base to send more buses to these shelters,” he says.

The LAMATA official, who declares that all hope is not lost for other Lagos residents, cites the Iyana-Ipaja/Ikotun pilot bus franchise scheme, saying the initiative is to open up other routes so as to alleviate the suffering of the masses.

“The project construction is going on now. Maybe by April/May, the operation will start. So it is another project that will relieve commuters around that corridor and it is being projected that some time later this year, this particular bus scheme will take passengers as far as Maryland, so that those going to Lagos can link the BRT at that point,” he concludes.

Oshodi is Born Again

2009-01-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 09, 2009 Guardian

Oshodi is Born Again
By Regina Akpabio, Seye Olumide, Bertram Nwanekannma and David Ibemere

RESIDENTS are yet to believe that they could pass through the ever-busy and notorious Oshodi area of Lagos without shoving and brushing shoulders with dozens of people.

Before the demolition exercise, which began on Sunday, many who were familiar with the area could still recall how difficult it was to wade through a sea of heads surging and jostling across all the access routes leading to Oshodi Bus Stop.

There were some routes such as Agege-Motor Road when passers-by had to walk as if they were in droves, pleading they should be allowed to pass.

Now, old ways have passed away. All things have become new. Oshodi is now clean. It is so neat that both motorists and pedestrians can pass freely without any hitch. Many thanks to the Lagos State government, which stripped it beyond recognition, forcing all manners of rots to give way to sanity.

When The Guardian visited the area yesterday, motorists were going at top speed, as all the roads were cleared of its hundreds of roadside traders and vehicular traffic jam.

Not even the railway traders or beggars were in sight. They did not carry out their activities, as they have relocated to other places.

The number of social miscreants popularly known as area boys equally reduced, as traffic jam, which made their nefarious activities thrive, is no longer there.

For fear of the traders' return, as they keep hanging around daily, a detachment of mobile policemen, officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), and other environmental as well as security agencies now keep vigil to nip in the bud any trespasser.

A passer-by, Madam Ebun, in disbelief, kept saying: "Is this Oshodi? I can now walk freely. It is good but where will these people earn a living?" she asked.

The battle to tame the monster and restore sanity to Oshodi started from the last administration of Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But the disorderliness always had its way of returning after the several exercises to bring sanity to the area. Many residents are now watching to see whether the government would win the battle, this time around.

Some passers-by yesterday nodded their heads to commend the governor's good work while others shook their heads in sympathy with the stranded traders, who were hanging around the vicinity.

According to Mr. Joshua Onwubiko: "This is a welcome development. Oshodi now wears a new look and we pedestrians, can now freely move our hand to and fro without any restriction. Unlike before, you pick your way through a congested crowd."

A commercial bus driver, Mr. Kunle Lekan, said: "We drivers are benefitting more because we can now drive freely unlike in the past when you have to hoot your horn through a mammoth crowd."

While passers-by were happy, some of the affected traders bemoaned their losses as they watched helplessly the task force officials still trying to pull down the remaining illegal structures.

Some traders lamented the hardship they were going to face, as they had exhausted their resources during the festive period.

A trader, Mrs. Fumilayo Lawal, amidst tears bemoaned: "My children will be going back to school and my husband is not alive. How can I carry a family of six when I am not earning anything now? The only way I get money to pay for my children's school fees has been destroyed."

For about three minutes, a particular woman stood speechless watching if what she saw was real, as vehicles sped through the area while pedestrians moved freely without obstruction. She turned right and left and said in amazement: "This is the first time in the past 32 years I have been in Lagos, that Oshodi is like this."

Others who joined her in appreciation of the sanity government has brought to Oshodi, concluded this was part of dividend of democracy.

According to another commercial bus operator, Bamidele Otun: "The future of this country can be seen in the recent development in Oshodi. It shows that our government can be effective. This is a great achievement for the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration.

Another Lagosian, Ayinde Oluseyi, said: "Oshodi was a jungle until last Sunday. People should remove sentiments from their sense of judgment."

"If we complain that the traders would suffer, what about criminal activities that were rampant in Oshodi? What of the traffic congestion and other social menace that have made the area very notorious?" he asked.

"For me, the development is welcome and my prayer is that the government would be able to sustain it," he added.

Most of the dislodged traders yesterday pleaded with the government to make life easier for them by finding alternative place for them.

One of the traders said: "We have no option than to abide by the government's decision. I believe it is going to favour the general populace. However, I am pleading with the government to find an alternative place for us to continue trading, especially for those of us who cannot afford the ultra-modern shops.

Many residents are now appreciating the beauty of Oshodi, as traffic jam has disappeared.

The debacle from Ladipo Bus Stop on Agege-Motor Road, caused by commercial motorists turning to Oshodi Road, to avoid the bedlam at Oshodi, has suddenly disappeared. Even the hold-up on the fly-over linking Gbagada Expressway and Apapa Oshodi Expressway is equally gone.

Meanwhile, the Corps Marshal of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Captain Danjuma Maigeri (rtd.), has vowed that his men would not allow the street traders to return.

Maigeri, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Environmental Matters, said his men would, henceforth, keep a permanent surveillance on the recalcitrant traders.

According to him, it is only by keeping the traders away that the state government can develop Oshodi like Bourdillon in Ikoyi.

The KAI boss also revealed government's plan to begin work on a modern drainage at Oshodi and its environs very soon.

"I have achieved my aim. At least, the DPO at Oshodi has not reported cases of petty stealing or armed robbery cases under the Oshodi bridge since the exercise started," he said.

However, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, said the traders at Oshodi have been relocated to a large expanse of land in Ilasamaja area and Awolowo Market of Lagos.

Residents list priorities for LASG in 2009

2008-12-25T02:40:00.001-08:00

Published 12/25/2008 1:21:00 AM

Residents list priorities for LASG in 2009
Francis Famoroti

As the year 2008 runs to an end, the Lagos State Government was, on Thursday, urged to ensure the take-off of its planned light rail transport scheme, efficient road network and alternate power project.

Residents described these as priority projects that should be inaugurated in the state next year.

Concerned residents who made the call in separate interviews with our correspondent included an investment banker and consultant, Mr. Remmy Olagunju; a landscape expert, Mr. Niyi Oriade; and a civil engineer, Mr. Matthias Akinsola.

They were unanimous that the new Lagos city plan would only be meaningful if the projects could accommodate the provision of rail line scheme, interconnected road network and independent power supply.

The men spoke just as Governor Babatunde Fashola said that the state model intra city rail service would begin next year with the construction of rail lines.

The governor reportedly said the state government had just completed the designs of the rail service, which would be followed by the actual construction.

The respondents’ views seemed to have coincided with the governor’s pronouncement on the issue.

According to Olagunju, “The new Lagos city project should include the rail transportation system, good road network and power project in order to boost industrialisation. This will encourage investment and generate employment.”

The consultant said, “for instance, it was unfortunate that only the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway serves residents of Iyana-Ipaja, Abule-Egba, Aboru, Alagbado and other areas in Alimosho Local Government;” urging the state government to either open up or rehabilitate the failed link roads in the LGA.

He implored the state government to ensure that the rail scheme, road network and power projects were part of the new Lagos city plan in order to meet the yearning of the residents.

Oriade also highlighted the importance of good and efficient transportation system to the mega city plan.

He also expressed concern over the performance of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, calling on the state government to begin discussions with other global energy companies that are capable of executing the IPP.

Akinsola lauded the state government’s efforts in the area of reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads in the state, but maintained that the inauguration of rail transportation system was necessary to complement its efforts.

He said, “I think the state government is on the right course so far in terms of its commitment to rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads. The rail transportation system will definitely complement the inadequacies of our urban environment.”

Akinsola wanted LAMATA, the state government agency handling the rail project, to tell the populace what was responsible for the delay in its take-off.

The engineer shared the view that the Lagos city plan should address the problems of power supply, urging the state government to embrace the Independent Power Project.

Lagos launches N50 billion infrastructure renewal bond

2008-12-25T02:32:00.001-08:00

Thursday, December 25, 2008 Guardian

Lagos launches N50 billion infrastructure renewal bond
By Felix Kuye

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola's administration moved further yesterday in its ongoing efforts at transforming Lagos into a mega city by launching a N50 billion fixed rate bond for renewal of infrastructure in the city.

The event, which was held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos also featured the completion meeting of the debt issuance programme. It was attended by the Deputy Governor Mrs. Sarah Bisi Sosan, some members of the state House of Assembly, top government officials, financial consultants, representatives of the issuing firms and the Nigerian Stock Exchange, among others.

Speaking at the event, Fashola restated his administration's resolve to transform Lagos into a safe, functional and productive economic hub that will better the lot of the people and make greater contribution to national development.

Explaining the rationale behind the infrastructure renewal project, the governor said: " The underlying cause of this debt issuance programme is our firm determination to transform Lagos into Africa's model mega city - a save, functional and productive economic hub - within the shortest time possible. Clearly, we can only achieve this objective by rapidly renewing existing infrastructure, building the much needed new ones, and putting in place those essential structures that will ensure the eradication of poverty and promotion of sustainable economic growth in our society. If we neglect to do this now, we will have to pay far more for the same in future.

"The potentials of Lagos State are self-evident. Lagos is the dynamo of the Nigerian economy, the industrial nerve centre of the country and the major port and commercial hub of West Africa. However, the incessant influx of people from within and outside Nigeria and over two decades of consistent under-investment in infrastructure have delivered to us dilapidated facilities, widespread unemployment, security threats, mushrooming slums and environmental degradation. We can only expose the true potential of this great state by turning these challenges into opportunities through heavy investments in infrastructure renewal and expansion."

The N50 "billion bond constitutes series one (2008 to 2013) issued under the N275 billion Lagos State Debt Issuance Programme.

According to Fashola, the respective instruments that are to be issued in tranches under the programme will provide tax exempted income to investors (through coupon payments). They will also permit banks to include the instruments as a liquid asset in the computation of statutory liquidity requirements.

He said the state government decided to go for the bond because the internally generated revenue will not be enough to successfully tackle the magnitude of the challenges of infrastructure renewal, compelling the government to search for an augmentation source.

" The bond issuance programme presents an appropriate opportunity for such alternative funding. For one, it provides an avenue by which the state government can immediately access funds as and when required. It is also an opportunity for institutional and individual investors in the private sector to support government initiatives while earning good returns on investment," the governor said.

Fashola told the audience that his administration had completed the design and is set to implement the reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressways which is to be transformed into a 10-lane international highway featuring pedestrian walkways, bus routes and rail lines.

Also, the designs of the designated routes for the state's light rail mass transit scheme are nearing completion, the governor disclosed.

In his address, Commissioner for Finance, Rotimi Oyekan, described the bond as the first of its kind in the country. He said it would also be a key contributor towards achieving Nigeria's goal of becoming one of the 20 leading economies in the world.

Stressing the importance of the bond, Oyekan said: "Essential infrastructure such as power, good roads, water and wastewater, waste management, health and education are fundamental to economic growth and stability; to improving and maintaining the social welfare and wellbeing of the citizens; and to sustainable protection of our environment."

Traffic chaos grounds Lagos

2008-12-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

Published 12/24/2008 1:23:00 AM

Traffic chaos grounds Lagos
Rasheed Bisiriyu

Christmas shopping and end-of-year activities compounded the traffic situation on major roads in Lagos on Tuesday.

Motorists and other road users were held in gridlocks for hours on end in many parts of the metropolis.

As early as 10am, many of the major roads had been blocked and a few traffic officers on duty were simply overwhelmed.

From Ikeja to Maryland, Iyana-Ipaja to Oshodi, Oworoshoki Junction on Third Mainland Bridge to Maryland and the old toll gate, the story was the same agony and pain all the way.

Movement was also slow on Ikorodu Road, Airport Road, Ikotun-Isolo Road and Western Avenue.

Those who had to pass through Isolo area of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway were caught in the traffic web occasioned by the popular Tuesday Aswani Market.

Several roads leading in and out of the market remained impossible up for hours. The backlash effect spread to the adjoining streets.

In the affected areas, impatient drivers shunted the queue, creating between two tand four lanes. Some motorists also drove against the traffic and more confusion was created as vehicles, which had overheating problems broke down.

A young man, who left his home at Ikorodu at 11am, did not got to his Ikeja office until 5pm.

He said, “I have never experienced that kind of hold up in Lagos before. The blockage was on both sides of the road. I wanted to go back but it would not make any difference. I don’t intend to take the car home today.”

Many commuters were stranded at bus stops as most commercial buses were already trapped in the traffic jam.

It was also a case of double jeopardy for the commuters, who had to contend with the sudden increase in transport fares. The fares were raised by between 50 and 200 per cent.

Out of frustration, some commuters, who could no longer wait for vehicles at bus stops and those that could not afford the high fares, resorted to trekking.

Meanwhile, Governor Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, approved that the Bus Rapid Transit vehicles should carry passengers free of charge on Christmas day between 7.00am and 10pm.

The move, according to the External Relations Specialist, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, is to reduce accidents and ease movement of people.

Ladipo Market: The dirt, closure and contending interests

2008-12-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

Published 12/21/2008 2:21:00 AM
Sunday Punch
Ladipo Market: The dirt, closure and contending interests
Sam Awoyinfa

The Ladipo auto spare parts market, situated in the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos, is quite popular. It is popular because most motorists and auto mechanics within Lagos and beyond have found the market a veritable source for spares for their ailing vehicles and other accessories.

As early as 7am on a normal day, the traders would have started arriving for the day’s business. Both human and vehicular traffic on that axis form an uncommon alliance, which accentuates the rowdiness of an uncharted terrain. Different sights of people clutching one form of spare part or the other greet you as you meander your way through the crowd to whichever shop you are headed.

That routine was halted on Monday December 15, 2008, when the market was shut by the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of the Environment. Reason? The dirty environment of the market has been causing problems on the road linking the market to Mushin and the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

This was not the first time the market would be shut this year. Sometime early this year, the Ladipo Market was shut by the state over the same complaints. It took the intervention of three South-Eastern governors before it was reopened.

The SUNDAY PUNCH correspondent had visited the shut market on Wednesday and the traders expressed their frustrations and helplessness at what they described “as the most critical period of the year, when we have a lot of financial obligations to take care of.” Even as the combined team of men from the Ministry of the Environment, Rapid Response Squad, Operation MESA, and Kick Against Indiscipline were keeping vigil at the market, the traders also gathered in groups, discussing their plight.

Some of them, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said their ordeal was caused by the Mushin Local Government. While some of them agreed that the allegations of dirty environment and the traffic gridlock on that axis were indeed true, they explained that they could not be blamed wholesale.

One of the traders, Simon Udenze, told SUNDAY PUNCH that there were so many interest groups in the market, which made central control a Herculean task. He stated that in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the state government in February 2004, it clearly stated among others that only one side of the pedestrian walk way shall be used for parking of cars and vehicles. But this has been breached.

To this, Udenze stressed that there were some people and Area Boys, who allegedly enjoy, some political patronage and they claimed authority over some sections in the market. “Some of them make spurious claims that they are from the local government, some say they are from the state government, some even claim they are from the Federal Government. Some of these people will say vehicles should park anywhere, creating confusion in the market. And if we challenge them, they begin to threaten us that they will create a crisis, which will lead to the closure of the market. They will tell us that they have nothing to lose.”

With this helpless situation, Udenze told SUNDAY PUNCH that they wrote a letter to the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment on this unwholesome development, sometime in July 2008, but no action was taken.

While he agrees that the market needs to improve in the area of sanitation, Udenze explains that the traders are not solely responsible for the waste being deposited in the market. He points out that the people living in the environment contribute a substantial part of the waste. “We are not the only people generating the waste here, those living in this environment also contribute,” he said. He however reveals that they pay LAWMA a certain monthly fee to come and evacuate the waste, but he alleges that they do not come as and when due.

The traders are however counting their losses in millions of naira for the days the market has been shut. One of them, who simply gave his name as Nnamdi, informs SUNDAY PUNCH that the business transactions in the market on a daily basis run into billions of naira. “Many containers enter here almost on daily basis, bringing goods from overseas. A small boy here can be in control of 10 containers, and the closure has affected all that,” Nnamdi said.

Frederick Okocha, who deals in handsets and digital cameras and other accessories, is still counting his losses over the closure. “Within the days the market has been shut, I have lost close to N150,000. Though I did not have a shop, but I have small kiosk where I display my wares and I thank God, I have been able to make money to feed my family members,” he said.

Another trader who claims to be one of the heads of the sections in the market, Femi, also agrees that the road is always congested, but he asks for the help of the state to send in law enforcement agents, who will tow any vehicle that flouts traffic law in the market.

He is not too happy that the market was closed at this time of the year, when people are trying to make money and be able to take care of their families during the Yuletide season. He believes it is a wrong timing.

Again, Udenze aligns with Femi on this. “We need the state government’s assistance. We need them to help us identify all these people who are claiming to be from the local, state and Federal Government. Something must also be done about these Alaye Boys (miscreants).”

An official of the Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee says it has reached an understanding with the Mushin LG in ensuring that the market is clean always and the road is free of traffic congestion, as soon as the market is reopened.

An attempt to get the chairman of the Mushin LG, Mr. Babatunde Adepitan, for his reaction on the allegations against the LG was not successful, as he was said to have gone for a meeting at the Governor’s Office when our correspondent visited his office.

His personal assistant promised that the chairman would call our correspondent as soon as he returned from the meeting, but he never called.

Meanwhile, all the kiosks and shanties in and around the market have been destroyed and burnt by the KAI agents. Several points where they were burnt were still noticeable on Wednesday.

It is not yet certain if Ladipo Market will retain its present state of cleanliness after it was reopened on Thursday.

Ladipo spare-parts market re-opened

2008-12-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ladipo spare-parts market re-opened

THE Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Council, Mr. Olatunde Adepitan, has announced the re-opening of Ladipo Spare-part Market after three days of closure.

The closure of the market was announced on Sunday during inspection by the chairman.

According to the chairman, the traders had reneged in the agreement they signed with the local council concerning, street -trading, construction of shanties on the drains, refuse clearance and blockage of major roads.

The chairman stated that the members of the Ladipo Autocental Executive Committee (LACEC), in collaboration with all the other associations within the market, should ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they signed with the council are strictly adhered to.

The chairman said that it was against the natural law of justice for a few traders to block a major road that links the council to the expressway, just to satisfy their own selfish desires.

He commended the traders for their understanding and maturity during the closure, thanking God that no life was lost during the exercise and no mishap was recorded during the operation.

Lagos task force arrest 27 traders

2008-12-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

Daily Champion 17/12/08

Lagos task force arrest 27 traders

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

NO fewer than 27 traders from the shut Ladipo auto spare parts market, Mushin, Lagos, were yesterday arrested by operatives of a task force of the state Ministry of the Environment.

The traders, who were mostly members of the Aguiyi Ironsi International Plaza, a unit in the market, were accused of flouting government’s order.

It would be recalled that Mushin local government last weekend ordered closure of the market following alleged violation of sanitation law by traders.

A senior officer of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) told Daily Champion that the traders were arrested at different points and times and have been taken to the agency’s headquarters at the state secretariat Alausa, Ikeja, where they will be arraigned by the agency’s court.

Their offences, said the source, who preferred anonymity, include unlawful engagement in business activities and non-participation in cleaning exercise.

According to him, those arrested would be made scape goats because they deliberately disobeyed government order.

"And it’s necessary that government do that, because those we had earlier arrested on Monday, were all released since we believed that by that time, they might not have been fully aware that government sealed up the market," said KAI official.

"But for the ones we arrested today, they have to face the consequences."

As at 4.45 p.m yesterday when this reporter visited the market, traders were seen in groups, lamenting and counting their losses as a result of the impromptu closure of their market.

Chief Obi Chuks, chairman, Progressive Traders Association, told Daily Champion that they had already cleaned-up their environment and now waiting for government to re-open the market by tomorrow (today).

"We have lost so much within the two days the market was closed. On daily average, about 10 to 12 lorry load of goods are off loaded by traders and you know what that means. Also, about 17 bank branches are in the neighbourhood of the market, and they are located here because of us the traders. And now, they must have known what they too would have lost because of the closure.

"So our plea to government is to re-open the market by tomorrow (today) so that we will be able to get — money to take care of ourselves and relations moreso that Christmas celebration is around the corner.

However, Daily Champion gathered that government and the leadership of the market are already dialoguing over some agreed terms before the market could be re-opened.

One of these is for the market leadership to guarantee that the cleaning-up exercise would be sustained and there wouldn’t be re-surfacing of business activities on the roads.

Daily Champion recalled that Sunday’s night, Mushin local government council, closed the market against business activities.

The closure was because of the environmental nuisance the market portend to the neighbourhood and importantly, roadside trading which has become a phenomenon of the market.

The Closure of Ladipo Market

2008-12-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

The Closure of Ladipo Market

Reports that Ladipo Market has again been closed on the order of Muzi Banire, the. Honorable Commissioner of Environment should not come as a surprise to those who have visited the market of recent.

The closure which was approved by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, is due among others to the unsanitary condition of the market and the repeated failures of the traders to adhere to the terms of an MOU signed with LSG in 2006.

The MOU was signed after the LSG who had closed the market under similar circumstances hearkened to pleas from well meaning Nigerians and after the traders undertook to address the complaints of government.

I recall Peter Obi, the Governor of Anambra state coming all the way to Lagos to add his voice to those who pleaded with LSG to reopen the market in 2006, but LSG is now asserting that the traders never adhered to the terms of the MOU.

I have not read the terms of the MOU signed between the traders at Ladipo market and LSG, and as such I am not in a position to know the exact responsibilities and obligations of the traders under the terms of the MOU.

What is clear is that between the last closure of the market in 2006, and the recent one, not much lessons have been learnt by the traders with regards to the unsanitary condition of the market.

But then Ladipo market is not just an ordinary market as it is the biggest market for old and new automobile parts along the West Coast, probably excluding Onitsha market although some will debate this fact.

It also provides direct and indirect employment to thousands if not millions of people who throng the market in their daily search for sustenance, or who finance the goods that are available for sale in the market.

Apart from those who are fortunate to have shops in and around the market, there are many others acting as middle men who intercept customers too stressed to navigate the market in search of the best deals.

There are also emergency mechanics and other parts fitters hanging around the market that for an express fee can fit or fix or repair cars with parts bought in the market, a service needed in an environment where trust is in short supply.

Then there are those that come from all over Lagos, other states in Nigeria and the West coast nations to buy car parts, and on the supply side are the importers who bring in the parts from Europe and Asia, financed either by banks or the contributions of others.

More important are the Lagosians, both private and commercial car owners who patronize the used parts section of the market and without which their vehicles are more like mobile coffins.

This is the complex context in which the LSG has taken the decision to close the Ladipo market for a yet undeterminable period of time, a decision whose reverberating impact will be felt in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria and West Africa..

With many of the young men and women earning their living on a daily basis from the Ladipo market, and in a society with no social safety nets for the majority of hard working Nigerians, how are these people going to survive?

In the last few months reports of violent robberies across Lagos have increased and the closure of the market is likely to aggravate the situation especially as Christmas and New Year celebrations are around the corner.

The timing of the closure may push some of the youths who get their daily sustenance from the market into taking desperate actions as millions will be thrown into temporary unemployment worsening an already bad situation.

This does not mean that I condone the actions or in actions of the traders or that I support the unsanitary state of the market. My take is that if closure of the market 2 years ago yielded no improvements the chances of similar action working in 2008 may be slim.

I am concerned about the human implications of the actions of LSG in closing the market although I respect the right of government to take such steps as may address the environmental challenges presented by the market.

The objective of government is to have a market in Ladipo that is kept clean through the efforts of the traders. The million Naira question is how this can this be achieved without resorting to the intermittent closure of the market with its attendant human challenges?

On the new look of Amuwo-Odofin

2008-12-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

BusinessDay
Friday, 12 December 2008 00:05 JOSHUA BASSEY

With the dualisation of Ago Palace-Amuwo Odofin link road almost completed, JOSHUA BASSEY writes that new businesses are being attracted to the area, with improved security of lives and property.

Amuwo-Odofin is becoming an area where, as they say, the 'dividend of democracy' is fast taking root. With the re-development and expansion of the once deplorable Ago-Palace Way linking Festac and Mile 2 estates, two Lagos urban settlements comprising middle and high income earners, the area is set to redefine modern concepts.
Unlike in the past when Amuwo-Odofin was predominantly residential, commercial concerns are now making inroads and things are now looking good for landlords, estate agents, the motoring public and even the government, which stands to gain a lot from the increasing value of property within the area.
From a single carriageway to a three-lane dual carriageway, with streetlights, beautified median, walkways, expanded bridge, service ducts and other accompanying facilities, the Ago Palace-Amuwo road, now almost completed, is set to become one of the first major projects to be accomplished by the administration of Babatunde Fashola.
As expected, investors are taking advantage of the new dawn to open businesses of various interests. You only need to keep away from the area for weeks, and return to see one new business outfit or the other. For property owners, it is the right time to invest and they are doing so with passion in what looks like a battle to outwit one another. Houses are being converted from their original design. Property left half-undeveloped for years are becoming beautiful edifices and adding colour to the area.
A survey shows that businesses in the following categories have sprung up: fast foods and eateries, filling stations, auto markets, gymnasiums, hotels, party gardens, telecom service providers, banks, hospitals, manufacturing, publishing etc.
There is also a healthy competition between three wheeler operators popularly known as "Keke Marwa" and the ubiquitous motorcycle operators (okada) who before now had the monopoly of shuttling passengers within the area.
Going by the signals from the civil engineering department of the state ministry of works and infrastructure, the project may be commissioned before the end of this month or early next month. Awarded to the Chinese Civil Engineering & Construction Company (CCECC) in 2007, the contract entails the use of interlocking stones to give the road its modern design.
With a sprawling road network that has walkways and well laid out drainage, the beauty of the road project will be better appreciated during the rainy season when most parts of Amuwo-Odofin are submerged in flood.
This development marks a departure from the past when motorists and residents would avoid the Ago-Palace-Amuwo road at all costs for fear of armed bandits who would take advantage of the failed road to strike and strip hapless passengers and motorists of their valuables.
It is also a relief from those days when traffic gridlocks would make nonsense of driving on the road due to its deplorable condition.
The memory of the past brings to mind the painful decision to alight from the bus and trek long distance to one's destination because the traffic would not ease off.
It reminds one of the never recovered man-hours often lost and the negative impacts on the economy, the fuel burned in the process, the wear and tear effect on the vehicles that plied the road and the burden of having to regularly replace damaged spare parts to keep such vehicles in workable condition.
One could also recall the commercial bus operators' dimension to the situation: the increase in transportation fares payable by passengers to keep appointments or return home at the close of work everyday. How their rage against such prohibitive fares would always be defeated by what seemed a logical argument by the bus operators who would blame their action on the condition of the road and the risk they had to take venturing onto it.
Also, one could recall those days when workers whose offices and businesses were located in Festac town, Amuwo and Mile 2 but lived in Okota, Ago, Ikotun, Egbe and Ejigbo, would risk driving against traffic (one-way) on the Apapa-Oshodi Express road to connect to Cele Bus Stop rather than take the shorter Ago-Okota road.
The sad story of a banker with an office in Festac, who was robbed, and his fiancée, with whom he was driving home after the day's job, raped before his very eyes by robbers on this notorious road is still fresh on many minds. Perhaps for this incident, the Lagos State police command in 2007 deployed armed mobile policemen with an armoured personnel carrier (APC) to the road.
A mobile policeman posted to the road says their presence has put the robbers to check but praises the decision of government to undertake the project.
"Since we came here more than a year ago, robberies and attacks on motorists have stopped. Our presence has increased traffic on the road because most people no longer entertain the fear that they will be robbed.
"Most thrilling however is government's decision to turn the road around," the leader of the police team who preferred anonymity said.
The phase one of the project, which starts from the former Durbar Hotel junction and terminates at the foot bridge near Okota, has been completed and is already bringing relief going by the increasing traffic on the road.
Phase two involves the construction of a single lane, six-span Bridge at Okota. The new bridge is envisaged to compliment the road expansion, as the hitherto existing bridge can no longer cope with the expected traffic.
Idowu Akindeko, principal consultant, DealBrick Ventures, a real estate firm says the expansion of the road among other things is already adding to the value of property in the area as a plot of land now goes for between N6,000,000 and N8,000,000 This is unlike five years ago when a plot was sold for between N3,000,000 and N5,000,000.
Akindeko reveals that a three-bedroom apartment which before could be secured for between N250,000 and N300,000 now goes for between N500,000 and N700,000, depending on the facilities available and whether the building is new.
Adewale Ayodele, chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, says the project is a relief to the people of the council and bound to fast-track the pace of development in the area.
"I praise the resolve of Governor Fashola to undertake this strategic project. I expect that this will continue to attract new businesses and create more jobs. If you compare Amuwo of yesteryears with what we have now, you will notice a remarkable change
Ganiyu Johnson, special adviser to the government on works and infrastructure, says the project aims to further open up the neighbourhood, give residents a greater sense of belonging as well as provide easy access to the Amuwo-Odofin Industrial Estate from Okota.
Johnson further discloses that government is thinking about the possibility of undertaking the remaining part of the road to completely link Okota and Cele where overhead bridge is already being constructed. According to him, this perhaps will constitute the third phase of the project.
However, chairman of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), which secretariat is located within Amuwo-Odofin, advises that to elongate the lifespan of the road government will need to ensure it is not taken over by petroleum tankers, artisans, roadside mechanics and traders.
"The beauty of the road will be better appreciated if the streetlights are not intended as mere decoration but to light up the area at nights. Tankers must not be allowed to take over as has been the case with other roads in the area," he said.
The full completion of the project, from the Durbar junction to Okota and Cele as contemplated by the state government, will bring about a win-win situation where nobody loses, especially as government is currently embarking on property identification exercise which will help to determine their values and what owners are expected to pay as property tax. This is how to drive development.

Author of this article: JOSHUA BASSEY

Ladipo spares market shut!

2008-12-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

Guardian Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Ladipo spares market shut!
By Bertram Nwannekanma, Isaac Taiwo and David Ibemere

LADIPO Automobile Spare-parts Market, located in Mushin Local Council of Lagos State is unarguably, Nigeria's biggest automobile accessories market.

It may also qualify as one of the most troubled markets in the state.

When the trouble is not about who gains control of the market by the leaders of the over 20 factions, it is over for the collection of revenue among a private firm, local council and the traders.

It may also be, as in the present circumstance, a disagreement with the state government over environmental matters, which have led to its repeated closure by the Lagos State government.

The government has also threatened to permanently shut or relocate the multi- billion-naira market largely dominated by the Igbo.

Like its first major closure that lasted close to a week, two years ago, leading to huge losses by traders, the market was yesterday, reportedly closed on the orders of the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

During the last closure, it took the intervention of the two former governors from the East before the former governor, Bola Tinubu could open the market. The traders also signed a Memorandum of Understanding before the market was opened.

But at yesterday's closure, supervised by Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Marshal General of Lagos State and the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Environmental Matters, Maigeri Danjuma, a retired Nigerian Army Captain, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, seemed not to have been involved this time.

Spokesman of the ministry, Mr. Olusegun Adedeji, in a telephone interview claimed ignorance of the closure.

Although there was none of the claims, as in the first closure, that KAI officials were manhandled, the timing and the suspected ethnic coloration that characterized the first closure also played out yesterday.

One of the traders, Magnus Obiekwe, wondered why the government was always closing Ladipo Market on the excuse of a dirty environment, especially during the Christmas time when there are many dirtier markets in the state.

He said: " Though we agree that Ladipo Market is not as clean as it could be, is it the only one in Lagos?

" That the government will wait till the end of the year to shut such a market that thrives during the season suggests a hidden agenda.

"None of us had expected what we saw. Of course, we came for our usual trading activities after the weekend, only to see our shops under lock and key," he added.

But the battle for the control of the market among the various factions had also contributed to the problem in the market, according to the traditional ruler of the market, Chief Mike Nwosu.

According to him, the factions and disunity coupled with the activities of some government officials both from the local council and ministries in Alausa had impacted negatively on the observance of the details of the agreement, which led to yesterday's closure.

" There has been street- trading along the Ladipo Road, Mushin leading to perennial vehicular obstruction on the road. In that understanding reached with the government two years ago, the traders were to end street trading.

"But because of factions, it was impossible to effect any meaningful control.

Again, it is true that the market may not be in the best of conditions, even though, we had shortly after the previous closure set up a task force.

But, there was little the task force could do because they lacked the authority and support to maintain sanity in the market.

" We want government to give us identity cards or tags for the task force boys as KAI workers, which can give them the authority to clear those obstructing the roads.

Whosoever tries it without full backing of government will not last a week.

Some of the culprits claimed to be paying to the local council and some officials of the Ministry of the Environment at Alausa.

" We are appealing to the government to temper justice with mercy.

We know the governor means well so we ask him to reopen the market as soon as our people clear it, to allow us do business for the Christmas season since many are depending on the market for their survival.

" We are appealing to the government to help us by creating a Kick Against Indiscipline Unit in the market to ensure that discipline is maintained", he added.

A warehouse trader, Ignatius Oleka, bemoaned the closure, describing it as "unexpected."

He continued: "After the agreement signed with the government, we did not think a situation would arise again for the market to be shut because we set up a task force to look at the environmental matters with compulsory environmental sanitation every Thursday.

But soon, some powerful elements took over and what he saw was a return to the status quo", he said.

Oleka, who was expecting some containers from Apapa Warf yesterday before the closure, told The Guardian he had hoped to sell the proceeds to pay back loans from banks.

But the KAI Marshal General denied any ethnic or political consideration in the closure.

According to him, KAI Brigade is only carrying out orders, which is to maintain the cleanliness of Lagos as a mega city.

Danjuma, who said another market would soon be closed for habouring criminals in the state, want people to differentiate government policies from politics.

He also said the time chosen for the operation was not meant to hurt any particular ethnic group.

He said: "The governor loves all Lagosians. We have tried as much as possible to remain apolitical. The interest is to maintain sanity in the market and we will not continue to allow such level of indiscipline as seen on the road whereby traffic is blocked and movement hampered because people will not just obey rules.

"Because of indiscipline and traders blocking the road, it sometimes takes one hour or more on the road that is less than 300 metres.

" We had an understating the last time when there was ugly incident. The traders agreed to obey, and within the shortest time, when we came around, decorum had set in the market.

" We are acting on the orders of the governor, who may come here to see things for himself.

I want to assure you that the market will be re-opened as soon as the traders show remorse and willingness to cooperate with the government to keep the market clean," he added.

War against filth continues in Lagos

2008-12-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

Guardian newspaper Monday, December 15, 2008

War against filth continues in Lagos
By David Ibemere

ANYONE who thought the Lagos State government had won the battle against filth and garbage need only to visit Alhaji Raimi Street, Owodunni Street, Ifelodun, Alafia and others in the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Council of the state.

If nothing else, the sights that residents and their visitors are confronted with, show the battle is far from over.

Those unfamiliar with the area would shudder in disbelief at the heaps of garbage, foul-smelling pools of stagnant water and the utter grimness of the entire environment.

The deplorable roads and streets make the matters much worse.

A visitor to Raimi Street, Mr. Badmus Okpere, looked on in disbelief and asked: "How, in the name of humanity, can human beings reside on these streets? Can it be that they have been so degraded and conditioned to live in any area, no matter how bad? Are these people unaware of the need for a healthy and clean environment?"

Indeed, residents patronise restaurants and bars close to heaps of garbage.

They do not seem to mind the offensive odour, whether it could be a detriment to their health or not.

But some of the residents are not happy with the situation.

The heaps of garbage, the nauseating smell from the pools of water in Alhaji Raimi Street and others, have led to calls on the Lagos State government to take action and save them from the condition they find themselves.

"We know that patronizing those food sellers could endanger our health, but man must eat," a resident, Seun Ademola, told The Guardian on Friday.

The resident of Alhaji Raimi Street, Adewunmi Oyebade, who has lived there for more than two decades, told The Guardian that the street could have been saved from deterioration if pleas by landlords and tenants had been given attention by the government.

"What we are going through is indescribable and if necessary steps are not taken by the government, lives of the residents would be in danger," he said.

He said their health was in danger, as they are now susceptible to all manner of health hazards.

A resident of Owodunni Street, Osita Agu, who spoke to The Guardian, said: "Whenever it rains, there is always flood, which even affects our homes.

"There was a day it rained heavily and a pupil was almost drowned in a ditch while trying to pick his way through the pool of water.

Luckily, he was rescued by residents who rushed to the scene," he said.

He implored the Lagos State government to come to their rescue by repairing the roads, constructing drainage channels for water to run into the canals whenever it rains.

He said the major cause of their plight was lack of drainage system along the Mile Two -Orile Expressway as a result of which run-off finds easy access to their streets and homes.

The Secretary of Alafia Street Community Development Association, Alhaji Saka Adediran, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, told The Guardian that landlords and landladies formed the association over 20 years ago.

"When our problem began and we saw it was not something we could handle, we unanimously agreed to reach out to appropriate authorities and also map out our own strategies.

" We did not know flood in Alafia Street until 22 years ago, when the street was extended and the expressway constructed, " he said.

He further revealed that they had to build makeshift wooden bridges so that residents could have access to their homes and that the cost of some drainages constructed was borne by the Community Development Association.

He said the abandonment of the project was due to the fact that the association could no longer raise money to continue.

He called on the appropriate state and local council authorities to come to their aid and save their streets and homes from impending danger.

A resident of Ifelodun Street, Okolie Onwubiko, said the lack of drainage system was responsible for the problems in Ifelodun, Owodunni and other streets.

"Sometimes, we have to wade the pools of water to get into our homes while our household goods gave been destroyed several times," he said.

Another resident, Mama Rukayat who spoke to The Guardian said their lives were in danger as they were prone to all manner of health hazards.

A food seller, Mama Adeola, said she was fully aware of the danger of contaminated food but that she had no option because she must assist her husband to take care of the family.

She implored the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to assist in repairing their streets to ameliorate their suffering.

Another concerned citizen, a commercial bus driver, Adeyemi Lawal, who resides in Ifelodun Street, said with the on-going efforts by Fashola to keep Lagos State clean, measures should be taken to arrest the sorry situation in their area so as to put check health and environmental hazards.

He told The Guardian that hoodlums and miscreants have capitalised on the situation and have taken over some deserted buildings where they smoke Indian hemp and from where they attack innocent citizens.

Who will save Lagosians from the menance of Container Trucks? Friday

2008-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2008
Executive Governor of Lagos State

Your Excellency,

On Thursday December 4, 2008, a trailer carrying 2 twenty feet containers loaded with chemicals fell on top of a Honda Legend saloon car on the overhead bridge at the Iganmu-Orile axis.

The car was completely crushed under the weight of the containers but fortunately, its occupants managed to escape from the car before the containers fell down while still attached to the truck.

Close examination of the underside of the trailer bed to which the containers were attached revealed that same was rusted including the latches which were supposed to hold down the containers.

Apparently, parts of the latches which were heavly rusted had given way causing the contents of the containers to tilt the truck over and to fall on the car whic was by the side of the truck.

I have lost track of the number of occasions in which I have read of such occurrences in the newspapers and watched some on television. I have also seen some with my own eyes.

The resulting loss of lives and injuries to Lagosians including the destruction of properties i.e. cars, is a sad and avoidable development if only steps can be taken to address the situation.

A while back, it was reported that you had a meeting with the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority over these horrible developments, but it is apparent that Lagosians are still on the receiving end.

Unless some drastic action is taken to make the NPA, freight forwarders and terminal operators who allow dilapidated trucks with rusted trailer beds to load containers, Lagosians will continue to be at their mercy.

We implore the Lagos State Government to intervene on the side of Lagosians and bring to an end this avoidable insanity which is propelled by greed and disregard for safety standards.

Phasing out molue buses

2008-12-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

THE SUN – Friday

Phasing out molue buses
By Sun News Publishing
Friday, December 5, 2008
Recently, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State hinted that his administration is planning to phase out over 40,000 mass transit buses (molue) currently plying Lagos roads under the ongoing transportation programme of the state government. Given the rickety nature of some of these buses and the hazard they constitute to commuters and other road users, the plan to phase them out is welcome.

Besides giving Lagos a new image that befits its mega-city status, the envisaged plan would, to a very large extent, rid Lagos roads of buses that are no longer roadworthy and spare Lagosians the frequent road accidents caused by some of them.

However, there is the need for the Lagos State Government to carry out the exercise in such a manner that commuters are not subjected to undue suffering as experienced at the inception of the now successful Bus Rapid Transport (BRT). To ensure a hitch-free transformation from molue to modern mass transit buses, we suggest that the exercise be done in phases with a realizable deadline set by the government.

There is also the need to involve other stakeholders, especially members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) who provide the bulk of road transportation in Lagos. The members of these associations should be encouraged to form cooperatives that would enable them participate effectively in the planned new mass transit buses programme.

We believe that carrying them along will make the exercise more embracing and successful. The government must also ensure that there are enough of these new buses for the commuters. They should be made to ply all the routes currently covered by the molue buses. Doing otherwise will defeat the aim of the exercise.
Considering the fact that molue buses charge lower fares, there is every need to compel the new buses to do the same. Any deviation from this would spell doom for the programme and make the commuters long for the return of the decrepit buses.

Beyond the concentration on road transportation, it has also become necessary for the state government to think of developing other modes of transportation like the railways and waterways.
We believe that the introduction of Light Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) and Inland Waterways Transit (IWT) will considerably improve the transportation system in the metropolis. Embarking on water transportation in Lagos would not be difficult in view of the fact that Lagos is surrounded by navigable waterways. A combination of efficient rail system and well-aligned water transportation would definitely take the heat off Lagos roads.

The current traffic congestion in Lagos is largely due to over- dependence on the road mode of transportation. That could also possibly explain why the nation’s roads do not last.
Bringing sanity to Lagos roads should however, not be restricted to the phasing out of molue buses. Commercial motorcycle transportation (okada) is another transport mode that has of recent constituted the greatest danger and a nuisance to other road users in the state. The government can curb the excesses of okada riders by banning them from major highways.

Another impediment to free flow of traffic in Lagos is the presence of many uniformed men, all involved in traffic control. Specifically, the ubiquitous and often intimidating presence of officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), Ministry of Transport (MOT), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and all manner of motor park touts has impeded rather than enhanced the smooth flow of traffic in the metropolis. More often, some of these men constitute a law unto themselves and extort money in the name of fines from unsuspecting members of the public for flimsy traffic offences. For sanity to prevail on Lagos roads, the government should dislodge all motor park touts from the roads and streamline the activities of the uniformed men

Addressing Okada Menace in Lagos

2008-12-03T01:43:00.000-08:00

THIS DAY - Tuesday
Addressing Okada Menace in Lagos
11.27.2008

The seismic intrusion of commercial motorcycling popularly referred to as "Okada" into our nation transportation system has remained a mystery and a great source of worry to discerning Nigerians. Nobody can actually give a vivid detail on when Okada riding became part of the Nigerian transportation culture. But like a thief in the night, the thing crept into our collective psyche. Ever since, it has refused to let go. How this method of transportation dislodged the conventional method of the taxicab should be a study better left for another day. But there is a school of thought that suggests they crept into Lagos and other towns in Nigeria through areas designated as outskirts, undeveloped and plagued with roads that could be described as death tracks. Such areas suffered a dearth of other transportation modes and those savvy enough to recognize the opportunity soon made a tidy second income by providing transportation service using motorcycles. Our leaders never envisaged its rippling effect thereafter otherwise it could have been nipped in the bud.
Specifically, at the centre of excellence, Okada has become an ubiquitous feature instead of rendering service, assumed a nuisance value. The operators are ill trained on the rules and regulations guiding traffic. Being an all comer's vocation, its operators include people from a variegated hue and backgrounds. From the young university graduate who dabbles into the job for lack of good paying jobs, to the Area Boy who sees it as the simplest form of vocation, at least better than what he is used to; and from the common tout on the street to a new migrants from the remote towns and villages outside Lagos with little or no training on simple traffic etiquette, Okada riding has become the latest means of livelihood to many while placing the city on the edge and a stretch on its infrastructures.
Its disadvantages in no small measure, far exceeds or outweighs it advantages considering too, the fact that Okada came into our lives when other countries of the world were moving forward and introducing the twenty-first century's transportation systems strategies. We choose to turn a blind eye to the changes and requirement but choose to remain adamant and archaic while moving on as if nothing was amiss.
Okada, like all motorcycles elsewhere, have a far higher rate of crippling and fatal accidents per unit distance than automobiles. A study conducted in the USA in 2004 showed that while about 15.0 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes, the rate for motorcycles was 69.3 per 100,000._A study conducted at the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife in 1998, showed that injuries to the limb as a result of Okada crashes occurred at the rate of 79.3% of its patients who reported at the emergency department of that hospital. It also identified the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be practically nonexistent among most Okada riders
It has exposed the drivers and passengers to untold dangers. Mangled ribs, broken legs, fractured skulls among others, are some of the harsh legacies left by Okada. Its horrendous and terrible impact on the lives of the people cannot be quantified. On daily basis, the news media are awash on its capabilities to be an easy channel to the great beyond. Everyday cases of Okada accidents are reported, while some are lucky, majority of its victims never live to tell their story. The killing of the Sun Newspapers head of operation, Mr Martin Akirijin while minding his business at a bus stop, by a speeding Okada rider a couple of days ago is a fresh case in point. The building of a ward for Okada accidents victim within the premises of the National Orthopedic Hospital Igbobi ought to have alerted the authority to the emergency at our hands which requires urgent action.
On security, crime index rose astronomically in the city of Lagos with the Okada incursion more so, as navigating with motorcycle is vey much easy for criminals than other types of vehicles hence the proliferation of Okada friendly crimes. Not too long ago, banks in Victoria Island were terrorized by a mob of Okada robbers who came to rattle them in their hundreds. On the daily traffic snarls, Okada robbers takes advantage to steal phones, handbags, money and other valuables at gunpoint.
Okada have been criticized also for their roles in causing or exacerbating traffic congestions in the cities where they operate. Cases also occur of gang beatings where Okada riders take on offending and most often times, innocent motorists during accidents and setting of vehicles on fire. That is the reality in Lagos of today. The most ridiculous part is that they breach traffic laws; riding against traffic pretending not be part of that law. Riding on median is another culture, and the one that readily comes to mind is the Ketu/Ojota, Ikorodu road median, here, the authority if possible ought to be sanctioned for dereliction of their responsibility. Caution is thrown to the wind. These walkway have been turned into an Okada highway; they ply both the road and the median like a man stung by bees and everybody is getting along pretending not to be bordered; the same applies to third mainland bridge.
It will be recalled that the former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu at a point verbally ban Okada riders from the bridges in the metro police and restricted them to the streets but this instruction was not adhered to because there was no political will to implement the order. So as you read this, all the major bridges in Lagos is recording high volume of Okada movement. A learner can buy a motorcycle today and put it on the road immediately same day with the unsuspecting passenger not aware of the looming danger ahead. Are they bigger than the state? Why can't the state effectively deal with the situation once and for all? How effective are our regulatory agencies mandated with the responsibility of overseeing these people, do we have any? If we do, it calls for a total overhaul.
•Tony Nwajei,
Lagos

Motorists, passers-by decry refuse dump in Ikoyi LCDA By Francis Famoroti Published: Tuesday, 2 Dec 2008 The Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development

2008-12-03T01:38:00.000-08:00

Motorists, passers-by decry refuse dump in Ikoyi LCDA
By Francis Famoroti
Published: Tuesday, 2 Dec 2008
The Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area in Lagos was on Monday urged to deploy task force officials to apprehend unscrupulous persons who dump refuse indiscriminately near the ascending point of the Third Mainland Bridge in Obalende.
Motorists, commuters and passers-by who made the call in Lagos said such step would halt environmental nuisance in the area and check unidentified persons who have turned the spot to their refuse dump.
A health educationist, Mr. Bode Gbadega, expressed concern over the nauseating odour that oozes from the spot due to the refuse being dumped in the area.
He said sometimes, the refuse would spill to the entry point of the bridge, thereby inhibiting traffic flow and posing serious health hazards to motorists and passers-by.
Gbadega implored task force officials to ensure that anyone caught dumping refuse indiscriminately near the Obalende Bridge is charged before the Mobile Court and sanctioned accordingly.
A marketing agent with an insurance firm, Mr. Billy Junaid, urged the state government and the LCDA to erect barrier on the bridge’s sidewalk to prevent people from dumping refuse on the spot.
According to him, “the state government should erect a barbed wire barrier to prevent people from emptying their wastes at the spot. Once this is done, residents of Kontagora Housing Estate will then be responsible for clearing of refuse in the area, since their houses overlook the area.”
A retiree, Mr. Ezekiel Oyewale, also criticised the dumping of refuse on the spot, urging officials of the council to mount surveillance in the area.
He said, “any time they are held in traffic while ascending the bridge, passengers can contact airborne diseases. That is why the state government should look into this complaint and stop people, especially market women, from dumping refuse on this spot.”
A resident of Obalende, Mr. Victor Iwegbu, shared the views of other respondents and called on the state government and the LCDA to salvage the area from being turned into a permanent refuse dump.

The Good Old Lagos

2008-12-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

The Good Old Lagos
Pendulum By Dele Momodu,Email:delemomodu@thisdayonline.com, 11.28.2008
Let me confess that I was a late comer to Lagos. I came to live in Lagos at the age of 28. Before then, I must have visited Lagos fewer than ten times all my life. Lagos for those of us who grew up in the rural setting was like London, Paris and New York, all rolled into one. Every visit was a rare treat. Lagos was so special that children from other parts of Yorubaland who were born there were named Tokunbo. Tokunbo was a name that was exclusively reserved for those children born overseas by been-to parents. But living in the good old Lagos was as good as living abroad. Lagos was so distant in those days. Most sojourners had to prepare for days before embarking on the adventure of such a trip. Some people even offered sacrifices to the gods to protect them on their journey to a place likened to the white man’s land. It was never an easy task.
There were trains to Lagos, all the way from the Northern end of Nigeria. But they moved at snail speed. And they seemed to stop, too frequently, from one terminus to the other. There were no luxury buses as such. From Ile-Ife, we used to climb some wooden trucks, known as tanioroko, or at the very best some pick-up vans converted into face-me-I-face-you seats. The journey usually started at dawn. We had to be at the motor park, which was then known as the motor garage, as early as 5a.m. A journey to Lagos required such elaborate planning.
The drivers must have escaped from the pit of hell. They sped like people who had appointments with death. Some would have rinsed their mouths with the local gin, called ogogoro or akpeteshi before taking off like a supersonic jet. If you dared to complain, you were lectured by the driver to no end. He would regale his captives with tales of how he’s been driving for 20 years, and nothing has ever scratched his body. I think it was Chinua Achebe who wrote that the white man would marvel to see what the Nigerian driver has done with his invention. I wonder till these days why a Nigerian has not won the Formula One championship. Believe me please, those drivers displayed an uncommon genius. They combined their driving prowess with mechanical knowledge. They could crawl under the vehicle to fix any problem. They were masters of trial by error.
There was no Lagos-Ibadan Expressway then, as our most important motorway is called till this day. Most vehicles had to pass through Ikorodu, made famous by Justice Michael Odesanya, S.O Gbadamosi, Adeniran Ogunsanya and T.O.S Benson. Travellers had a smell of Lagos as soon as they arrived Majidun. They were welcomed by ladies selling eja shawa (a variety of roasted fish), prawns and lobsters, captured from the sea. We bought the sugary bread there. The bread was usually oven-fresh. You could never return to your village without chartering some for the people back home. How would they know you have been overseas in Nigeria?
The essence of my preamble is that Lagos was that important. We must pay eternal tribute to the government of General Yakubu Gowon for building Lagos to enviable heights. Most of the structures in Lagos, surviving in various stages of dilapidation till this day were built under his tenure. The flyovers looked heavenly and one felt giddy as the vehicles spiraled, snake-like, around them. The roads were new and neat. The National Theatre was supposed to be our own Royal Albert Hall. All modern facilities were provided. Festac Town was built and every rich man’s dream was to live inside that paradise. The airport had been upgraded.
Night life in Lagos was comparable to that of any cosmopolitan city in the world. Lagos never winked. Fela was king at the Kalakuta Republic. Sunny Ade was king at the Ariya Nite Club. Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey was king at the Miliki Spot. Dr Victor Olaiya was king at Stadium Hotel. Lagos was where the action was. Every man in the village wanted to come to Lagos, except me. Lagos was too fast and too dangerous for me. I thought Lagosians were abnormal. I was satisfied with the peace, and tranquility, of rural existence. But you could never find a good job in the smaller towns. I had been a village teacher and dreamt of doing my NCE exam (does it still exist?), marrying a Grade II teacher and living happily thereafter. But it was not meant to be. There were never enough jobs anywhere and many of us were forced to travel to Lagos. Most of us had no business going to Lagos. That is the tragedy of Lagos till this day.
The deterioration of Lagos must have started under the Obasanjo regime. That was when tyranny reigned supreme. The use of brute force was the order of the day. Fela’s Kalakuta Republic was razed down. Fela’s aged mum, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti was literally flung out of the window, and she broke many bones. She never recovered from that trauma. Other critics suffered more. They were kept on the crocodile island of Ita-Oko. More attention was paid to dissidents than to the infrastructure. It was as if successive federal governments sought the destruction of Lagos with a vengeance and as matter of state policy. Before our very eyes, Lagos began the slide into chaos, and eventual collapse.
The scars are there for everyone to see. If one can excuse the military regimes, what does one make of the civilians? In eight years, the pseudo-democratic government of Olusegun Obasanjo completed the total annihilation of Lagos. The most important roads leading in out of Lagos were studiously ignored and forgotten. The shame of it was that Lagos paraded some powerful and influential citizens in that government. Two ministers of works, Femi Anibaba and Adeseye Ogunlewe, not in any particular order, and both from Lagos, were on parade. Yet Lagos did not witness a single development. Not one federal road was tarred, resurfaced or rehabilitated. Not one new road was constructed. What beats me hollow was the fact that the old Lagos-Abeokuta road, which passed through Obasanjo Farms, was never touched. Today, that road has become a curse to the unfortunate communities that litter that part of Ogun State. The roads from Lagos through Ore to Benin City remain death traps. And there is no immediate hope in sight. The roads linking Lagos through Ibadan to Ilorin have virtually collapsed. The roads linking Isolo Expressway through Mile 2 to Agbara and Seme leading to Cotonou are stupidly disgraceful.
Inside Lagos itself, the Federal Government has sold all the monuments it once owned. The ones not sold have been left to rot away. The battle for supremacy continues to rage between the Federal Government and Lagos State government while the impoverished citizens wallow in undeserved misery. Lagos has been pocketed by a few powerful guys, without qualms. There are disputes over everything in Lagos. The Federal Government is clinging on to what the state government would have easily and better handled such as the sea and airports. Lagos is being laid to waste at the altar of ego and greed.
There are many issues pending between both governments. The avuncular grip of the Federal might over the states can never augur well for a true federation. The Federal Government should resist the temptation of making Lagos hemorrhage away at the pleasure of a few power hungry people. Lagos must rank among the three most important cities in Africa. The other two being Cairo and Johannesburg. With the cooperation of the Federal Government and the rugged determination of the Raji Fashola administration, Lagos can still catch up with and surpass those cities.

Changing Face Of CBD At Yuletide

2008-12-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

INDEPENDENT – Monday 1/12/08
Changing Face Of CBD At Yuletide
By Stella Odueme, Snr. Reporter, Lagos
Most of the times, driving through Lagos Island could be hectic and time-consuming. This is basically not only due to deplorable state of the roads, but also largely due to the activities of street traders, who dot the nooks and crannies of the area displaying their wares right on the roads. Nowadays, they seem to have converted walkways to trading points and their businesses are booming, as they enjoy patronage from residents.
This scenario in the Central Business District (CBD) is replicated in other parts of the state. However, the tea party will soon be over completely for these traders, as the Lagos State Government has commenced a full-scale war against street trading. Though street trades still exist, many of them in parts of the state have since been cleared while others have been prosecuted for embarking on such ventures.
The places where some such trading points once existed are being converted to beautification and recreational centres, even as the Office of Central Business District said it has opened up more roads to traffic around Idumota area in effort to reduce traffic bottlenecks in the CBD.
One of the major roads opened to traffic is the road leading to the popular Dosunmu Street, which was once perpetually blocked by street traders. The road, which leads to Adeniji Adele foreshore (Ejalonibu) joining Idumagbo Street, it was gathered, had remained impassable for decades due to the activities of street traders and commercial transport operators in the area. It was so bad that even major streets that were motorable were rendered impassable for more than a decade by street traders. Thus, the opening up of these streets has further eased vehicular and human traffic flow in Idumota, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ereko, Balogun and Martins streets in Lagos Island.
Most people, who spoke about the development, said the government's move has relieved them of the heavy vehicular and human traffic hitherto suffered in the area, especially as the Christmas and New festivities, which translate to heavy movement towards Lagos Island for shopping spree and other activities, approach.
The Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Central Business Districts (CBD), Oyinlomo Danmole, promised residents of a hitch-free shopping in the coming festive season.
"We are poised to ensure that the traffic situation around Lagos CBD will be stress-free for shoppers, commuters and businesses in the festive period. As you can observe, we have reduced the obstruction caused by the activities of street traders and commercial transport operators in the area in the last one year, aside opening up Idumagbo Street, Ereko Street, Ago Tower to Dosunmu from Ejalonibu," he said.
He called on banks and other businesses within CBD area to stop granting street traders the use of their business premises and frontage for display of their wares. He asked them to stop mounting generators on the walkways in area.
"There is a need for the banks and other business premises to stop the erection of generators on walkways, as non-adherence to this warning may result to closure of such banks or business premises for obstruction of movement," he warned.
He further stressed the readiness of his office to make the Lagos CBD un-conducive for miscreants and street urchins, as historical monuments like 'Ago Tower' (Clock Tower) and Eyo Cenotaph quadrangle, which hitherto were taken over by some street traders and urchins alike, are presently undergoing rehabilitation with provision of protective iron barricades to ward off further invasion by street traders.
Already, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade, the law enforcement arm of Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, has announced that it has commenced the auctioning of confiscated goods and items from illegal street traders across the state. According to the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, the auctioning exercise, which is at the instance of a directive from Governor Fashola, was to begin on Monday November 24 at the KAI Headquarters Office, Ikeja.
"All goods that have been confiscated by the KAI Magistrate Court should be auctioned six months after the court's judgment," the directive stated.
Speaking on this development, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environmental Matters, who is also KAI Marshal General, Cap. Danjuma Meigeri (rtd), urged members of the public to come out to enjoy the opportunity presented by the exercise. He especially called on the less-privileged in the society to catch-in on the opportunity to make good purchases for their families' upkeep.
Meigeri stated that public servants, political appointees, members of the law enforcement agencies, including KAI, officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces are excluded from buying or participating in the auction exercise.
Such confiscated goods that would be auctioned include electronics, such as DVD players, home theatres, VCD players, fans, television sets, radio sets, motorbikes, vulcanising machines, tyres, fridges, umbrellas, phone accessories, foot wears and clothes, among others.
Before the directive, the confiscated goods were offered to orphanage and remand homes across the state. However, many of the street traders have complained about the move, which they alleged was targeted at them, saying the state government was tacitly telling them to go back to their home states.
Some of them, who attributed trading along the streets to lack of fund to rent shops, said government should be more tolerant of their activities since they have to engage in one trading or the other to cater for their needs and that of their families. For them, street trading is a better choice than engaging in criminal acts that could pose grave danger to the state and its inhabitants.
Many are of the opinion that sending street traders parking without alternative arrangement could push frustrated people to taking up unworthy ventures. They argue that since they are unemployed people who find ways of making money by engaging themselves in legitimate businesses and also providing needed services, government should find a meeting point that would be beneficial to it and those affected.
They also argue that rather than forcing them out, the government should establish guidelines that will regulate their activities in the interest of all.

Fashola and his amiable Eko o ni baje philosophy

2008-11-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

THE SUN - Tuesday
Fashola and his amiable Eko o ni baje philosophy
Tessy Nkeiru Nwaogwugwu
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Going by the impact the Raji Fashola administration is making on Lagos and Lagosians, every reasonable observer will agree that at last Lagos has the right man who is ready to make the state what we have all prayed and hoped it will be – a haven where things work.

Those encomiums have been pouring in from all over Nigeria and beyond on the man of the moment and his administration goes to show clearly that Fashola is working, indeed, for the uplift of the state and its citizenry.

Although many Lagosians also have sad stories to tell resulting from the demolition of their stalls or houses, which the Fashola administration embarked upon, as part of a holistic approach to get Lagos out of the woods and ensure things work, this is to be expected as most developmental efforts for the common good of the majority will always leave some indelible marks of pain on the minority who may be affected one way or the other.

While the majority have complimentary words and prayers for the helmsman, the affected few have uncomplimentary words and abuses for the man they supposedly voted into power who has now become a thorn in their flesh. But quite frankly, if we must call a spade by its proper name, then we must understand that the only way the Fashola administration is going hold the "Eko o ni baje" philosophy sacrosanct will be to continue trudging along this path of righting wrongs of many years of administrative ineptitude.

Pertinent to all these is the need to carry the people along. The bad blood drawn among ordinary Lagosians who constitute the higher percentage of the populace would be drastically reduced if they were properly educated in the language and tone they will readily understand on government programmes and direction. Lagosians, including traders, market men and women, drivers, okada riders etc as well as all major players in the day to day economic life of the city will have to be reached either directly or through their associations.

They will need to be told what the drive of government is as well as what the government expects of them. With this, there will be no excuse on the part of culprits and the government would have shed itself of the seeming military toga in its approach to issues in a thriving democratic dispensation.

This writer has put up a proposal to the governor on this issue and has been working with the Ministry of Environment on it. The beauty of the "Eko o ni baje" philosophy is the open door policy of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola who has thrown his doors open to those who have genuine contributions to make.

As things stand, only a very rigorous statewide Public Enlightenment Campaign will help in making Lagosians toe the path of our amiable action governor. As I have said at different fora, the true Lagos of the dreams of Raji Fashola, will only emerge after Lagosians have been massively re-orientated.
So far, the governor has displayed a high sense of responsibility, which has endeared him to most Lagosians. If only he continues in this amiable path, then the very sky will be the beginning for this man of the moment.

– Columbus F. Igiebor, educational consultant, Universal Educational Consultants (Nigeria), Lagos.

Atlantic Ocean May Sink Lekki, Bayelsa

2008-11-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

THIS DAY – Friday

Atlantic Ocean May Sink Lekki, Bayelsa
•Lagos: No cause for alarm
By Nosike Ogbuenyi, 11.21.2008
Scientists and environmental experts have warned that millions of people in Nigeria could be displaced by rising sea levels in the next half century, as ocean surges swamp some of Africa's most expensive real estate and its poorest slums, Reuters reported yesterday.
Painting a very worrying picture, the experts warn that Lekki, in Lagos State, and the entire Bayelsa State may sink because of adverse environmental conditions.
But the Lagos State Government has assured the people that pre-emptive efforts are already being taken to forestall the doomsday scenario.
"Lagos is a megacity with 15 million people, half of them at two meters (6 ft) above sea level, and that puts them at risk as hardly any other big city in the world," Stefan Cramer, Nigeria director of Germany's Heinrich Boll Foundation think-tank and an adviser to the Nigerian government on climate change, was quoted by Reuters to have explained.
Cramer, speaking at the launch of a Nigerian documentary on climate change, said most scientists predicted sea levels would rise by one metre over the next 50 years or so.
“In 50 years with a one-metre sea level rise, two million, three million people would be homeless... By the end of the century we would have two metres and by that stage Lagos is gone as we know it,” he told Reuters.
Lagos state government has been battling to reinforce the long sand spits such as Bar Beach which protect the mouth of the main lagoon from the Atlantic.
But the effect would be limited and little was being done in terms of urban planning to adjust to the risks, Cramer told the news agency.
"Most of the construction in Lekki is bound to fail because it is built on sand which has never been properly consolidated," Cramer said. "There's only one option: moving to higher ground."
The news agency said scientists are predicting that heavier rains and higher sea levels could wipe out much of Bayelsa which has a vast network of mangrove creeks home to isolated villages and to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.
"We may lose quite a good percentage of Lagos ... and probably the whole of Bayelsa," said Emmanuel Obot, executive director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.
"If that happens, the refugee problem will be so massive that I don't think Nigeria is ready," he added.
The creators of "Global Warming: Nigeria Under Attack" plan to show the documentary in schools and churches around Nigeria, according to the report.
With scenes of villagers sitting outside mud huts discussing using less wood in their cooking, or farmers showing crops swept away by flooding, the aim is to tailor the message of films like Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" to an African audience.
"Luckily the scientists are telling us that we haven't run out of time entirely and that if we take the issue seriously, it might not be too late," said producer Desmond Majekodunmi.
A heated controversy had followed similar predictions by Nigeria’s foremost oceanographer, Professor Frederick Apati, who warned in 1990 that Victoria Island, Lagos, could sink in the future because of ocean surge and climate change.
During the gala night hosted last week by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola in honour of the visiting President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Horst Koehler at Alausa, Ikeja, Cramer made a presentation on the implications of climate change in Africa.
Commenting at a late night joint press conference with Fashola after viewing the presentation by Cramer, President Koehler expressed the need for Nigeria and other African countries with coastal shelves to begin to take more seriously the dangers posed by global warming to the environment.
Speaking to THISDAY yesterday, the Lagos State Commiss-ioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, said there was no cause for alarm as the government had taken adequate pre-emptive measures to guard against global warming and ocean surge.
He listed some of the measures as the continuing shoreline protection, the Eko Atlantic City project which covers a substantial part of the Lekki Peninsula and Victoria Island shorelines, the preservation of lots of wetlands to absorb water in the unlikely event of serious ocean surge, the building of new as well as dredging of existing canals and channels to serve as de-flooding mechanisms, the acquisition of many emergency de-flooding equipment.
The Commissioner also mentioned the accelerated planting of trees to absorb carbon emission, the stoppage of burning of refuse, the increased reliance on usage of renewable solar energy by the state, the emphasis on multi-modal transportation through the establishment of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), expansion of water transportation channels and the planned rail mass transit systems as some of the measures taken to curtail carbon emission thereby reducing the risk of global warming.
Efforts to reach Bayelsa officials last night were unsuccessful as calls to the phones of Governor Timi Sylva and the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola, did not go through.

New law, new pains on Lagos' roads

2008-11-27T04:55:00.000-08:00

GUARDIAN - Thursday
New law, new pains on Lagos' roads
By Bertram Nwannekanma
DRIVING to work on Monday, Henry Ayawanle, a customs agent, noticed the hundreds of people waiting at Cele Bus Stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.
Glancing at his watch, he saw it was 10.00a.m., the time by which Lagosians would ordinarily have long settled at their places of work or shop.
A minute later, he drove past Ijesha Bus Stop and then Sanya and further down, Mile Two, where he still saw commuters waiting that late in the morning.
The same scene of hundreds of commuters waiting at bus stops in the Lagos metropolis till late in the morning has become common since the past two weeks.
The commercial operators had suddenly increased their fare, with erroneous burden of commuters.
The increase, which was only synonymous with petroleum hike or strike period, some of the operators blamed on the recent guidelines on transportation by the Lagos State government.
Though the government had acted in good faith by coming up with the guideline, the consequences may not have been anticipated.
Under the guidelines advertised in sections of the media, commercial buses like the danfo and others in its class like LT 35 are to carry a maximum of four passengers on a row instead of the previous five from next year, while the commercial motorcyclists also called okada would now carry a passenger each.
Besides, they were also restricted to operate not later than 10 pm on all Lagos routes and between 6.00am to 8.00p.m. on Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
The thinking of government, The Guardian reliably gathered was for the physical safety of passengers and the overall security of Lagosians going by the upsurge of armed robberies involving motorcycle riders in Lagos in the recent times.
There was also government's desire to check avoidable accidents caused by impatient commercial motorcycle riders, which have led to loss of lives and limbs.
While Lagosians were still savoring the directive, which, a banker, Jonathan Umeh, said had reduced accidents on the roads, the commercial motorists and cyclists saw it as an opportunity to increase fares.
On virtually all routes, fares have jumped 100 per cent for motorcyclists and 50 percent for commercial buses.
" Many Lagosians have been finding it difficult to cope with the rise in transport fares.
People say it is tough having to pay more than a double to reach their homes," Chudi Anoli, a dealer in industrial chemicals, told The Guardian on Monday.
A junior worker in the Lagos public service, who lives in Abesan told The Guardian she now spent almost N500.00 to go to work at the secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
It cost her between N150 and N200 to get to Ikeja from Abesan from the former N80 or N100 at peak time.
Lamenting the cost of transportation in the city since the policy was unfolded, Mr. Olajide Alade, who works in a publishing house located along the Oshodi/ Apapa expressway said the directive may have begun to hurt those it was meant to help.
"The perennial traffic jam on Isolo-Ejigbo-Ikotun road always force me to hire a motorcyclist when I close at 9.00p.m. at Iyana- Isolo underbridge at N250 to Ikotun.
But since the guideline was released, I now pay N500 to Ikotun. Some times, I pay as much as N600. I cannot sustain that level of expenditure."
A nursing mother Ireti Balogun, who goes to work at Oshodi from Egbeda, told The Guardian that" getting home has become a nightmare every day.
" Because of the traffic jam along Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway, I used to hire a motorcyclist to Egbeda at N200 so as to get home in time to look after my baby. Then, the cyclist would carry two of us.
But because of the restriction to one passenger, they now charge N500. Where can I get that money? I cannot ask my husband to give me transport fare.
" My purpose of working is to help in the upkeep of our home.
But now and I am considering quitting the job next year. If I pay N500 a day, that would be almost N12, 000 a month. What am I being paid as monthly salary. I would rather stop, " she said.
The woman said government should have considered the impact before taking such a decision, especially when there were not enough vehicles for public transportation in the Lagos metropolis.
To her, the directive was not only ill-timed, as the year was about to end but also "suggests that government policy was to favour a few who probably do not board commercial transport. I even hear they want to ban commercial motorcyclists. If they do, we will all regret it.
"Can they estimate the number of people, men, women and children who depend on the money the okada rider makes each day?"
On the reason for the increase, a commercial motorcyclist, Emeka Sunday, who plies the Ikotun route from Toyota Bus Stop, said passengers have to bear the consequences of the directive by the government.
" Most of us ride the motorcycles on hire purchase and must make payments of between N3, 000 to N4, 000 daily. "If I carry a passenger at N200 or even N300, I will not be able to meet the target."
He also said motorcyclists couldn't reduce the new fares because of the numerous levies they are made to pay along the roads in the metropolis.
" We pay for this permit, this chairman and that chairman, the baale , the Oba and the government is not giving us any protection.
The government should fix the roads and dislodge the touts. They can enforce a specific speed limit rather than the present one passenger-policy, which is not in anyone's favour " he added.
Another motorcyclist, Danny Onyeka, said they increased fares " in preparation to buy two head helmets we must carry beginning next year.
We cannot afford to cough out N6, 000 just like that as directed by government. so we are saving for the helmets."
While motorcyclists blame government for refusing to stop the activities of touts, their commercial commuter-bus counterparts also gave their reason for the hike on certain fees government was demanding from them.
A commercial motorist, who plies, Iyana- Ipaja- Ikotun axis, Muri Akin said the hike was to help them get enough money to meet the demands of government on taxation next year.
" We have been told we would not operate next year without the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) certification and that we would be carrying only four passengers.
They are also telling us we will be made to pay N50, 000 fine for non-compliance.
" We want to get the money to pay for all these, yet we are paying touts the government could not remove from the roads", he added.
Reacting on the development on Monday, the Press and Public Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mrs. Bola Ajao said the state government would soon make a pronouncement on the hike in fares in Lagos.
According to her, government will ensure that Lagos residents have a good life.
She said the restriction of the commercial motorcyclists to a certain time and restriction on the number was to safeguard commuters as well as to improve security in the State.
She noted that the increase in the number of armed robbery cases involving motorcyclists prompted the State government to restrict their activities.
She denied knowledge of levy imposed on commercial motorists, stating however that the state government will soon start the rehabilitation of Lagos roads.

Again, at the mercy of articulated vehicle

2008-11-27T04:49:00.000-08:00

Again, at the mercy of articulated vehicle
By Regina Akpabio and Isaac Taiwo
MANY residents had a difficult time moving from one location to the other Lagos yesterday due to the heavy traffic congestion that affected many routes, especially both sides of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road.
The debacle, which started in the afternoon got worse at the close of work due to an accident involving an articulated vehicle on the flyover near Toyota bus Stop at about 7.00 p.m.
The hiccup stretched even as far as Sanya Bus Stop and to Oshodi as well as to Haji Camp on Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road. It also spilled into other adjoining routes such as Osolo Way in Ajao Estate, Isolo Road in Mushin and Mushin-Isolo in Isolo, forcing movement to a standstill.
Confusion set in as many motorists took advantage of the situation to violate traffic rules and several vehicles hit themselves in the process.
Many passengers were stranded as many commuter vehicles were trapped in the traffic at various locations. In their bid to go home, many passengers were seen hanging on to trailers, trucks and lorries. Motorcycle operators otherwise known as Okada had a field day. Many of them were seen with two or three passengers, maneuvering their way through the congested roads.
Following the traffic congestion, many passengers disembarked from buses to trek home. Crowds of pedestrians were seen surging towards Iyano-Isolo, Oshodi and Airport Road. But armed robbers took advantage of the traffic jam to dispossess passengers and pedestrians of their valuables.
At Under-bridge Bus Stop, one of the passengers, Olu Daniel said: "I had been at Toyota for almost one hour before I decided to follow others and trek home through Airport Road to Mafoluku where I leave.
"When we reached under the bridge, a group of boys came with guns, ransacking our pockets and bags to remove handsets, money and other personal effects. Some were even rubbing passengers on buses.
It was a harrowing experience for motorists plying Airport Road from Apapa when between the hours of about 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m., the road to the airport was completely cut off as a result of the fuel tanker that blocked the road from Toyota Bus Stop on the fly-over bridge that leads to the Airport.
Eyewitness said that a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) driving beside it was saved by whiskers, when the fuel tanker belonging to Total Petroleum Company that had been under repairs on one part of the road suddenly started rolling backward.
If not for Providence, it would have been disastrous. With part of the vehicle hanging precariously across the Airport Road, traffic came to a standstill for hours. Until it was removed, it was difficult for numerous vehicles to sail through the Airport Road.
Those very close to the scene, most of which had passed the way to Oshodi, started moving backward to look for other routes while more vehicle owners, ignorant of what had happened, continued to block their passage.
An eyewitness, a civil servant, Aremu Adigun, said he was passing by when he saw the road in an unusual manner.
"I was attracted to the scene even though I was on my way to Oshodi-Obanikoro. I gave thanks to God for what God averted this afternoon.
"It was in my presence the SUV that would have been crushed and the lady inside was turning back and another brother of mine took time to take a picture of the trailer before his driver reversed his car.
"I told the man in the SUV and the lady with him to give thanks to God as he was saved by an act of God.
That is an area many articulated vehicles break down, as if the hill is always a problem for them to ascend.
Apparently due to their poor conditions, articulated vehicles often break down as they attempt to ascend the bridge to the Airport Road.

Against flood, Lagos rebuilds canals

2008-11-27T04:47:00.001-08:00

GUARDIAN - Tuesday
Against flood, Lagos rebuilds canals
By Seye Olumide
AS far back as they can remember, residents of Atunrase and Medina Estates, Sholuyi, Gbagada Phase 1 and 11 welcomed the rainy season with anxiety.
They had known that the coming of the rains meant flooding which translated into destruction of their property and a very difficult period in their lives.
Some of them who recounted their experience told The Guardian that last year alone , property worth's hundreds of millions were destroyed. Not a few residents of the estate had been forced to relocate.
The major cause of the perennial flood , however, has been traced to the heaps of refuse and gabbage dumped into the canal as well as the illegal structures that impede water flow.
These have brought headache not only to residents of Atunrase Estate, but also to Sholuyi Village, the areas of Gbagada General Hospital, Medina Estate, Gbagada Phase 1 and II, the Gbagada Expressway up to Ketu, Ojota and other parts .
There had also been a continous plea from the residents to the State Governor Babatunde Fashola and the Commissioner for the Environment, Muiz Banire to come to their rescue.
One of the residents Jimoh Afolayan told The Guardian the flood in the estate and its suburb has brought down the value of property while many of them have been forced to relocate.
To alleviate the problem the state government through the Ministry of the Environment commenced the reconstruction of the canal in March this year with a view to re-aligning the channel and also reduce the number of buildings that may have been likely to be demolished..
Speaking during a visit to some of the canals and collector drains over the weekend, Banire blamed the problem of flood in the estates and Gbagada area on illegal structures along water channel and dumping of refuse into the canal.
Commending the contractor, Messrs Edward Konsult Ltd. for the method adopted to re-allign the canal to link Odo Iyalaro canal at Ojota, Banire noted that many houses that would have pulled down have been saved.
According to him, "The one kilometer long canal was designed to bring relief to the perennial flood in the entire Gbagada area and on the expressway".
He warned as well as appealed to Lagosinans to desist from erecting structures on government set backs as this has always ended up creating more problems to the people than the gain or pleasure they intended to get.
Describing the situation at Gbagada and its environs before the reconstruction commenced few months ago, one of the people living in the area , Simeon Olayemi said: "I have resided in this area for the past 12 years and there was never a year that flood would not destroy property and almost claim lives. The intractable traffic jam usually caused by the flood on the expressway any time it rains lasts for hours. Both sides of the expressway would be blocked completely while motorists would find it almost impossible to move".
Looking forward to an end to the menace of flood, , Olayemi explained to The Guardian that the on-going reconstruction of the canal though not yet completed was already having positive effects on the estate and its suburb as the flood has gradually reduced.
The contractor in charge of the project and Managing Director of Edward Konsult Nigeria Ltd., Mr. Femi Oshoniyi told The Guardian that the situation the canal was as at March when his company started work on the site was critical.
According to him, "The water channel linking Gbagada phase 1 and 11 across the expressway was completely blocked. We have to start by opening up that so that we would be able to commence work and after we deployed about eight compactors to evacuate the heaps of mountain refuse that has completely block the canal.
"When started work at the site it was so hard to belief that a canal of such length and wiedth runs through Gbagada to link Odo-Iyalaro. The entire water channel was blocked completely while almost a portion of it was also blocked by structures erected within the setback. However we also need to put our professional acumen into use to reduce demolition and sufferings of the people else quiet a number of buildings more than what government demolished would have gone".
The commissioner also promised to present the beautification proposal that Oshoniyi presented to him for future prevention and good maintainance of the setbacks and the spaces besides the canal.
According to Oshoniyi, "Our concern is not just to construct the canal and provide way for the water to flow, we also considered it appropriate if government could embark on the beautification of the setbacks and convert all the spaces to recreational center. This, in our view would equally provide employment opportunities for those that would be maintaining the center and the lawn and further reduce the trend of crime within that axis of the state.
Likewise, residents of Ijede in Ikorodu and those of Kosofe in Ketu also commended the state government for the on going construction of Alogba Collection Drain, Oke Oyinbo Downstream Collector and Ajegunle Drainage Channel, CMD Agiliti Omole Channel, Bello Adigun Collector Drain, Magodo and others.
One of the Community Development members Alhaji Femi Atona said, "The initiative to construct the collector drain and drainages within Ikorodu area would bring to an end the pains we have suffered all these years."

Touts Still On Rampage In Lagos

2008-11-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

DAILY INDEPENDENT - Tuesday
Touts Still On Rampage In Lagos
By Victor Ebimomi Snr Reporter, Lagos
There is no doubt that the Lagos State government is determined to transform the state into a world-class beauty. The ongoing beautification of the landscapes and aggressive renovation/ construction of roads and bridges are pointers to this. One thing that might however rubbish the efforts of the government and subtract significantly from the accolades that are supposed to trickle in is the conspicuous presence of social miscreants otherwise referred to as touts or 'area boys' at the bus stops with fearful aggression written all over them. No bus stop in the state is free. From the small ones in the interior roads to the big ones on the major roads and expressways, the touts are everywhere. And perhaps because of the air of festivity blowing now, in the past two weeks, there seems to be an upsurge of touting with corresponding aggressions.
Bus stops around Oshodi, particularly the one after the headquarters of the LASTMA along Anthony Oke Road, are arguably the worst. Trailing closely are the ones at Ojota along Ikorodu Road and then followed by few others on Mile 2 -Badagry and Apapa-Oshodi Express roads. At Oshodi, the fear of this bus stop after the LASTMA office is the beginning of wisdom. Because of the touts, who normally line up on the road, many a passenger dare not disembark anyhow because of the security risks they pose.
Reeking of alcohol and wraps of Indian hemp dangling on their lips, they unleash terror not only on the commercial motorists, but also on innocent passengers. Tales of pick-pocketing are very common at the park, just as private motorists, who are unfortunate to have their vehicles develop faults there, have also had unpalatable tales to tell, as they were either 'levied' before they could leave or robbed outright by the touts. The situation is similar in most of other bus stops.
"I was asked to pay N10, 000 with serious threat that they would vandalise my vehicle. They were about twenty in number. I was terrified but I begged them and they collected N4, 000. Before they could collect it, I had to empty my pocket for them to see that that was the only money on me," narrated Emeka, who once fell victim to the ferocious touts at the notorious Oshodi park.
According to him, he was returning home after a visit to a business partner in Ketu when his vehicle broke down at the bus stop around 11.00pm and the touts showed him what he had never experienced before in all his 19 years' stay in Lagos.
Emeka, who would not want his surname in print, said the experience of that day still remains fresh in his mind, praying that such a thing would not happen to him again.
To him, the state government must as matter of compulsion rid the bus stops of touts and other unwanted elements. "These people are terrible. They should be chased out of the bus stop in the state," he advised.
Emeka could be said to be lucky if his encounter is compared with that of Shina Olajide. Olajide lost money and his expensive phone at one fell swoop to the touts at Oju-Elegba. The tout, who dispossessed him of N5, 000 cash and his Nokia phone, which he bought at N28, 000, had come to demand the usual levy from the commercial drivers who stopped at the 'illegal' bus stop when he smartly picked his pocket.
"It was like magic. The guy jumped into the bus because it was like the driver was not ready to settle him. He sat by my side exchanging hot argument with the driver. He jumped down later as the motor moved. Immediately something just told me to check my pocket. I didn't even know that the criminal had stolen my money and phone within that few seconds that he entered the vehicle," he recounted.
Convinced that it was the tout, Olajide went back to the park but the criminal had vamoosed.
Apart from stealing and robbery, the touts are a dreadful lot when it comes to violence. They generously employ dangerous weapons, such as knives, cutlasses, and broken bottles, among others, when they go on the offensive. In fact, they relish violence because it is through violent acts that some of them have the opportunity of having a say at the bus stop where they are operating like the lords of the manor. For instance, currently in Agege and Meiran and their environs, the touts appear to be on what can be described as 'show of force', as they make life difficult for tricycle operators. The touts, according to reports, are attempting to take over motor parks forcefully so that they can have the right to tax the tricycle operators. Unable to bear their activities and trying to avoid the potential bloodshed that might ensue, the Chairman of the Tricycle Operators Association in the area, Joseph Odusanya, dispatched a 'save our soul message' to Governor Babatunde Fashola and the State Police Command.
"I am using this forum to call government and police attention to the nefarious activities of some touts, who claim to be factional union in some of our parks where they threaten to assault and maim our members...We are law-abiding citizens, we don't want violence and chaos, that is why I am crying out for government and police to come to our aid," the letter read in part.
Curiously, at some of the bus stops where these touts operate, policemen are also there looking the other way. Because of them (touts), it is commonplace to see commercial drivers jump at offers to pick military personnel who they put on the front seat to deter the hoodlums from harassing them.
Lagos is known to have at some points gone after the so-called 'area boys', but the steam of the battle easily eased off, leading to their resurgence within a short period. During the Brigadier-General Buba Marwa administration, there were constant raids until the touts went underground. The administration of Bola Tinubu also made several attempts to curb the visibility and menace of touts in the state, as many of them were arrested and taken to rehabilitation centres. Observers believe that more than ever before, now is the time to deepen the battle, as the government moves to intensify its drive towards making the state a mega city.

Lagos, residents in controversy over demolition of 150 Ayobo houses

2008-11-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

GUARDIAN - Monday
Lagos, residents in controversy over demolition of 150 Ayobo houses
By Tunde Alao
AN on-going demolition exercise at the Ayobo area of Lagos State has been drawing criticism and emotion among affected communities, notably Ishefun, Oshin and Hassan, all in the old Alimosho Local Government area.
The sources of controversy over the exercise, The Guardian learnt, include issues related to the ownership of the affected land, allegations of non-conformity to laid down regulations by the developers, and the involvement of the traditional land owners popularly called Omo-oniles concerning their alleged connivance with some unscrupulous government officials among others.
At the moment, three government agencies, namely, the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), the Ministry of Housing and the Lagos State Co-operative Society, all reportedly own parts of the vast land, which size a source in the state Lands Bureau put at 150 Hectares.
At Ishefun for instance, the affected community leaders have accused government officials of "double dealing".
According to the spokesperson of the Ishefu-Oshin Community Development Association, Alhaji Moruf Ajijola, the controversy over the area has spanned more than 15 years, "as every effort to regularise our documents has been hindered one way or the other by government officials," he said.
According to Ajijola, "when in 2003, at the peak of his election campaign in the council area, the former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was confronted over the issue, he assured us that he was going to address the issue in our favour, asking us to compile the number and the names of the land owners, which was forwarded to Alausa". He said it was this development that encouraged many of them to intensify their efforts to build at the required standards, so they that would not be classified as squatters, in the way the area was previously known.
The association accused government officials in the Land Bureau of misleading the current administration on the status of the area and the true position of their predicament. To them, The Ministry of Housing, which officials claimed to have made the "Ishefun allocation," had already commenced its housing project at its own site, "so, the claim that we trespassed on the Housing Ministry's estate cannot be true."
According to the group, their inability to get their document regularised was as a result of the official attitude, which they described as "very frustrating."
They claimed that they had written several letters and sent different representations to meet the governor, Raji Fashola, but that the efforts were unsuccessful till last week when the demolition exercise started.
The demolition exercise last week, The Guardian learnt came up following the inability of government to meet the demands by allottees who had paid for its schemes in various locations and those that had legitimate reasons to receive land compensation.
Although, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisco Bolaji Abosede, whose office is overseeing the demolition, said that the displaced occupants were illegal squatters, the affected land, according to him, was under government acquisition and notices to quit the place had been issued to them long ago.
At the Ministry of Lands, The Guardian was unable to ascertain the real owners of the land. Although Alhaji Moshood Adebisi, an Assistant Director in the Information department of the ministry, admitted that allocations were made to some agencies, he was not in position to determine who or which agency had been given the allocations.
The Guardian was informed that it was only the Permanent Secretary, who was said to be outside the country that could speak authoritatively on the matter.
Also, at the Ministry of Housing, the spokesperson for the ministry, Mr. Sina Odunuga speaking for the Commissioner, Mr. Dele Onabokun, absolved the ministry of blame, saying that it had nothing to do with the demolitions, "since the ministry has commenced its own projects on its site. Indeed, the ministry has nothing to do with the affected location, neither did it order the demolition".
However, a non-governmental organisation going by the name 'Protection of Citizens' Rights Group' has urged the state government to explain the true position of things.
"Resolving the true ownership of the land would have cleared the allegations by the affected land owners that government officials proposed to give the land that belongs to any of its agencies to some individuals, since such step could raise dust in the future", said the group's Samuel Adenugba.
The group, like others, is requesting that everyone should be given the same opportunities as some people who's buildings escaped demolition and were allowed to pay a penalty fee.
By last Friday, the demolition exercise was still on-going. Among the few that escaped the exercise were the residents of the co-operatives' estate and those who were alleged to have complied with the regularisation order and allegedly paid a N250,000 fine.

Shanties give way to beautification

2008-11-13T10:35:00.001-08:00

PUNCH - THURSDAY
Shanties give way to beautification
By Kunle Adeyemi
Published: Thursday, 13 Nov 2008
Illegal shanties and kiosks which, for decades, dotted the coastline in Ebute-Ero, Ejalonibu and around Idumota areas in Lagos Central Business Districts, have given way to a dignified beautification project.
The shanties which, for many years, constituted an environmental nuisance and served as hideouts for criminals, were pulled down through the combined effort of CBD Enforcement Personnel and officers of the Mobile Police.
Most of the illegal structures pulled down were built on waterways and around the walls of the bridge that links the area with Adeniji Adele and environs.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Central Business Districts, Hon. Oyinlomo Danmole, “during the operation, the team found about 25 steel railing poles that were removed illegally from the bridges in Lagos in one of the demolished shanties.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Adviser on Central Business Districts has commenced the beautification of the areas where the shanties had been.
An iron barricade with interlocking pavement stones is being erected for pedestrians’ walking pleasure.
On completion, the road which links Ebute Ero and Adeniji Adele, further down to the palace of the Oba of Lagos, will be beautified and adorned with flowers to enhance its aesthetics.
Danmole further reiterated the resolve of his office to remove all hindrances to free flow of traffic in particular, and enhance security and sanitation in the Central Business Districts in general.
He also warned street traders to steer clear of all CBD roads to avoid arrest or prosecution.
The administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola established the Office of the Special Adviser on Central Business Districts to manage the upgraded Lagos Central Business Districts and all other CBDs in the state.
The office plays a crucial role in ensuring free flow of traffic in the ever busy roads within the CBD, including Idumota bridge and up to Costain through its Traffic and Sanitation Corps. GL/WBO

Gov. Fashola Visits Orile-Iganmu

2008-09-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Residents of Orile-Iganmu were pleasantly surprised at the recent visit of Gov. Fashola to ascertain whether contractors awarded the rehabilitation of Opeloyeru Road, Orile had mobilized to the contract site.

It turned out that the Lagos State Ministry of Infrastructure and Physical Development had awarded a contract to Brecco Nigeria Limited for the reconstruction of Opeloyeru Road, Orile.

Gov. Fashola informed jubilant residents that Brecco Nigeria Limited had been fully mobilized to undertake the road reconstryction including construction of drainage on both side of the road.

Opeloyeru Road which provides a detour to the usual traffic congestion at the Doyin-Orile axis on the expressway to Mile 2 has been impassable for a while except by big trucks.

Coupled with regular flooding after rainfalls due to block drainage and canals, the reconstruction of Opeloyeru Road will reopen Orile community to the outside world which will have an impact on its economy and well being.

Also the resultant stoppage of the flooding will bring succor to the long suffering residents of the community after years of dreading the annual raining season which causes destruction of properties and displacement of residents.

Brecco Nigeria Limited is presently accessing the level of properties which may have to make way for the reconstruction of the drainage and affected residents have pledged to work with the contractor to hasten the reconstruction process.

The Orile community is planning to send a delegation to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Physical development to express its appreciation to Gov. Fashola and the Lagos State Government.

Visits are also planned to the office of the contractors, Brecco Nigeria Limited, to enable the community ascertain how to assist in making the project execution successful.

Lagos begins streetlight projects; LASG, property owners oppose land reclamation; Suffering and smiling in Lagos

2008-08-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 25, 2008
Lagos begins streetlight projects
LAGOS roads and streets, at present dark and dangerous at night , are soon to be lit up, thanks to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) who has given approval for the rehabilitation and construction of streetlights along major highways and streets in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure , Ganiyu Johnson , an engineer who disclosed this at Maryland , Ikeja, while monitoring on-going rehabilitation of streetlights said all local councils in the state will benefit from the exercise which will be executed in phases across the State.
, The Special Adviser further explained that, the on- going exercise is unique in that the streetlight project has been designed to provide electricity supply for 24 hours in the day.
"Each of the streetlight installations has its own separate transformer, and a back up generating set to power the streetlight whenever there is power failure from Power Holding Company of Nigeria", Johnson said..
According to him this was a novel idea of the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration which is aimed at ensuring that highways are well illuminated as well as ensure that Lagosians drive under a well secured and safe environment.
Some of the areas which are to benefit from the programme include; Maryland through Mobolaji Bank Anthony towards local Airport, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Yaba - Itire- Lawanson Road, Agege Motor Road, commencing from Moshalashi- Mushin- Eldorado (Ile Zik). Akerele, Ogunlana Drive , Old Ojo Road , Ray power Road etc
Others include Igando Road , Ikotun, Simpson Street , Lagos mainland, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja , Agbowa- Ikosi, Ikorodu, Badagry etc,
The Operation Light up Lagos programme is also meant to complement the massive security network programme of the state government as well as ensure that criminal activities are curtailed if not totally eliminated in the state.
Johnson appealed to Lagosians to join hands with the Lagos State Government to ensure that these facilities are well protected wherever they are located.
" The era when government property was seen as nobody's property should henceforth be discountenanced, as we should all realize that these facilities were provided through the tax payers monies and as such, they should be well protected", he said..

LASG, property owners oppose land reclamation
By Rasheed Bisiriyu and Akinpelu Dada
Published: Monday, 25 Aug 2008
The attempts by some developers to create a new land around the shore of the lagoon in Ikoyi, Lagos through sand filling of the area may have run into troubled waters as both the state government and residents have vowed to halt it.
Although experts say land reclamation is an acceptable practice globally, especially in transforming some hitherto swampy areas or creating new land where there was once water, they warn that it may result in major environmental disasters if not well managed.
Last Monday, residents of Park View Estate in Ikoyi sent a Save-Our-Soul message to the state government over the ongoing sand filling of the lagoon in their area.
This is a follow up to an earlier warning by the state government to those involved in the land reclamation around the lagoon to desist or be prepared to face the music.
The residents, operating under the aegis of Park View Residents Association, claimed in a half page advert in THE PUNCH titled “Stop the sand filling”, that the action had already caused the blockage of some drainage channels and aggravated the flooding in parts of the estate.
It also said, “We are worried at the long term environmental risks of such uncontrolled activity and the medium term risks to property stability, short term nuisance created for our members living close to the area.
“Presently, Banana Island has been extended so much that one can walk across from there to Park View Estate unhindered. The sand filling has impaired and changed the serenity and view of the lagoon.”
One of our correspondents who visited the estate on Thursday could only get the Administrative Secretary of the association, Mr. Francis Aworinde, to speak on the development. He appealed to the relevant agencies of the government to apply the necessary sanctions.
He, however, could not confirm the characters behind the land reclamation project.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, had in February asked everybody doing dredging and land reclamation to stop and apply afresh so that it could look at the merit of each project and the likely impact on the environment and the surroundings.
But an official of the ministry who spoke with one of our correspondents on Friday said, “Those reclaiming land around Park View ignored this. Our technical team will go there on Tuesday to see what is happening before writing a comprehensive report. If they don’t stop, we will arrest and prosecute them.
“Even if they have approval from the Federal Government, they still need the approval of Lagos State Government because they are operating within Lagos territory and we will be the one to bear the effects of their activities.”
Experts in the built environment warned that uncontrolled land reclamation could expose the environment to harsh and life-threatening weather and diseases.
For instance, a facility management expert and civil engineer, Mr. Afolabi Adedeji, said, “It has both hydrological and hydraulic implications. This will affect the water level. It is going to affect aquatic life, flora and fauna, like fish, plants, and algae living in the lagoon in that area.
“Then, with an increase in global warming, certain bacteria and strange viruses are going to be released that can cause serious health problems to people living in the area.”
The immediate past President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers,
Chief Dosu Fatokun, corroborated this saying, “Reclamation should be very minimal because of the eco-system. This is necessary in view of the consequent threat of

Monday, August 25, 2008
Suffering and smiling in Lagos
By Uche Nworah
ON a recent visit to Lagos, Tony, a friend who manages a branch of one of the new generation banks in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State remarked thus; "You guys don't have a life here in Lagos, you are all suffering and smiling". Tony had to dig up a popular phrase of late Afro-beat musician Fela Anikulapo - Kuti in describing the lives of Nigerians living in Lagos (Lagosians). This was after a gruesome 4-hour traffic along Falomo bridge occasioned by the partial closure of Babangida's Third Mainland Bridge.
I had to agree with Tony, as I have often asked myself what I am doing in Lagos when there are other towns in Nigeria such as Enugu, Kaduna, Owerri, Abuja, Awka and so on where one could still earn Lagos salaries, enjoy Lagos lifestyles without experiencing the dreaded Lagos miseries including waking up at 3 a.m to begin the daily commute to work, coming back home at midnight, daylight armed robbery attacks, pot-holed and flooded roads, traffic gridlocks, polluted air, dilapidated infrastructure, hyper-inflation and all other woes associated with 'shuffering and shmiling' in Lagos.
With challenges like these, it is difficult to be envious of the job of Babatunde Fashola, the well-intentioned Lagos State Governor. Every major effort of his aimed at improving Lagos state gets immediately overshadowed by the visible decay and rot left by previous governments. A glance through the windows of a descending airplane shows a sprawling and decaying town begging for its glorious past. Perhaps some people in the corporate world could be pardoned for still enduring the crazy and soulless Lagos lifestyle. These are people doing what could be described as Head office jobs. But for the rest, I would encourage a discovery trip to Nigeria's other towns and regions where another and better life is very much possible.
Popularly called Eko, its original name before the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century and subsequently renamed it, Lagos is the Hollywood of Africa. Everybody comes to Hollywood and Lagos in search of fame or fortune, or both. For some, the search for the fame or the fortune never materializes in their lifetime. For others, the actualisation of either the Lagos or Hollywood dream comes at a huge prize. In Lagos' many roads, particularly at major traffic junctions, you will see beggars of all sorts, mothers with their young babies strapped to their backs begging for arms in the hot scorching sun, quadriplegics strapped to wheelchairs angling for positions with the cars, school age kids with tongues as sharp as razor, and as deadly as caustic soda whose learning is done everyday on the street, sickly individuals contracted by Lagos - smart businessmen and women, some with intravenous drip tubes dangling and sticking out from various parts of their bodies, others with heart-wrenching cancerous growths, wounds and open sores standing in the way of the traffic begging for money.
In Lagos, a common fate binds both the beggars and their potential patrons;. For the former, it is physical misery; for the later, it is emotional torture and guilt. Many go home and pass up their dinner in frustration and anger as they reflect on the living dead walking and working all around them. In such a city, how can one even enjoy what little fortune fate and hardwork has thrust their way. Lagos, Nigeria's former capital and the economic hub of the country is a city of over 10 million people. UN projections is that the city's population will reach 20 million by 2010. it is now ranked the 30th most expensive city in the world, and the most expensive in Africa according to Mercer's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey published recently.
Lagos is probably the only town in the world that has no official "Welcome to.." signage on its borders. What Lagos has is just a "This is Lagos" sign. The hidden message in this cold and unwelcoming signage is that 'This is Lagos, what you see is what you get'. Those who live in and love Lagos say that Lagos holds a special type of appeal and magic. They love the Lagos hustle and bustle. There are stories of those who arrived with just a Ghana-Must-Go nylon sack with a one-way ticket on 'The Young Shall Grow' Luxury bus.
On arrival, there is usually no welcoming relative or party, waiting accommodation or livelihood. For some, securing a sleeping space under Lagos' many bridges becomes the first true test of survival. Such persons go ahead to compete against man and the elements. There are the marauding ritualists (the Clifford Orjis) to evade at night and the heavy rains to shield from in the day. There are also the faulty breaks of Lagos' many crazy drivers, including the commercial bus (Danfo and Molue) drivers to contend with. Lagosians claim that surviving in Lagos actually means that one can survive in any other city in the world. I tend to agree.
For civil servants and other paid employees, perhaps the time has come for an aspiring gubernatorial candidate to run on the promise of introducing Lagos Weighting Allowance (LWA) if elected. This will compensate at least in some small measure for the escalating cost of living and working in Lagos. This special allowance is currently being used in London where workers living in London are paid a little extra, sometimes over Five Thousand Pounds for living in, and working in London. What this means is that Mr A and Mrs C may be working for company Q and performing similar job roles at two different locations (London and Luton). Mr. A who lives in London gets paid more than Mrs. C who lives in Luton every month because Mr. A spends more to get to work every month. There is also additional compensation for housing and other expenses associated with living in a big city. While this may not fully solve the many problems of workers living in Lagos, it will at least serve as some kind of palliative.
I visited Enugu recently with some friends and was shocked at the Four Thousand Naira bill the restaurant owner gave our 5-man lunch party for all we had eaten including second helpings and drinks. Charles Okoli, a friend who works for UBA in Lagos actually placed this in perspective for all of us. He remarked that what we had paid could hardly pay for one person's meal at Yellow Chilli, a restaurant patronized mainly by the corporates in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.
Also during a recent business visit to Kaduna, I was informed by my colleagues in the North that the cost of renting an up market 4-5 bedroom duplex complete with servant quarters is about Five Hundred Thousand Naira (rent for similar houses in upmarket locations in Lagos range between 2-3 Million Naira) . This sum will not even pay for a one-room boys quarter in the Island area of Lagos. I remember my colleague Biodun's expression when I told him of the asking prices of houses on sale around the Island and Lekki areas of Lagos. He wondered if the amounts Lagos letting agents and landlords were asking for was actually for buying places in heaven.
The situation is now such that while banks and other employers have started giving mortgage loans to their employees, the loan amounts being offered are usually not enough to meet the asking prices of Lagos landlords and letting agents, whereas similar employees living in other towns are able to buy multiple houses with their mortgage loans. Another case of 'shuffering and shmiling in Lagos'. But just before you contemplate packing your bags, soul and sanity and moving to another city in Nigeria before life passes you by, ask yourself what you will miss most about Lagos. If you can answer this question, that's your decision already made for you.
For the rest of us living in Lagos, the die-hards and stay-putters; perhaps the time has come for us to make our case before our employers for a Lagos Weighting Allowance.
Nworah, a company executive in Lagos is the author of The Long Harmattan Season

Police and security on the highways ; When Lagos councils’ area boys enforce traffic laws ; Security improving in Lagos, says Fashola

2008-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Police and security on the highways
By Francis Famoroti
Published: Thursday, 21 Aug 2008
The Lagos State Police Command was on Tuesday urged to intensify regular highway patrol in a bid to check insecurity of lives on the roads in the state.
Those who made the call included a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Kunle Fadipe; a broadcaster, Mr. Abiodun Olowu, and an estate consultant, Mr. James Oyeyipo.
According to Fadipe, “The Lagos State Government is trying with the way it has equipped the Police in the state so far. The state has provided some logistics to improve the task of policing. So, I think the challenge before the police now is to ensure regular patrol on the highways.”
He said this was necessary in view of increasing wave of crime in the state in recent times.
Fadipe, who is a lawyer, also stressed the need to illuminate all major highways and roads in the state, adding, “the Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc has a responsibility to supply electricity to facilitate this process.”
Olowu also implored the Lagos State Police Command to enhance patrol, especially at nights; pointing out that the exercise should not be employed “to victimise innocent motorists and passers-by.”
Besides, he suggested, more volunteer groups such as the community development associations and paramilitary bodies should assist the Police in the state.
He said these groups should always provide information to the Police to enable them to detect crimes and apprehend suspects.
Olowu further said the erection of gates on roads and streets in some neighbourhoods should be discouraged, saying that they often frustrate crime detection or monitoring.
According to him, “building gates on the roads, especially in places like Surulere and Ikeja GRA, should be discouraged. This is because criminals know how to beat security networks wherever gates are erected.”
Oyeyipo said although the police command was doing its best, but added that it should intensify more efforts to prevent crimes in the state.
He said more emphasis should be on crime prevention than crime detection on the Lagos highways.
He said, “I must say that the task before the Police should be prevention of crimes on the highways, as in foiling robbery attempts and assassination bids, rather than looking for suspects after the crimes have been committed.”
Like other respondents, Oyeyipo also challenged the Police to foster regular patrol on the roads and highways in order to prevent crimes.

When Lagos councils’ area boys enforce traffic laws
By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
Published: Friday, 22 Aug 2008
Like policemen and other empowered authorities, they are seen everywhere. Some in creased uniforms others in mufti but most times, their breath stink like stale beer. Sometimes, they lurk in corners, waiting for motorists and ‘willing’ them to make false moves.
Then, they jump out from their hiding place with spikes which they throw across the path of motorists. Welcome to the world of staff of local government councils in Lagos State who are now arresting, prosecuting and fining motorists arbitrarily.
Once you are caught, you are faced with the option of paying ‘on the spot’ fee which is known as ‘settlement’ or being taken to their offices.
The process of paying the fines is almost the same as that of ‘settling’ the fines. Much of what the governments should earn as revenue is paid into unofficial accounts and pockets.
These are some of the facts uncovered by our correspondent on the trail of activities of council staff in purple and black uniforms or mufti, who pose as traffic officers,
On Monday, June 2, 2008, at 7.45am, Mr. Monday was apprehended at Oworonshoki, Lagos, by men from Kosofe Local Government Area for making “illegal U-turn”.
He was taken to their office at Oworonshoki when he refused to “settle” the council men who were reeking of alcohol. There, he was issued the council’s Notification of Offence, which does not bear a legible number, and which gave the offence code as: MTF 03, an offence without fine but “Driving Restraining.”
Nevertheless, he was fined N5, 000 and asked to pay the said sum in their Skye Bank, Oworonshoki branch account, through the officials of the council who are always within the bank premises for such duties. The council officials, two ladies, at the bank told Mr. Monday that the practice is that an offender pays the fine to the council officials in the bank, who acknowledge with a receipt and then they (officials) now pay the money into the council’s account.
He demanded for the council’s account, insisting that since he had entered the bank, he must be allowed to make his payment on his own. When the council officials noticed he was ready to cause a scene, they quickly gave him a teller with the account number.
When he got back to the council’s office at Oworonshoki with the teller to retrieve his car, a ‘council man’ who issued him a general receipt No. 0003431, told his colleagues in the office that the trouble maker “paid government.”
Anonymous sources at the bank disclosed that when such payment (fine) is made through the council official stationed in the bank, it goes into private accounts for which similar receipts are issued.
On July 15, 2008, at Ipaja, Alimosho, Mr. Ade was forced to give up the control of his steering, after allegedly diverting before being ‘passed.’
He paid N5,000 at the Mosan-Okunola LCDA office and obtained a receipt with number 0018840 and the inscription: Traffic PSP. It carried the stamp of a private company, Destiny Abbey and Co.
Anonymous sources at the councils told our correspondent that the directive to arrest, prosecute and fine motorists by council staff was issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Transport.
Residents, who have suffered the unpleasant experience, have not only questioned the legality of such fines but also the private sector participation in traffic management.
The Nigeria Police Force is legally empowered to regulate and enforce traffic laws in the country. Apart from the police, the state-controlled Vehicle Inspection Office and the Federal Road Safety Commission also act.
But the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority enforces traffic rules in Lagos metropolis.
The Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs, to Lagos State Governor Raji Fashola, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, explained that though LASTMA has the authority to enforce traffic laws in the state, local governments are not vested with such authority. “It is the responsibility of LASTMA to ensure the free-flow of traffic and ensure there is sanity on the roads. I don’t I know of any law that gives such powers to local government councils,” he said.
In response to our correspondent’s enquiry on the matter, a Lagos-based lawyer and development consultant, Chinua Asuzu, said council staffs lack the legal power to enforce traffic laws.
“To the best of my knowledge, information and belief, local government staff has no power to arrest or fine defaulting motorists. Only the police and LASTMA have the power to enforce traffic regulations.”
At Alausa, our correspondent could not, as he had requested, see the Commissioner of Transport, Professor Bamidele Badejo, to clarify these issues.
The Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Shina Thorpe, who initially denied that the Commissioner issued the directive, disagreed with Asuzu’s view.
He said the law, which established LASTMA, also recognised the training of staff at the local council level.
Such “Traffic Officers,” as he called them, are usually clad in purple and black uniform. Thorpe could not produce a copy of the law backing his claim.
“Traffic officers have the power to enforce Lagos State’s traffic rules. But we have received complaints of people, not on purple and black uniform, also working like traffic officers.”
Although he did not state how many fake officers have been arrested, Thorpe said there was a monitoring unit established by the Ministry to investigate illegal arrest and fine.
The Police Public Relations Officer of Lagos Command, Frank Mba, said local government could make a law, valid so far as it does not conflict with the state and federal laws.
Furthermore, he said a local council could also make bye-laws, drawing its power of regulation from the valid law of the state government.
Where none of these is the case, Mba, a lawyer and Deputy Superintendent of Police, said arrest and fine constitute acts of illegality.

Friday, August 22, 2008
Security improving in Lagos, says Fashola
o Access Bank donates N100m
By Kamal Tayo Oropo
GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State yesterday asserted that the security situation in the state was improving but could get better if everyone supported government's efforts
Fashola spoke at his Alausa Oval Office when he received the management of Access Bank Plc led by the Managing Director, Mr. Aigboje Imoukhuede, which came to redeem its pledge made at the Second Town Hall meeting organised by the state government. He added that the problem of security was not sectoral but one which affected everybody and must be tackled from a communal perspective.
Imploring everyone who felt concerned about the security challenge to support it with donations, the governor reiterated that just as the state government thankfully received the donation of N100 million from Access Bank; it would also gladly receive a small envelope containing one naira from any member of the public.
Earlier, Aigboje-Imoukhuede had informed that the management was at Alausa to redeem its promise at the re-launch of the state security trust fund recently.
He commended the governor for ensuring that Lagos is fast regaining its peace in such a way that banks in the state can successfully operate for a year without any incidences of attacks on bullion vans or bank branches occurring.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Lagos reactivates distress call lines
LAGOS State government has announced the reactivation of the toll-free 767 emergency distress call system for the use of members of the public.
The government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, implored members of the public to call the number, which would be accessible on a 24-hour basis when in need of any assistance from the security agencies, the fire services agencies or in any emergency situation.
It expressed the appreciation of the state government to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for his assistance in restoring the toll-free line for the usage of the public after its temporary suspension following a disagreement over the frequency allocation.
The 767 toll-free emergency line was launched last April 15, by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) as part of security measures to secure the lives and property of Lagosians.

Again, woes in Lagos over demolitions

2008-08-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Guardian Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Again, woes in Lagos over demolitions
By Regina Akpabio and Bertram Nwannekanma
TIME at last ran out for street traders and other illegal occupants of open spaces in Oshodi, one of the largest bus terminals in Lagos.
For a while, it seemed as if the traders, whose activities had created serious problems in the area, would win the battle, having defied threats by the Lagos State Government to vacate the sidewalks and road medians as well as portions of the road on which they had erected stalls.
They had in the past called the government's bluff, vacating the illegal spots they occupy today only to show up again tomorrow.
But the demolition of the illegal stalls by the Task Force from Wednesday through to the weekend may have dealt a fatal blow to the illegal activities that take place particularly along the Cappa-Oshodi-Shogunle stretch of Agege Motor Road.
Many of the traders said they were taken by surprise.
"In the past we used to get information that the Task Force people were coming," a second-hand clothes trader, Monica Akwagha said.
"But last week was not so. We were taken by surprise so many of us lost property including clothes, shoes, window and door blinds, accessories, bags and several other items ."
The Task Force members, wielding crow-bars, rakes and hooks pulled down all illegal structures to the delight of motorists but to the pain and anguish of the traders.
"This has been long overdue", a bank worker, Femi Aremu, said as he drove home through the now-free Agege Motor Road later on Friday.
"It took me less than three minutes to drive down from the Cappa Rail Crossing to Junction, Before this action by the Task Force, I would have spent at least one hour because thetraders would have blocked the road, and the available space would be contested for by pedestrians, unruly commercial bus drivers and those of us tired and impatient to go home after a hard day's job."
By yesterday, the traders were still counting their losses.
They hung around in groups obviously bidding their time to return.
The broken, burnt chairs and tables, the crushed baskets of tomatoes and vegetables and other goods damaged as the traders ran for safety still littered the area.
Also cleared were the ubiquitous rail-line traders that taken over much of the rail, and often claimed right of way .
Time and again, they had been dispersed only for them to return, sometimes only a few days after, always claiming they did not have money to rent proper shops.
When The Guardian visited the bus stop after the operation, the Agege-Motor Road was free from the tens of thousands of traders that jostle at the bus stop.
Only skeletal business transactions were going at the lock-up shops.
Motorists were having a time of their lives as all the access routes were free from hold-ups, which is synonymous with the bus stop.
A motorist, Bidemi Anjorinde said: "It is unbelievable to see that this Agege-Motor Road can be so free as it is today. In fact, I drove through Oshodi Bus Stop now under two minutes as against one hour on normal circumstances. But how long can it last?" he asked.
As if to prove Anjorinde right, some of the traders as well as beggars had begun to return by yesterday evening.
Some of them whose kiosks were pulled down came with planks and carpenters to make new tables and shelves to continue their commercial activities.
" I tell you it will only be a matter of time before the usual confusion returns.
Soon this place will become the jungle of kiosks, canopies and shanties all occupied by traders and hoodlums stop, bringing traffic to a standstill once again", Anjorinde predicted
But though the exercise was executed to bring about a cleaner and safer environment, Lagosians have not ceased to complain over the activities of the Lagos State Environmental Task Force .
The demolition of illegal structures, including that at Oshodi,they say, does not take into cognizance the plight of residents.
One of the affected traders, Mr. Bayo Adesure, whose shops and wares were set ablaze, said the demolition, which began in the early hours, took them unawares.
"Watching helplessly our only source of livelihood go up in flames was terrible
"Where do I go from here? The demolition exercise is purely an act of dictatorship. This is the kind of thing we saw during the military era," he lamented.
According to him, "If the present government wants to be democratic, it should have provided alternative places for us to trade in.But rather, there was no prior notice was given to us.
" The situation is going to push more people into joblessness and increase the crime rate in the city."
But another Lagosian, Adewusi Aina, said "though the demolition of illegal structures is a welcome exercise in any place, the manner it is done what we are against."
But for those who sell at risky places like the rail tracks, Aina has no sympathy
He said: " The way some women sell their wares at the risk of their lives is condemnable and I will support any attempt to stop them,
" I am aware that government has warned them several times, but they would not listen. How much do they sell that they should put their lives in danger?
Sometimes, many are killed by moving trains".
According to him beside the risk of lives, the environment was usually filthy and could lead to outbreak of cholera.
A middle-aged woman, Sara Adenju, said a "place like Lagos or any capital city should not condone filth or illegality."
There has been a flurry of demolitions across the Lagos metropolis lately
Recently, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Development had also marked some buildings in Ogudu Ori-Oke, in Kosofe Local Council of Lagos State for demolition.
But their owners were not amused as they could not understand why the ministry officials referred to them as 'squatters on government land' since they had obtained authentic letters of allocation with genuine payment receipts from the Lagos State government.
The structures marked for demolition-included churches, mosques, schools and private homes.
The landlords had mobilized themselves under the aegis of Ogudu Ori-Oke Landlords' Association to find a way out of the problem as well as launched appeals to the government and State House of Assembly, all to no avail.
But last month, bulldozers rolled into the area and when the dust settled, years of effort by the landlords had been reduced to rubble.
Reacting recently to the wave of demolitions in the state, the traditional ruler of Etiti Mgboko Umuanunu, Abia State and Mayor, Non-Indigenes, Lagos State, Eze Ngozi Ibekwe urged the state governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to bring some relief to the affected traders rather than leave them at the mercy of the elements.
The traditional ruler, who spoke in New Oko Oba Lagos, urged the State government to provide succour to traders displaced in the recent demolition of structures in different parts of Lagos metropolis.
He also asked to ensure that traders whose shops have been demolished were given first consideration to buy back their shop -spaces when rebuilt at affordable prices.
While Commending Fashola for his achievements so far, Eze Ibekwe said giving a human face to policies of government would further endear it to the people and prevent others from resorting to crime.
The ruler however advised the traders to take note of the relevant town planning laws in future before erecting shops, also implored leaders on non-indigenes, especially Igbo leaders to come to the aid of the traders.

Abuja demolitions: Back to square one; Lagos threatens clampdown on illegal sand dredgers, miners; Building collapse: NIA recommends three-pronged ap

2008-08-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Abuja demolitions: Back to square one

Written by Ademola Ogundipe, on 18-08-2008 01:15

Although change is inevitable, the only thing that will not change is the un changeable God, the one that created heaven and earth, the omniscience, the omnipotent, the omnipresent. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And since self-actualisation and want are numerous and differ in actualising set goal or one’s ambition, there are bound to be changes from one stage to another.

It is conventional that anytime there is problem, solution should be the next action instead of serious regurgitation. This was responsible for my assertion in one of my write-ups titled “Dangerous recycling in Nigerian politics” published in Daily Trust of March 19th, 2007 where I said “abnormal situation needs abnormal solution”. But will it not also look somehow if the same solution has been used for the same problem severally without any positive and concrete result? Commonsense demands that tactics should be changed if the ones suggested earlier have suddenly become obsolete.

To the best of my knowledge, moving from grass to grace should be everyone’s dream, just as Joseph was elevated from prison to palace. If Abuja demolition has to be done, then resettlement should be the first thing to come to the mind of the government if they have the good intention of the masses at heart. How should we talk of demolishing the houses built by Nigerians in their fatherland although on illegal land, and since we cannot be talking of illegality in the surface of legality?

To the residents of Abuja, especially those living in satellite areas like Kuchingoro, Lugbe, Karmu, Idu, Gwagwa, etc., demolition means nothing to them, as they have seen it happen on many occasions. To them, demolition means taking Paracetamol to cure stomach ache.

Hardly can one see any administration without demolition; in fact, from the grapevine in the residence marked for demolition, I was made to believe that demolition started as far back as 1993 and they also stated that demolition has taken place more than five times. Then how come the present FCT Minister wants to demolish thirty-two villages in just two weeks? Even during the dreaded Malam el-Rufai administration, it was not done this way. According to the present FCT Minister, Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo Umar, before demolition is carried out at all, among other things, he will give enough notice. Can we then call two weeks enough notice? Haba! Even to relocate refuges will take months. The minister also said that residents in such areas will be adequately compensated. Have all these been done? The answer is NO. The amazing thing about the revelation this writer got was that immediately after the pullout of the bulldozers, the villages will come alive again. The issue has always become what the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti called “double wahala for dead body and the owner of dead body.”

In essence, demolition has not and will never solve the recurring problem; instead, it has worsened the matter negatively and has also led to untold hardship, unforeseeable agony and further heightened the level of insecurity in the FCT, especially along Airport Road, as hoodlums have always seized the opportunity of the exercise to deprive innocent Nigerians of their belongings. Although it is a conventional rule that if there is going to be reformation, there must be victims, but must we leave the law-abiding Nigerian to suffer all in the pretence of correcting Abuja master plan that was distorted by the same government without any tangible alternative?

Is it true that Abuja belongs to all of us? If the answer is yes, why then are the so-called “indigenes’ houses” always untouched despite the fact that they have been duly compensated and reallocated several times? The most annoying aspect of the matter is the same Gbagyi (Gwari) that sold the illegal lands to other ethnic groups referred to as “foreigners”, are those they now term illegal occupants. What an injustice! Where is the natural law of what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander?

In Mathematics, when we say square one, we simply mean one multiplied by one. This calculation is always giving the same result; therefore, square one always equals one. Grammatically, square one means no improvement, stagnant, nothing has changed, no development, moving round the same spot, when something is as constant as the northern star.

The question now arises: has the demolition addressed what it is meant to address? Has it solved the problem it is meant to solve? Has demolition brought food to the tables of Nigerians? Has it created employment opportunities? Has it increased power supply? Instead of this our so-called government of the masses to really address the plight of the masses by introducing policies that will favour them, policies that will create jobs and bring food to their tables, the rich and elite are closer to their offices while the poor are far away from theirs.

Nigeria is a country where policy-makers hardly pay house rent; do not service or fuel their cars; do not pay utility bills and do not also pay for the food they consume from their purse. All these are done with the taxes paid by the masses. And the only way to say thanks to these masses is to demolish the places they are managing without creating alternatives for them, because of the unaffordable prices of accommodation within the metropolis. What a shame! If Libya and Egypt could accommodate their citizens, then what is the so-called giant of Africa doing?

We won’t be surprised if after the demolition, we see the land being shared among the same elite that did the demolishing. And whenever they want to deceive us, they will say their government is a government of the masses, In fact, what can one expect from a government formed by a party without manifesto?

No wonder the provision of accommodation is not part of Yar’adua’s 7-point agenda. Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re getting. People may not always believe what you say, but they will believe what you do. For God’s sake, the masses are suffering and we’ve had enough of these wicked demolitions without proper resettlement/arrangement. Modibbo, please never deprive the masses of hope; it may be all that they have. According to the Land Use Act and as you’re the landlord of the entire residents within the FCT, kindly do something to save us from the agony that we’re going through. Can’t your men wait until the time you intend to commence construction in the affected areas for development if there is no other ulterior motive? It has been a common practice to demolish whenever there is no available plot of land to be shared within the metropolis. Silence is the only thing that can’t be misquoted! In the court of law, it’s said that silence means yes. But my advice to the honourable minister is that if he is living on the edge, he should make sure that he’s wearing his seat belt. Today, where are the el-Rufais, Fani-Kayodes, Borisades, Ribadus, Okonjo-Iwealas, Andy Ubas, Ibrahim Mantus, Abdullahi Adamus, Bode George and the late Adedibu of yesterday that represented both the good and ugly. Please, remember that life is like a grammar lesson; you find the past perfect, the present and future tenses. According to former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, the people of my constituency asked me to vote no to demolition again! But if you’re determined to take us back to square one, there’s no problem. However, remember on a final note that everyone has a photographic memory. Some don’t even have film.

Ogundipe can be reached through 08033565134 or ogundemoo@yahoo.com.

Lagos threatens clampdown on illegal sand dredgers, miners
By Rasheed Bisiriyu and Stanley Opara
Published: Monday, 18 Aug 2008
The Lagos State Government has warned sand dredgers to stay clear of the Ado-Badore road in Eti-Osa Local Government, saying it is preserving the sharp sand deposit in the area for future developmental projects.
The development also coincides with a move by the government to clamp down on all illegal miners and sand dredgers operating in different parts of the state.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had last week rejected the plea by some sand dredgers to be allowed to operate on the Ado- Badore road to liquidate part of their liabilities in the area.
The governor spoke at a meeting with the sand dredgers and miners concerning their inputs into the regulatory framework being prepared by the state government for the activities of miners and dredgers.
He also insisted that the government must know the operators so that it could regulate the sector and ensure that illegal diggers were treated as saboteurs.
According to him, government owes it a duty to stop the activities of a few people that can put the means of livelihood of the majority in danger.
He enjoined all Nigerians to imbibe the culture of doing things the right way.
He decried the practice of obtaining financial commitment from banks before seeking regulatory approval from the government, saying the same scenario was playing out in the building and other sectors.
The governor said that the state government had the intention of regulating the operators in the sector as uncontrolled dredging would not only endanger the environment, but also put the lives and property of people at risk.
He noted that there was only one Atlantic Ocean that ran across the whole world, and any natural event such as hurricane in any part of the world would be felt in Lagos a fortnight after.
Admitting that there was nothing wrong with sand dredging, he said the state government was only concerned that things must be done properly.
The state government, he said, would rely on reports of Environmental Impact Assessments carried out by the relevant government agencies, adding that the exercise could also be complemented by independent assessment to determine the suitability of dredging business.
The governor cited several instances of government’s law enforcement resources being stretched by operators, who confronted security agencies with arms in the course of their illegal activities on the waterways.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Segun Oniru, said following a meeting called by the ministry with all stakeholders and dredgers; all substantive dredging licences had been revoked.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser on Mineral Resources Development, Mr. Olufemi Blasé, has warned all illegal miners and sand dredgers to stop their activities or be prepared to earn the wrath of the state government.
He issued the warning at a press briefing at the state secretariat, Alausa, saying the illegal operation could adversely affect the environment and innocent people.
Blasé, who said that the office embarked on routine inspections of mining sites to ensure compliance, recalled that a stop-work-order was issued to 23 miners and dredgers, who failed to comply with the rules in the last one year.

Building collapse: NIA recommends three-pronged approach
By Rasheed Bisiriyu
Published: Monday, 18 Aug 2008
The Nigerian Institute of Architects has proposed the adoption of a three-pronged approach to tackle the menace of building collapse in the country, especially in Lagos.
According to the Chairman, Lagos Chapter of NIA, Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi, the approach, which critically appraises the skills of artisans, the quality of materials and certification of work at every stage by relevant professionals/agencies, will put everyone connected to a construction project on their toes to avert any failure.
Ajayi, who spoke at an interactive session and presentation of the draft policy reform on planning regulations and building control for Lagos State, last week, also charged professional bodies in the industry to apply stiffer sanctions against any breach of professional codes and ethics.
She expressed concern at the frequency of building failure in Lagos, and recommended making post occupancy maintenance statutory
She said, “Buildings, like human beings, need to be maintained and treated whenever they fall ill. Post occupancy maintenance therefore needs to be made statutory because failures do occur at this stage also.
“Safety during construction and in occupancy also must be statutory, and there should be consideration for accessibility by all manner of physically challenged individuals amongst us. It is sad the way we totally exclude this class of people in the design and construction of our buildings and public spaces.”
She called on professional bodies to use the annual renewal of practice licences as a pre-requisite for participation in projects.
The strategy, she noted, would ensure that members continually update themselves with contemporary trends and issues within the industry.
She also called for the reversal of a trend in which development preceded infrastructure, and insisted that only a strict regulation of the sector would guarantee an orderly and aesthetically appealing urban environment.
She described the NIA’s involvement in the reform process as a fulfillment of part of its plan for the year, which was to partner with governments at all levels towards improving policies as they affected the built environment.
She commended the efforts of the state government towards the policy reform, stressing, “The decision to separate planning regulation from building control is a major policy shift that will hopefully put paid to the bickering amongst various professional bodies in the built environment for relevance in the development process.
“In line with the provisions of the National Building Code, the functions of the various professions have been spelt out in accordance with worldwide industry best practices.”
Ajayi also called for the overhaul of the process of land acquisition and title to make it user-friendly.
“A viable land registry will engender greater confidence in the process and aid proper regulation of approvals and development,” she said.
The Chairman of the reform committee, Brig. Gen. Tunde Reis, and the 2nd Vice-Chairman, Mr. David Majekodunmi, spoke on its rationale and the need for active participation of all concerned professional groups towards its success.
There was also a presentation by a team from the Singapore Building Control Agency, led by Mr. Choong Teck, on their country’s

LASG worries over dangers of 300 defective masts ; Lagos targets October for completion of business district project; Increasing concerns over indis

2008-08-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

LASG worries over dangers of 300 defective masts

Written by Prince Osuagwu
Monday, 11 August 2008
The Lagos State Government is having a sleepless night over the dangers of deefective masts said to be numbering over 300, discovered recently in Lagos metropolis, by the of the state’s Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA).
The state is more worried because, according to the team, some of these dangerous masts have been abandoned by their owners for several years running, while others are still in use, but with various degrees of structural defects and at the verge of collapse.

Head, Public Relations of LASIMRA, Mrs. Rahmat Alabi, who disclosed this in Lagos last week said the state government was worried by the recurring incidence of collapsed communication masts in the state, and its attendant threat to life and property. She said corrective and decisive measures over collapsed masts had become inevitable to save lives and property in the state.

According to her, LASIMRA monitoring team had penultimate week, discovered over 91 defective and dangerous masts in the state, and that additional 200 were discovered at the weekend. She said the search would continue until all defective masts in the state were evacuated or re-built, depending on the condition of the structural defect.

The agency has given owners of affected masts up to 30 days to comply with its directives to either pull down such masts or rebuild them. The monitoring team, which consists of engineers attached to the agency, commenced intensive search for defective and dangerous communication masts in the state following complaints from people whose residential houses and offices are close to installed masts. Some of the masts had in recent past, collapsed, resulting to the untimely death of people as well as severe damage to buildings.

The agency outlined that incidences of collapsed masts had been recorded in Maryland, Allen Avenue, Alausa, Apongbon, Lagos Island, Agege, Iju/Agbado Ijaye, Surulere/Aguda, Ikorodu, Ketu and Idimu, killing people and destroying residential and office buildings.

Describing the conditions of most masts, Alabi said some had been abandoned, some rusted, some are over aged, and some are positioned too high on building roofs. Others are bent and are near collapse. She said LASIMRA had ordered that the affected masts are either evacuated, or rebuilt with 30 days. Violation to the order attracts heavy sanctions from both government and the agency, Alabi said.

Alabi, however, explained that the affected masts do not belong to any of the telecom operating companies. Those currently detected are owned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), banks, radio and television stations and companies and parastatals that are into transmission of data via communication masts.

Monday, August 18, 2008
Lagos targets October for completion of business district project
By Tunde Alao
The Lagos State government has targeted October this year for the completion of the first phase redevelopment of Mainland Central Business District (MCBD). The second phase, which involve the 11 adjoining streets between that Murtala Muhammed Way and Herbert Macaulay Way is expected to be completed by March, 2009.
Giving a progress report on the project, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, said that government was working to complete the first phase as scheduled, being the prelude to the total transformation of the axis into a central business district.
The project, which was divided into four phases, has progressed considerably, save the stoppage in three major sections of the Murtala Muhammed Way, where four major institutions the Military Barracks, the Denton Police Station in Oyingbo, and the (NIPOST) are located.
Government officials have however, assured order would come from the appropriate authorities for the possible relocation of the agencies.
In an interview with The Guardian Johnson said that the first phase, has reached between 60-70 percent completion stage.
According to him, the drainage construction had to be stopped pending the time the affected institutions would adjust their fences and structures.
The Herbert Macaulay Way an eight-kilometre road stretched from Odunfa Street, Ebute Metta, which is close to the lagoon, up to Jibowu area of Yaba, while Murtala Muhammed Way, of the same distance, stretched from Denton Street and traverses Borno Way, Bola Street, up to Yaba Bus Stop. The 11 streets, which connect the two major roads include Abeokuta street, Willougbhy, Odunfa, Kadara, Ibadan East, Ondo Street, Montgomery, Queen streets, among others.
According Johnson two affected things that could work plan but which have been addressed include the relocation of the public institutions and the on-going rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge, which has worsen the traffic situation along Yaba/Oyingbo/Iddo axis. Added to these, is the traffic congestion in the neighbourhood. "To address these envisaged problems, the 11 adjoining streets will be rehabilitated to facilitate free flow of traffic, and enhance business activities in the area.
Johnson said the objective of the upgrading or redevelopment of the area, to the status of CBD, is to replicate the kind of redevelopment that occurred in Lagos Island CBD in Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Ikeja. These type of project, would, no doubt, attracts real estate developers and business opportunities, apart from its modernization imperatives he said."

Increasing concerns over indiscriminate dumping of refuse
By Mudiaga Affe
Published: Monday, 18 Aug 2008
At the beginning of the year, the Lagos State Government earmarked about N4.5bn for the dredging and cleanup of primary and secondary flood channels in the state.
While work had continued on a steady basis by the various contractors hired to work in different parts of the metropolis, the problem of flooding associated with the recent heavy rainfall had persisted, which is an indicator that no real progress had been achieved.
In the last two weeks, the state Ministry of Environment, led by its commissioner, Dr. Muiz Banire, embarked on a state-wide assessment tour of ongoing canalisation and dredging projects, where it was discovered that besides the slow pace of construction work on some project sites, the problem of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in canals and major flood channels after clearing appears to have left the state government in a quandary, because there appears to be no concrete solution to the problem.
Part of the reasons for the recent flood experienced in most parts of Lagos was the direct effect of blocked channels.
It was noticed during the tour of Amuwo-Odofin, Ajeromi/Ifelodun and Surulere local government areas that some of the canals allegedly cleared by contractors only three weeks earlier had become filled with refuse, thus leading to the fresh resumption of the exercise, which constitutes financial waste to the government.
So confusing was the situation that contractors and government officials who tried to ponder over the situation could not come out with a consensus over the problem, leaving the likely option of an all-year-round dredging exercise in order to curtail flooding.
A representative of one of the contracting firms handling the various dredging projects in Amuwo-Odofin and Ajeromi-Ifelodun councils, Bash Ball Ventures, Mr. Yinka Oyekan, expressed outright shock at one of the recently cleared canals in Ajegunle area.
That was not to be the only canal, as the same fears were raised at Coker, Ijeshatedo, Itire-Ikate canal, Jalupon Sports Park in Surulere, the Coker collector drain, Alaka-Iponri-National Theatre canal, and the Sanya canal near the Sanya Police Station.
The resident engineer of the ministry in Amuwo-Odofin and Ajeromi/Ifelodun local government areas, who also directed part of the tours, Mr. Bola Odumuyiwa, noted that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse had become a major problem that must be addressed urgently.
It was also noticed that areas that were mostly affected are those near market places.
Worried by the situation, the Commissioner for Environment directed that henceforth, markets operating close to any canal must construct a wall-fence to separate them from the canals, while government would also construct wire mesh around the canals to prevent further access to them by residents.
Banire, who expressed worry at the rate the people are messing up the good intentions of the government, said anyone caught dumping refuse in any canal in the state would be made to face stiff penalties as the person would be treated as a saboteur.
He said, “Government would not watch the residents destroy the clearing that has taken a big chunk of the tax payers‘ money without taking steps to prevent such.”
Beyond the temporary measure suggested by Banire, the reduction of the activities of cart pushers and increase in the number of PSP operators, coupled with a massive enlightenment programme for a change in attitude would appear to be a more permanent measure.
According to the Managing Director, Universal Educational Consultants, Mr. Columbus Igiebor, who had said that if the dream of achieving the mega city project and the Green Lagos Initiative would be met, then there must be a massive and rigorous campaign aimed at changing the attitude of residents of the metropolis.
Igiebor, who had written a comprehensive proposal to the state on how to achieve that feat, however, expressed disappointment at the slow pace of addressing the plaguing problem of enlightenment, which could probably be the reason why the canals were still constantly being used as refuse dumps.

Beggars And Hawkers Still Prowl Lagos Streets;

2008-08-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 17, 2008
Beggars And Hawkers Still Prowl Lagos Streets
By Gbenga Salau and Chijioke Iremeka
THE recent initiative of the Lagos State government to enforce the Public Disorder Offences contained in the Street Trading and Illegal Market Law, and in the Criminal Code on Gathering and Giving Alms to Beggars, generated debates among residents of the city. While some have said it is a step in the right direction, for others, especially those affected by the laws, it is a law targeted at denying them livelihood.
However, weeks after the law banning street begging came into force, Lagos roads and streets are still besieged by beggars and hawkers. Some of the beggars even say they know nothing about the law.
Most of the beggars approached for comment claim ignorance of the law. Audu Musa who hails from Zamfara State, is a beggar at Itire Road, Surulere. He says he does not know that the state government has asked them to leave the streets. He expresses joy at the news but remarks: "We will like it if the government is going to take care of us."
According to Mahazu AIi, a street beggar at Festac Town, the idea as it concerns orderliness in the society is good if it is driven by sincerity of mind. "If the government can take me to a place where I can stay, eat good food and learn a work, I won't bother myself sitting down in the sun and in the rain stressing myself in order for me to eat." He says he was driven out on the street to beg for alms because he has no other source of income.
"If it is not to gather people and starve them to death as a way of reducing the population of the country, the idea is good. I have not heard about this decision of the government. I will like to work. If you give me job, I will work and take care of myself. Begging is not a job but that is how I have been surviving. So, till when they clear us from here, I will watch and see what happens. Is it not Nigeria?"
Abudulrazak Ahmed is another street beggar. He says: "I don't read papers, I don't even have the money to buy papers. I didn't go to school. I am just managing to read. But I don't read newspapers to know what the situation is all about."
For Ahmed, if the state government does not want them to beg, it (government) should start paying them so that they will be able to eat. He queried: "If the state will take us away, will they also take care of our families or will they carry all of us to the rehabilitation centre?"
Mrs. Abimbola Oyeleye is a physically fit woman who believes that whether the government is planning to chase them away or not, she will continue to seek alms from the people since she cannot steal to eat. "Why is it that the government is coming up with this when the prices of food stuffs are going up too? Not as if that government will make the prices come down, so that people can buy food with even the little money they make," she says, adding that whatever happens, she will never go to any rehabilitation centre.
For Sunday Obasi, another street beggar, it was the condition he found himself that forced him out of his closet in search of daily bread and to source money for a surgical operation. Asked what amount of money he could make begging, he says: "Small, small, the money will turn into big money. It is just a drop of water that makes a mighty ocean."
On the issue of street trading and hawking, Mr. John Ejimofor, a hawker of fruit drinks along Mile 2-Badagry Expressway, says the government has finished with the major traders who had their shops at Yaba Market and Mandilas burnt down by fire, and has come to face them.
"Most of the people you see that hawk here have their goods burnt and could not go back to bigger businesses again, rather they turn to street trading as a way of abating their troubles. Now government has come seeking for us here.
"All these are happening during his administration. Most market places got burnt for no just cause. You will hear that a market burnt today, tomorrow another will burn. All that I know is that I will not allow Fashola to ruin my life in this Lagos," he added.
SPEAKING to The Guardian on the continued presence of beggars in the streets and on the roads, the Director of Social Rehabilitation in the state's Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Samuel Apalowo, says the state government has been making efforts to check the activities of street beggars in the city but have not been able to adequately contain them because of the huge number of persons involved.
"They are too many; they are too many but every day we make efforts to rid the streets of Lagos of beggars. Also, these beggars have sympathisers who phone them as soon as they sight our vehicles when we get to any location for our operations. Sometimes, they communicate with themselves to get alerted about our operations," he said.
Apolowo notes that the problem is compounded by some people who recruit young boys and girls from the states to beg in Lagos. He advises Lagosians to stop giving money to beggars to discourage people from going into begging. Instead, he says, alms givers should visit homes and rehabilitation centres, where some beggars are being rehabilitated.
Apalowo discloses that at each of the centres created to rehabilitate them, the beggars are taught vocational skills to ensure that they are productive to the society.
Asked why many of the beggars escape from the centres or go back to begging after their training, Apalowo says: "Some of them are not willing to leave begging because to them begging seems to be a better profession". He says this is due to the fact that the money they realise from begging daily much more than they can make from the vocational skills acquired at the rehabilitation centre. This is why, he says, people should stop giving money to beggars, adding that "if there are no givers, begging will be unattractive and it will discourage people from moving into the street to beg."
He says that the Ministry ensures that those who have gone through the rehabilitation centres are monitored through the After Care Officers who interact with them to assist them go through and make suggestions whenever they have a complaint.
Corroborating Apolowo's claim, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Social Development, Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi, says: "The Ministry has been making efforts to rid the streets of beggars and this week we were at Ketu and Lagos Island; we picked up some beggars and we took them to Ikorodu. Lagos is a big city and the process is an on-going one."
When The Guardian visited the Lagos State Rehabilitation Centre at Owutu, in Ikorodu, a set of beggars was just brought into the centre in a luxury bus and taken to a hall. In the hall, they were called one after the other to surrender the money on them on a table. Asked to speak on the activities of the centre, the Director declined, saying he would not want to comment unless there was a letter from the Ministry approving he should speak with the press.
ON the ban on street trading and hawking, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Environment, Mr Segun Ogundeji, says the project is part of the zero tolerance on all forms of nuisance in Lagos.
"We have declared zero tolerance on all forms of nuisances especially Eti-Osa and Ikeja Local Government Councils, where we are running a pilot scheme, so that we can move to other local governments since we cannot be everywhere at the same time. We want to move in phases and you will agree with me that if you go to Alfred Rwanne road now, the former Kingsway Road, it is no longer the way it used to be, in fact, in the entire Eti-Osa Local Government Council. Now, the place is wearing a look that befits the highbrow centre. You will equally agree that Ikeja is no longer what it used to be. You know before, under the bridge housed not less than 10,000 people, ranging from people who are into hair plaiting to other trading activities.
Ogundeji continued: "Awolowo Road has been beautified; you hardly can see street hawkers there. I admit that at night, you see them coming out at about 8pm, but we have been showing them surprises. So to that extent, you will see that there is no way we can solve a particular problem at a go. The public enlightenment campaign and education that we have been doing is enough to make people change their ways but change does not come easy.
"People naturally will want to resist change but where government is convinced that it is in the overall interest of the entire populace, though many people might not see anything wrong in street hawking, or trading in traffic, but few people who have been victims of the antics of people who pretend to be selling and are actually robbing people in the traffic, will never want to see somebody milling around his or her car in the name of hawking in traffic. We are on top of the matter, we are moving up gradually and we shall get there," he stated.
On the penalty for breaking the laws, Ogundeji says: "Very many of them are now learning various vocations like flowering, landscaping. I am aware that about 597 of them are engaged permanently while well over 2000 are on contract bases. Even while on contract, they are learning the vocation and we are encouraging them," he says

Babatunde Raji Fashola: The paradigm shift

2008-08-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

Babatunde Raji Fashola: The paradigm shift

By KELECHI DECA National Daily 16/8/08

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve ben waiting for. We are the change we seek.” — Barack Obama

HE does not have the charm of a Donald Duke, the oratorical skills of Barack Obama, nor even the charisma and mass appeal of a Bola Tinubu but what he lacks in physical charm, oratorical skills and charisma, he makes up with an amazing mental fecundity that takes in any situation with an extra-ordinary calmness, analyses it and comes up with first class solutions with the ruthless efficiency and precision of a laser guided missile. He is neither photogenic nor telegenic but he has both the brains and the conviction that Lagos needs to become a world class city and his emergence has given Lagos State the opportunity to even lay real claim (for the first time) to the tag; Centre of Excellence. When in 2006, it was rumoured that the then Governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is projecting his Chief of Staff, a relatively unheard of and unknown Babatunde Fashola, I was among those who thought that quite out of sync. And Tinubu briefly lost my respect. But the emergence of the electrifying phenomenon known as the “Fashola Magic” has truly humbled me; and painted Tinubu in the colours of a real leader. Great leaders know when to quit and always have a worthy exit plan. The law of natural succession ensures such leaders leave behind someone who not only takes their vision to the next level, but adds real value to it. If OBJ had known that, Nigeria today would have been far better for it. Writing on the Hidden Qualities of Great Leaders, James Champy made reference to the book, The Arc of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey, that “a leaders personal ambition is critical to his or her success, but it is not the sole route to greatness. Some traits, of course, are obvious: passion, discipline and persistence.” And Fashola has his fair share of these.
The Man Fashola:
Babatunde Raji Fashola was born on June 28th 1963 at the Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos to the Fashola family of Isale-gangan, Lagos. Raji Fashola is a pure bred Lagosian, coming from the Shomade family of Isale-Eko through his paternal grandmother, as well as a descendant of the Bashua and Suemi families. He began his education at the Sunnyfields Primary School, Adelabu, Surulere, Lagos. From there, he proceeded to Birch-Freeman High School, Surulere, Eko Boys High School Mushin and Igbobi College, Yaba all in Lagos. After his secondary education, he was admitted to the University of Benin to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer at the University of Benin, Benin-City. He graduated with Bachelor of Laws L.L.B (Hons) degree in 1987 and was called to Bar in November 1988 after a year at the Nigerian Law School. He started his legal career at Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore Chambers. While at this illustrious law firm, he widened his understanding of legal technicalities in several areas of the profession. After three years with the company he left to join K.O. Tinubu & Company in 1993 as an investing partner. He was the Managing Partner, Lead Counsel from 1994 till August 2002 when he was appointed the Chief of Staff to His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the then Governor of Lagos State. He served in that capacity from 16th of August 2002 to 6th November 2006 when he resigned to contest for the Office of Governor of Lagos State. He was then sworn in on May 29th 2007 as the Executive Governor of Lagos State.

Before becoming the Governor of Lagos State, and unknown to people like me, he prepared himself and was well grounded in the workings of the government of Lagos State. He was the Secretary of the Lands Committee of the Transitional Work Groups in 1999. He was also a Member of the Panel of Enquiries into Allocation of Houses on the Mobolaji Johnson Scheme at Lekki in 2000. He was a member of the following State Tenders Board from 2002 to 2006, State Executive Council from 2002 to 2006, member State Security Council, State Treasury Board and Chairman Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of Asset Distribution among Local Governments within the same period. He served and chaired a number of State Executive Council Committees set up to consider such matters as laws, Governor's consent procedures and costs, state honours and awards etc.

Babatunde Fashola is a distinguished member of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), the International Bar Association (IBA) and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and a recipient of various awards including the Distinguished Alumnus Award conferred on him by the University of Benin, Lagos State Public Service Club Platinum Award for outstanding contributions to the development of the club. Fashola is a patron of the Law Students Association of the University of Benin. He is also the second graduate of the University of Benin and the first member of the Nigerian Law School class of 1988 to be conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Grand Patron of the Association Nigeria Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) Lagos State Chapter.
As a great lover of sports, Fashola's tenure many agree will see to the rebirth of sports in Lagos State, for he is a supporter of Manchester United Football Club, a member of Eko Club, Island Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club and Eagle Club, Surulere. He is a Patron of the Lagos Island Club, Yoruba Tennis Club and the Lagos Country Club by virtue of his office as Governor of Lagos. He won the Governor of the Year Award from more than four organizations.
An Astute Administrator
The catchword for describing the phenomenal transformation that took place in Dubai, UAE, is that if you travel to that city six months after your last visit, you will barely recognize the streets. Same could boldly be said about Lagos today. And Lagos of all places you may say. I think there is a mental correlation between what took place in places like Dubai and the “Yes We Can” attitude of the Fashola administration in Lagos. At least every four months there is an addition to the already eye-catching innovations the state of Lagos is experiencing. This goes to show that Fashola is a man on top of issues, someone recently chipped in that there is hardly any part of the state the man does not know and not only that, he already has a plan that at the end of his tenure, no street in Lagos will be left behind.

Fashola is constitutionally expected to stay in office for four years but in less than a year, he has achieved what some could not achieve in their states after eight years even at the federal level. In Fashola, Lagos has truly repositioned itself as a Centre of Excellence. A good leader says Barbara White is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. His strength comes from having a graphically indepth knowledge of what goes on in virtually all the ministries. Moreso, being part of the last administration has assumed a role in seeing that the great vision that administration has from the start is religiously followed. In no other state has the beauty of continuity is government been displayed in its ideal form than in Lagos. Even the Federal Government can't compare to it. Fashola has within the last few months broken more myths about development than one can keep count of. Many have described him as a man in a hurry and quite impatient one at that. He has proved that Lagos can actually work. The way he has carried on so far betrays his impatience with bureaucratic red tape. He is passionate about what he wants to achieve and is one that has a strong connection about how he hopes to achieve his plans. One of his aides was quoted as saying that “many even within the administration are worried at the frenzied pace the government is changing the face of Lagos that at times, the Governor is adviced to slow down a bit. But for a state that has been in doldrums until this present democratic dispensation, many do understand Fashola's passion for change.
The Rise and Rise of Fasholamania
In The Hidden Qualities of Great Leaders, James Champy wrote that it is not really true that hard times create the best leaders, rather in hard times, the hidden qualities of great leaders just show up. At a time Lagos State was at cross roads, under pressure to live up to its billing as the Centre of Excellence, a combination of history, politics and geography threw up Bola Ahmed Tinubu who assembled the best cabinet any state of federal government in the history of this country. Within that great cabinet is a man who acts more than he talks, Fashola. Fashola has throughout his first one year in office earned the respect and confidence of Lagosians to the level that they may wish he stay for a long time to come.

Without appending the term “Servant Leader” to his name as others are struggling to be so recognised, his actions has demonstrably positioned him as one. Recently, he made public his phone number, that of all his commissioners, and their email addresses. Never in the history of this country has any top government functionary taken such a step. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. He is so accessible that one simply marvels at how he does the great things he is doing while also making himself accessible to the people.

Many in Lagos State today are spell bound by the outstanding leadership qualities of Fashola. At least this is a leader people believe so much in that even if some of his actions hurt them temporarily, they all see a greater good in them. Lagosians no more give a damn about some of the development-oriented inconveniences they go through because they see the bigger picture; a beautiful, modern city for all. Fashola's exemplary character has attracted to him the trust of the people. In the words of Barbara White, “it is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others”. A leader to be trusted and be known to live his/her life with honesty and integrity, true authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads.
A New Leader for a New Lagos
I don't know the proper translation of the term “Eko o ni baje” but whatever it means, I get the message that it ushers in a new thrust, a new vision, a new lease of life in the way government sees Lagos State. And in the way Lagosians are expected to see their state. Eko o ni baje to me is an affirmation and an unswerving belief that no matter what it takes, Lagos will surely go from good to best. Eko o ni baje to me encapsulates the new thought direction that power belongs to the people and that Lagosians have decided that from now on nothing compares with their darling state. Eko o ni baje is a way of life. It is an amalgamation of all that should go right with Lagos, and that from now on, it is no more business as usual. There are self evidence to prove this. I have lived in Lagos for the past 18 years. In all these years, never have I seen a street light pretend to blink till now. This is the first time since after the Jakande era that any government is thinking of solutions instead of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge on ground. When the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was first mooted, the newspapers were filled with why and how it could not work in Lagos. Imagine the closure of Third Mainland Bridge without the BRT. And to think this is the first in Africa goes down to the role Lagos played in giving Africa its first development blue-print, the “Lagos Plan for Action” in the 60s”

Continuing in the great tradition of credible visioning for service which the former governor instilled at the Alausa Round House, Fashola has laid out one of the most ambitious development plan any government in Africa has dreamt of. According to Don Adinuba, “Fashola is one of the very few African leaders genuinely challenged by what is commonly called Asian Miracle. He reasons that if countries like Singapore and Vietnam could score a global eye bull with their stunning development, in spite of well known disadvantages there is no compelling reason for Nigeria to remain a typical third world nation, paralysed by old sorrows of history like disease, poverty, instability, uncleanliness etc.” The idea behind Fashola's drive is to use Lagos as the guinea pig in the experiment to make Nigeria work. His government set out in an outstanding faction which relentlessly attacked all facets of regression in the state. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. A good leader not only maintains high standards, but in proactively raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas.
Good Thinking, Good Product
A look at what Fashola has been able to achieve in Lagos State within such a short time reminds one of “The Toyota Way”. Fashola seem to be a good student of the 14 principles of the Toyota Way, which he has applied religiously in the transformation of the state. Whatever transformation one is seeing today is as a result of good thinking. The Fashola government no doubt has made greater impact on infrastructure development than even the Federal Government. Sources from Alausa show that the Governor at inception of his tenure embarked on the construction and renovation of 177 roads across the length and breadth of Lagos State. This does not include another 33 roads and six modern world-class pedestrian bridges some of which are already completed. Of the 177 roads, 10 are said to be strategic roads and a collector drain in Alimosho, Itire-Okota link bridge across the Apapa Oshodi Expressway, Isheri-Iba-Ojo road which is being dualised also being dualised is the Ajah-Badore road. There is also the Ekoro Road which links Abule-Egba and Meiran. What many have called the mother of all roads plan is the Lagos-Badagry Expressway which is virtually abandoned by the Federal Government in spite of the road's great status as a gateway to the ECOWAS corridor. The Lagos State Government plans to transform it into a 10 lane highway with light rail and bus transit lanes.

In the area of housing, the government has instituted a N40 billion Lagos State Mortgage in partnership with a syndicate of seven banks to provide houses for low and medium income earners. Moreover, this government has completed and commissioned the Sunshine Estate, Oko-Oba, Agege. The estate has 24 blocks of 144 flats and was executed at the cost of N708.5 million. There is also a 24 housing units at Olaleye Iponri development by the Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority (LASURA) in collaboration with the Lagos Building and Investment Company (LBTC). The 160 block Oke-Eletu Millennium Housing Scheme in Ikorodu has been completed. Moreso, the government has embarked on the renovation of some existing housing estates. The government is working assiduously in the area of after and sanitation. The challenges of Lagos State many agree should not be seen from what is not in place due to the enormity of what needs to be done, rather from the perspective of what has been achieved so far within the time frame. Take for example, the beautification and greening project. This is the first time in the history of Lagos State that a government is making an effort to see beyond the bridge of its nose, by upgrading not only existing facilities but also putting in place what was not there in the first place. To think that Lagos now has well paved side walks was what dreams were made of years ago, not to talk of street lights. Today, Lagos has shifted from pretending to be a modern city to the real thing. The massive beautification programme, according to the Governor, is a dual pronged approach to while providing a clean and healthy environment also aims to harness the state's potentials as tourist destination. The government also hopes that the re-emergence of the state as a sub-regional financial capital deserves such lay-outs. To this end, efforts are in top gear to reclaim open parks and green them.
A Man with a Big Dream
That Fashola is in a hurry to transform Lagos State from where it was to a pride of place as a modern mega-city is understandable. Lagos State according to him deserves the best and must get the best. Youth both mentally and physically is of essence here, according to the Governor, the current leadership in Lagos is fresh and of a more youthful generation that have experienced both sides of the coin in the period of Nigeria's development. Having been more or less stagnant for almost a quarter of a century in almost all departments, there is a need to move fast. As the Governor acknowledged , “locally and nationally, we can't finish all the work required in a four year term but, we could get irreversible milestones and an irreversible foundation for the future.” Fashola though has a style of leadership that differs from that of his former principal. Tinubu, he, however, recognized that Tinubu came with the right vision to transform Lagos, from its mega-slum states to a glittering mega-city status. That was why he made continuity with the vision the plank of his campaign. And he has not been distracted one bit from it. Fashola is driven by his expectations of the future, governing over a state that has been projected to be the third largest mega-city in size by 2015. With this at the back of everybody's mind, it is imperative that any government in charge of Lagos State must of necessity accelerate development at a great speed.
Beyond Commitment
Fashola is a man obsessed with change. He has within such a short time proved that “Lagos works.” Fashola has a leadership style that though puts him on the driver's seat but also gives his lieutenants the authority to run with the vision. He is hands-on in a way that does not interfere with already delegated instructions. According to one of his Commissioner and close aide, Muiz Banire, Fashola is highly democratic in his decision-making exhaustively and continuously consulting with the executive council. He always expects the input of everybody before going ahead with a decision. One of his strongest traits says Banire is focus. Fashola does not give room for distractions once he is about any task, he does not believe so much in the paraphenacha of office and does not throw his weight around. According to John Maxwell “Leaders connect activities to the purposes behind them by bridging “what” and “why”. They do so by exposing team members to the end results of their labour, by expressing gratitude for their work, and by explaining how each job is relevant to the company as a whole.

However, one of the strongest assets Fashola has which has helped make his administration a success so far is his leadership style. He is passionate about whatever he wants to achieve, and it is this passion he has for Lagos that has taken him this far. Fashola's indepth knowledge of the workings of all the ministries while serving as Chief-of-Staff to Tinubu put him in good stead to know the needs of Lagosians. Many have described him as very thorough and detailed in whatever he is doing. That alone puts him head and shoulder above his peers and qualified him for the great job he is doing.

Lagosians turn BRT bus stops into markets; The business of illegal ‘oil business’ in Lagos; Pastor Alleges Illegal Demolition Of Church

2008-08-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Lagosians turn BRT bus stops into markets

Written by Mohammed Shosanya, Lagos, on 17-08-2008 00:00
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Akin, a roadside hawker, would not forget in a jiffy the day a trailer crushed his co-trader to death at Oworonsoki road in Lagos.The day, to him, is a red letter day and also marked his final departure from the trade which he started five years ago through loans from family friends.
He alternatively rented a shop at Onipanu but the mounting overhead costs soon sent him parking out of the business. He was dejected and sad.
The BRT mass transit buses put on road by the Lagos State government recently, however, provided a twilight for Akin. He soon exploited the massive queues at most of the BRT bus tops to sell gala and cake to passengers, who sometimes run out of patience while waiting to catch buses to their various destinations.
He told our correspondent that his switch over to the trade at BRT bus stops was a watershed in the history of his life for the opportunity came when he badly needed something to keep his body and soul together.
He said the business was paying because he had been able to raise money for his accommodation in a Lagos suburb and enrolled himself in GCE classes.
He is not the only person trading at BRT bus stops. His soul mates do same in other bus stops to eke out a living.
This trade has no age barrier. For instance, there is this aging woman at the Tafawa Balewa Square bus stop, who sells sachet water to passengers. She resumes work early in the morning and sells till night calls. Her old age does not mean anything to her for she approach passengers with her wares with vigour and mien.
While Akin and his soul mates chose to ply their trade in hard ways, others cleverly employ a subtle way of making ends meet at the BRT bus tops. That begging. These group of people beg for one favour or the other from the passengers. Some of them loiter around the bus tops waiting for the queues to build up. Among these groups are unemployed graduates commonly called corporate beggars.
These people often introduce a new system of seeking alms from the unsuspecting public, ranging from concocting cock and bull stories to exhibiting their fluency in English language.
Another type of sellers at the bus stops are marketers of budding companies who distribute handbills and tracks to passengers on queue.
These marketers also explain the efficacy of their products, their affordable prices as well as the need for the passengers to patronise them.
Adunni Adeola, one of the marketers of a rising manufacturing company told our correspondent that she opted to market her wares to the passengers due to the concentration of different categories of people on the queues.
“Really, different sets of people queue here to catch buses to their destinations. Our product is an all-purpose product serving all strata of people. And the best place to stumble on these people is the bus stop of this nature,” Adeola.
Traditional healers and soothsayers also ply their trade there by displaying conspicuous billboards. One of such billboards was erected at the Ojota bus stop.
Here, passengers read with ease the various trado-medical skills of Alhaji Majiyagbe, who among other things claims that he has cure to barrenness, veneral diseases, ill-luck etc.
Politicians too erect their bill boards for passengers’ attention. With the forthcoming local government elections in the state, there is no doubt that politicians will use the bus stops for electioneering.
Street urchins popularly called Area Boys have also employed BRT bus stops to do all what they do. Some of them use coercive method to get alms from passengers on queue. And usually at wee-hours, these boys go to the extent of dispossessing passengers of their personnel effects.
Little wonder, stakeholders have called for security to be beefed up at these bus stops.
While Governor Babatunde Fashola administration had boasted that it had provided thousands of jobs to people as a result of the mass transit initiative, it is doubtful whether the government took stock of other jobs that crept their ways into the scheme.

The business of illegal ‘oil business’ in Lagos

Written by Olumide Bajulaiye, Lagos, on 17-08-2008 00:00
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It has been said that mighty sea vessels carry products allegedly stolen to Ijora Olopa as early as 4:30am and sell to oil tanker drivers at black market price.
This business is said to be going on for long now without intervention from any quarters. Some of those involved in the business are said to be vandals who move the oil through the lagoon from places such as Warri, Port Harcourt, Atlas Cove. Some of the oil comes from vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines.
The two black spots for this big oil business are Ijora Olopa and Iddo sea shore of the Lagos lagoon. At times, the oil bunkerers are armed and ready to challenge anyone who might want to stand in their way of making millions of naira daily.
At the Iddo side of Lagos, little cubicles and tents are erected by the bunkerers. This is where they stay to carry out their nocturnal business. It is believed that these people are being sponsored by the elite to smuggle oil from the Niger Delta region to Lagos where it could be sold for millions of naira.
Few months ago, officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) intercepted a vessel conveying oil at Ijora Olopa and arrested the bunkerers. This was done in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian army, who assisted the NSCDC to man the territorial waters.
Two weeks ago, another big catch was made. The NSCDC and the Nigerian army intercepted three big sea vessels carrying crude oil at Ijora Olopa. Three of the suspected bunkerers were arrested. They had brought the oil from afar to their destination where they were arrested.
On close examination, each of the vessels had oil that could fill 13 tankers, meaning that the product in the three vessels could fill 39 tankers which translates to 1.72 million litres of crude oil and could be sold for over N30 million at black market price.
Such is the case at Ijora Olopa and Iddo, which are two slums in Lagos. The lagoon in these areas have been infested with oil bunkerers and vandals who daily make fantastic gains through the illegal business.
Thousands of drums and kegs were seen on site when the commandant general, NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin paid a visit to the area recently. He was shocked by what he saw and vowed that the corps would continue to wage a relentless war against bunkerers and vandals in Lagos state and Nigeria as a whole.
On Wednesday 16 July, 2008, two days before Abolurin and his people visited the area, there was fire outbreak under the bridge at Ijora Olopa. The bunkerers and vandals had stored large quantity of crude oil there. The crude oil caught fire and destroyed property of those selling under the bridge. Property worth millions of naira went with the flames.
Recently, the Lagos State government embarked on demolition of shanties at Iddo area. These shanties were being inhabited by oil bunkerers and their clients. This was in a bid to drive them and hoodlums away from the area, yet, the illegal business still thrives.
What puzzles many observers is that these illegal transactions are carried out under the watchful eyes of the police. Residents in the area gave up after several attempts to get the police to arrest the bunkerers met a brick wall.
Mr. Habib Muhammed, a resident of Iddo area narrated his ordeal in the hands of the police. He had gone to report to the security outfit the illegal activities of the bunkerers. Instead of the police taking prompt action, they descended on him and locked him up.
“I have been in this area for many years. The man who owned some shops in the area went to challenge the bunkerers and the police beat him up. The police were here to collect drums of oil,” he said, adding that when he too reported to the police, he was arrested and had to cough up N45,000 before he could be released.
The soldiers guarding the impounded sea vessels said the police came to the area with a boat a day after the vessels were seized. According to them, seeing that they were soldiers, the police gave the excuse that they were patrolling the area.
Maureen Okonta sells food in the infested area. She was afraid to speak when asked about the activities of the bunkerers but she confirmed that the bunkerers operate in the area.
Giving a graphic picture of how the bunkerers operate, Mr. Solomon Nwabueze of the Anti-Vandal Department, NSCDC, Lagos command said the bunkerers off-load their product at Ijora Causeway, Iddo side where their collaborators wait to collect the products.
According to Abolurin, the NSCDC was bent on assisting Governor Fashola in reducing crime in the state. “The president, Umaru Yar’adua has said vandalism must be put to a halt.
“If we want to grow, we must put an end to vandalism. We must be law abiding and desist from evil acts. When people notice that vandalism is taking place, they should contact us.
“Vandals are like a cartel. Some are arrested on the sea while others move away from the sea. Government is looking at instituting penalty against vandals. The fact of the case is that because we have been given the mandate to stop vandalism, we must comply.
“The bunkerers and vandals sell their products at the black market in drums. There is a local market here [Iddo]. All the shanties have to be evacuated. We will ensure vandalism is put to an end,” he stated.
Abolurin stated that very soon, the corps would start carrying arms which would enable them to be more effective in the war against bunkerers and vandals.
“Government is tackling this issue and is ready to stop it. We have no apologies to vandals and criminals. We shall do more and more. Vandalism is evil, disastrous, bad and must not be encouraged,” he added.
Chief Security Officer (CSO) to Fashola, Mr. Tunde Panoo said everything would be done to ensure that public property were protected from being vandalised and decried the activities of vandals in the state and pledged that the state government would work with the NSCDC to curb vandals’ activities.
On prosecution of oil bunkerers and vandals, Abolurin said the NSCDC could not prosecute for now, saying that the corps could only arrest culprits and hand them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution, adding that very soon, the corps would be given the power to prosecute.
“In recent times, we had cases of vandals being prosecuted in different courts across the nation. We have 53 cases in Abia State. There are also cases in Lagos, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Kaduna and Kano States,” he stated.

Saturday, August 16, 2008
Pastor Alleges Illegal Demolition Of Church
By Fatima Adekola
FOUNDER and General Overseer, City of Refuge Church, Alapere Ketu, Lagos, Bishop Oscar Ellis Ossai has alleged that the Lagos State government demolished his multi-million naira church edifice without due process.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Ossai claimed that the state government did not give him any notice before the demolition was carried out.
His words: "I was at home when somebody called to inform me that the state government was demolishing my church. By the time I rushed to the place, I could not believe what I saw as the magnificent edifice had been turned to debris by bulldozers."
He also disclosed that he had written to the state government, religious bodies like Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Sultan of Sokoto over his plight.
Ossai expressed worry over alleged non-chalant attitude of the state government to his ordeal and implored Governor Babatunde Fashola to redress the injustice allegedly meted out to him.
He explained that he had not taken any legal action against the state because he believed the government would redress the situation.
Reacting, Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning, Mrs. Ayo Samo said the allegation was not true.
"Government gave them notice before the demolition. Our government is not lawless, so there is no way we would have demolished the church without giving notice first," she stated.

Lagos State Public Notice on Illegal Sale of Public Land: A Game of Monopoly?

2008-08-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Lagos State Public Notice on Illegal Sale of Public Land: A Game of Monopoly?

My wife recently bought the game, Monopoly, for the children and playing it with them has rekindled a passion for the game which I played quite often as a young boy.

Monopoly is a game played by two or more persons on a square board which has the names of popular streets in the United Kingdom designated as sites on which a player can put houses or hotels.

Each player takes turn rolling the dice(s) and as they move their markers in a clockwise direction, these markers land on various sites which are differentiated by colors.

If the site has not already been purchased by another player, a player can pay the bank the money for the site and collect the title deed as proof of ownership.

The least expensive of these sites, (all sites are expressed in Pounds Sterling) are Old Kent Road and Whitechapel Road both colored brown costing 60 each.

Then you have Pall Mall (140), Whitehall (140) and Northumberl’d Road (160) all colored pink.

These are followed by Bow Street (180), Marlborough Street (180GBP) and Vine Street (200) all colored orange.

Then Strand (220), Fleet Street (220), Trafalgar Square (240) all colored red, while Leicester Square and Coventry Street (both 260) and Piccadilly (280) are colored yellow.

Finally the most expensive sites in the game are all contiguously arranged, i.e. Regent and Oxford (both 300) and Bond (320) all colored green and of course Parklane (350) and Mayfair (400).

In between these streets are some utilities and train stations all for sale also with title deeds and provision for Chance and Community Chest which help to enliven the game.

Of course, there is the bank which is central to the game which holds the money, the title deeds and the houses/hotels which can be purchased to enhance the value of sites.

The rules are simple and straight forward and require each player to start with a grant of 1, 500GBP and that a player must own sites with the same color before enjoying its enhanced value.

For instance, if a player buys only one site in a color scheme, he can only collect rent from other players who in the course of the game land on the site.

However, if a player in the course of the game is able to acquire all the sites with similar colors, the rent due instantaneously doubles.

Likewise, a player who owns all the utilities and/or the train stations also gets to collect double rent.

It is also at this point of owing sites with the same color that a player can buy houses and hotels (5 houses) and place on the same color sites causing the value of these sites to skyrocket.

And as you have rightly guessed, the more expensive the sites, the more rent an unfortunate player who lands on them gets to pay.

There is an element of chance in the game in the sense that all players only advance by rolling the dice(s) but the rest is up to guts, shrewdness, experience and planning.

Every time I have played with the children, I have come out tops and it is not unlikely that this is due to my experience of real life situations which the game captures brilliantly.

My only challenge though is how to transfer my prowess in the game of Monopoly to own choice properties in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Banana Island and yes, Eko Atlantic City.

Every time a player’s marker goes around the board and passes a free site marked ‘Go’, he collects 200GBP. A player can also collect a ‘Go to Jail’ card and miss collecting the 200GBP.

Other than that and some free moneys coming from Chance or Community Chest cards, the earnings realized are from rentals.

The winner of the game is the last player left after the other players have been forced out of the game due to inability to pay rentals to the player having the sites with improvements on them.

This really is at the core of the game, i.e. the fact that money goes from other players to those players with sites and houses/hotels (preferably the most expensive sites) or utilities.

The first player to drop out is usually the player who owns no sites at all and is always paying out rent to those who have sites.

My 5 year old son who enjoys the game simply for the sheer fun of rolling dice(s) and counting his marker on the board while drifting in and out of the game usually earns the honor of being the first player eliminated.

Of his other brothers who are twins, one has the habit of buying sites indiscriminately while the other buys with some purpose but cannot match my experience of the real world which always gives me an edge.

So the outcome of each game is fairly predictable but then my sons never seem to tire of wanting to play with me and I usually oblige them.

In a season of demolitions and threatened demolitions across Lagos State, life appears similar to the game of Monopoly and what better way for my children to get training for the future than playing the game regularly.

Traffic management taxing, says Fashola

2008-08-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Traffic management taxing, says Fashola 15/8/2008
The Nation

By Jude Isiguzo
Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has identified traffic management as one of the most challenging jobs.
He said this was because road was the most developed and preferred means of transportation in the country.
Fashola who was represented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Mr. Young Arebame, a retired Commissioner of Police, made the remarks during a workshop organised by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Lagos Sector Command for special marshals in Lagos yesterday.
The governor, who formally endorsed the creation of special marshals by the FRSC to compliment the efforts of the regular marshals in traffic management, said the workshop was relevant to the realities on the roads.
He said data had shown that road transportation accounts for 80 percent of trade and movements in the country.
Fashola said it was important to encourage dedicated volunteers who signed up for traffic management.
The governor said: "This is the kind of spirit that we need to pull Nigeria from the woods and remake it into a prosperous, peaceful and equitable democracy for our collective good.
"To show how serious we should take this crop of volunteers, the Lagos State Government in January this year inaugurated our own version known as special traffic mayor.
There are 500 of them, men and women of proven integrity and high calling in the society. They are part of the brand new LASTMA, our well motivated, educated, mobile and efficient road managers who have made traffic to flow on our ever busy roads with some pleasure that we have never experienced before now."
The State Co-ordinator Special Marshal RS 2.1, Alhaji Toyin Kadiku, said the annual workshop had become an avenue to stimulate their operations.

Okada riders blame passengers for carefree attitude ; Eti-Osa LG taken to task over illegal refuse dump ; Lagos to Raise N275bn from Capital Market

2008-08-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Okada riders blame passengers for carefree attitude
By Agency Reporter Punch
Published: Friday, 15 Aug 2008
Commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada, have put the blame of their carefree attitude on the road on their passengers.
A cross section of commercial motorcyclists told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that passengers were always in a hurry to get to their destinations.
According to them, people who patronise commercial motorcyclists do so to avoid the chaotic traffic situation and also encourage riders to disobey traffic rules.
Mr. Tayo Oludare, a commercial motorcyclist, told NAN that not all motorcycle riders wanted to go against traffic, but passengers spur them on to avoid arriving late to their destinations.
“I have been operating Okada for five years, and I try to be careful, but sometimes, passengers tell you to hurry because they are late,” Oludare said.
He described the business as a risky one, saying many riders never undergo training but got into the business out of frustration due to a lack of better means of livelihood.
Mr. Ayodele Ogunleye, another rider, described passengers as “kings, since they pay for the service.”
“They (passengers) sometimes force us to do what, ordinarily, some of us would not have done. We do not have any option than to obey their order.
“When they tell you that they are getting late to work, we have to hurry up, even if it involves going against traffic, since they are paying,” Ogunleye said.
However, an official of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that commercial motorcyclists were not exempted from traffic rules.
“It is not as if they (riders) are exempted from traffic rules, but they just risk their lives going against traffic,” he said. (NAN)

Eti-Osa LG taken to task over illegal refuse dump
By Francis Famoroti Punch
Published: Friday, 15 Aug 2008
The Eti-Osa Local Government Council in Lagos was, on Wednesday, urged to deploy task force officials to apprehend unscrupulous persons who dump refuse indiscriminately near the entry point of the Third Mainland Bridge in Obalende.
Motorists and commuters who made the call in Lagos said such step would check individuals who have turned the spot to their refuse dump.
A health educationist, Mr. Wale Adegboyega, observed that nauseating odour often emanates daily from the spot due to the heaps of refuse being dumped in the area.
He said sometimes, the refuse would spill to the entry point of the bridge, thereby inhibiting traffic flow.
He said, “The local government council should get its task force to position themselves in strategic points in a bid to apprehend offenders flouting the environmental sanitation laws in the state.”
Adegboyega said that anyone caught dumping refuse indiscriminately in Obalende should be charged before the mobile court and sanctioned accordingly.
A marketing consultant, Mr. Ben Opara, regretted that despite the efforts of the state government to ensure a healthier environment, “some unknown persons still dump refuse in wrong places, especially at Obalende.”
According to him, “these people in Obalende, who have turned the entry point to the Third Mainland Bridge into a refuse dump have no regard for the campaign against filth in Lagos State.’’
He said it might be necessary for the LG council to ensure that its enforcement officials arrest and prosecute recalcitrant persons.
Opara urged the government to create additional refuse dump sites and more public toilets and conveniences in the state, adding that “this would change the habit of the populace.”
A civil servant, Miss Sola Peters, implored the state government to use barbed wire to fence the sides of the bridge off Kotangora Housing Estate, so as to discourage people from dumping refuse at the spot.
She said unknown persons had dumped a dead baby and carcasses of animals at the spot before now.
Meanwhile, motorists are worried about the congestion often caused by commercial buses at Obalende roundabout.
They called on officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to organise their members in order to restore sanity to the area.

Lagos to Raise N275bn from Capital Market
By Femi Durojaiye, 08.15.2008 THISDAY
Lagos State government yesterday said it would raise loans from the capital market in the next three years through issuance of N275 billion bonds.
Commissioner for Finance, Prince Rotimi Oyekan, disclosed this at a public hearing for a law to provide for the raising of loans, notes and other securities, and another bill for a law to provide for the establishment of Lagos State Debt Management Office, organised by the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance.
Oyekan noted that while the state will raise N75 billion this year if the request for the fund meant to develop infrastructure in the state is registered by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), another N100 billion will be raised next year, and yet another N100 billion the following year.
While noting that government cannot deal with the issue of infrastructural development alone without the active support of members of the private sector, Oyekan said the only way the state could achieve the mega city status is through such initiatives.

Lagos and the burden of freedom ; Our roads as killing fields

2008-08-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Lagos and the burden of freedom
By Rasheed Ojikutu Punch
Published: Friday, 15 Aug 2008
Whether one tip-toes or walk around with the flat part of his feet across Lagos, the feel of the texture of the new sand is the same. The wind of change is palpable, as if Governor Babatunde Fashola is working with a vengeance against the almost institu-tionalised environmental ills of yesteryears. The hitherto ugliness and other very offensive scenes that routinely attack the retina of the visitors and which had qualified the state as one of the dirtiest in the world are beginning to succumb to a new order.
Marina, Broad Street, Yaba, Ikorodu Road and many other parts of the state reveal, with their new looks and aesthetic values, a testimony of a government at work. Many derelict locations in the state that have been invaded by the destitute and street urchins are gradually yielding ways to public utilities such as parking spaces, bus terminals and other structures that provide for collective usage.
The successes recorded in one year are so undeniable that the key opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, had no option than to openly acknowledge the feat recorded by the Fashola administration, giving him a pat on the back.
However, keen observers will discover that despite the efforts of the government, all is still not well with Lagos, because, as it seems, it is either the government has slowed down its activities or some retrogressive elements are beginning to reverse the gains of the past one year.
There is no doubt that Lagos, in the past two months, is regressing towards its old situation. Garbage is reappearing on the streets, potholes are reemerging on the roads, beggars are everywhere and street urchins are becoming bolder and more daring.
The burden of governance in Lagos State cannot be underplayed, therefore, it requires unconditional dedication, sacrifice and avoidance of political distractions on the part of its leadership to make things work.
Judging by the current performance of the Lagos State Government, and considering the heavy responsibilities facing it, it may be rational to deduce that there is a wide disparity between what it is capable of doing and what it is able to do. The reason for this gap may be attributable to the quality of the citizenry on the one hand, and political pressure on the other.
It may be difficult for those of us who are not politicians to appreciate the limitations of the office of a governor, particularly one that was sponsored to office with another person’s political machinery; but boldness and outright bluff of indecent pressure from whatever quarter may be the antidote to the irritations of political patronages, nepotism and kleptomaniac tendencies of party politics.
Spoils of office could be obtained legitimately, not by sharing taxpayer fund but through a more intelligent creation of wealth for the political party and its myriads of followers. In a country where members of political parties do not pay subscription, reliance on ‘money bags’ within the party and other sympathisers cannot be overemphasized; but this comes with its own caveat. These ugly tendencies are prevalent in all political parties in Nigeria, be it PDP, AC, ANPP or other docile or none functioning ‘baby’ parties that litter our political landscape.
The most disheartening part of the problem is with the social demeanor of the citizenry and its disposition to public facilities. Unfortunately, we are in a democratic setting where the rights of citizens are assured and guaranteed by the Constitution, and there is very little anybody can do to straighten the conduct of an erring citizen outside the purview of the law.
No freedom-loving person can advocate that government should act outside the statute, but where do we draw the line, considering that freedom itself should be accompanied by responsibilities for societal order and progress to reign? Most people who come to Lagos seem to believe that there are no laws guiding personal conduct and social interaction.
The situation is so appalling that the demographic advantages of Lagos as one of the largest human settlements in the world have been completely eroded by the irresponsibility of its residents to the natural surroundings. There are very few places in the world where citizens repair their broken down vehicles right at the centre of the road, showing absolute indifference to the resulting traffic jam caused by the action.
Which other place in the world do you find cars parked at the centre of a busy road, with the drivers engaging in conversation while other road users queue behind them helplessly? Where else on the globe do you have building materials such as sand and gravels kept in the middle of the road, with the owner showing criminal indifference to the plight of the public while local government doles out stack permit with little cognizance for the comfort of residents?
In how many cities do you have major roads completely blocked for a naming ceremony? It is only in Lagos that you have street urchins take over the job of traffic control from the policeman, while the latter whose function it is to pass traffic looks on unperturbed?
Where in the world do you have okada riders, in a show of stupid solidarity, mob, lynch or maim a fellow road user just because of a road accident? It is only in our environment that citizens destroy as the govern-ment builds, and it will take high-level courage for a leader to damn all the brouhaha that will attend its genuine actions by facing the situation squarely.
There are too many undesirable people in Lagos and too many unspeakable acts are perpetrated everyday. Unfortunately, the governor is seriously hampered by a non-functional over-centralized Federal policing system. Despite all these, there is need for a decisive but clinical restructuring of Lagos. May be we should begin with the establishment of Lagos Standards Organisation, whose main function it will be to set minimum standards on all aspects of Lagos life. We should not forget that cities are not forever, and this, too, could become extinct due to uncontrolled pressure.
Dr. Ojikutu is of the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos.

Our roads as killing fields
By Ayo Olesin Punch
Published: Friday, 15 Aug 2008
On Wednesday afternoon, a young Nigerian woman met a sudden and horrific death in the hands of a maniac trailer truck driver, just a stone’s throw from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.
It was a pathetic scene, as people, including the usually stern-faced security officials, wailed uncontrollably as they beheld her mangled body trapped under the crushing weight of two heavily laden containers that fell off the truck, which, according to eyewitnesses, had approached a 180 degree turn with reckless speed.
As I express my sympathy to her family and friends, and to dozens of others that are dispatched daily to the great beyond on the killing fields called Nigerian roads, it must be pointed out for the umpteenth time that these deaths are needless and largely avoidable.
While traffic accidents are a global phenomenon associated with the risks of motoring, the Nigerian situation is rather worrisome because of the perceived weakness of the mechanisms for traffic rules enforcement and difficulties in imposing strict financial liability on transgressors who cause these accidents, either through act of omission or commission.
The sheer scale of the carnage, and the disastrous effects on public health and the economy at large is what Nigeria –a nation still struggling within the firm grips of poverty and myriad social woes, even if it has lofty dreams of being a global player in just 11 years’ time–can ill afford.
This is why the Commission for Global Road Safety, in its Robertson Report released recently, urged the leaders of developing countries in particular to do more to address road safety.
According to the report, more than 85 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries occur in low and middle-income countries, resulting in economic losses estimated at between $64.5bn and $100bn annually.
It is easy to conclude that Nigeria, afflicted with criminally poor maintenance culture, especially with regards to commercial buses and trucks, which are invariably driven by inebriated drivers, and poorly designed roads littered with potholes and few traffic signs, account for more than a fair share of these losses.
The Federal Road Safety Commission estimated that 33,675 people died in Nigeria through road accidents between 2001 and 2005, while 95,213 others suffered various degrees of injury.
The statistics that emerged afterwards indicated that 4,944 Nigerians died in road mishaps in 2006, with an estimated 400 lives reportedly lost daily on Nigerian roads. Again, last year, about 6,000 persons died in various road traffic accidents across the country, according to the FRSC.
In human terms, the losses are generally incalculable. After all, what monetary value can you place on the life of a man that will compensate for the physical and emotional loss to his loved ones?
Indeed, road accidents are now seen as a major and growing public health epidemic, comparable to highly debilitating diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis, but the key difference is that they can be prevented.
As with all issues Nigerian, the apparent unwillingness of the authorities to deploy sufficient resources to tackle this problem has frustrated genuine efforts by the Police, FRSC and numerous non-governmental organisations to ensure that road users arrive safely at their destinations instead of the hospital or the morgue.
The twin approach to road safety that has succeeded elsewhere–enforcement of the rules and fostering attitudinal change– clearly needs to be pursued more vigorously to reduce road deaths and injuries and the consequences.
It has been established that about 70 to 80 per cent of road accidents are caused by the Human Factor such as drug use and drunkenness, over-speeding, bullying, driving against traffic and on walkways, lane jumping and other acts within the realm of lawlessness. Poor vehicle conditions – faulty brakes, lighting, etc., account for 15 to 20 per cent; while bad roads, for all the noise we make about this, account for just between five and 10 per cent.
So, discouraging dangerous driving should start at the licensing stage, with efforts made to ensure a strict licensing regime for only qualified drivers, to make for a clear departure from the present situation, where a village goat can obtain a driver’s license if the price is right.
Proven violation of traffic rules, especially those involving fatal accidents, must be treated as manslaughter cases, with strict penalties, including substantial jail terms and subsequent driving bans; while our judges must adopt a more liberal approach– the American type–in awarding damages in respect of civil suits against drivers and owners of vehicles, especially large trucks, by accident victims or their relatives.
Here, the Insurance Act, which provides for a maximum of N50,000 compensation for victims of hit and run accidents might need a slight amendment for a more realistic compensation, considering the high cost of medical treatment for serious cases and loss of income.
But then, law enforcement officers must be motivated to do their jobs properly through decent pay and provision of vehicles and equipment, and reward for outstanding performance. A situation where some law enforcement officials turn a blind eye or aid and abet wanton violation of traffic rules in cities like Lagos, just to line their pockets with meager bribes, certainly does not help.
It is also baffling that in the midst of all these and in spite of the growing notoriety of the ubiquitous Okada drivers for lawlessness, and their significant contribution to the appalling number of road fatalities, government has been unable to enforce laws and directives that both riders and passengers wear crash helmets.
Even in Rwanda, about which many a Nigerian would like to turn up a blunt nose, Okada riders are compulsorily kitted in good quality crash helmets and reflective jackets, and they do not drive around like maniacs. However, the most critical challenge in reducing the body count is to ingrain responsible driving habit – the type that respects the sanctity of human life – in the psyche of Nigerian drivers.
While the FRSC and its partners in the public and private sector must be commended for executing programmes, including safety sensitisation campaigns, enlightenment on drug and alcohol abuse and youth programmes, these efforts must be elevated to national level and pursued with the vigour and funding typical of a party electioneering campaign, but sustained over time.
Our religious leaders, some of whom have been recruited to persuade citizens to pay taxes, might also need to appeal to adherents of their various faiths to drive more carefully.
Reporting mechanisms or hotlines must be created to report traffic offenders and accidents, while ordinary members of the public must be prepared to use them and stand as witnesses against traffic offenders that do land in court.
As with any emergency, urgent action is needed to tackle this menace, which is hardly the stuff that any country, which aspires to be taken seriously at the global stage is made of.

2008-08-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Task force demolishes illegal structures in Lagos market
By Paul Oloko Guardian
IN its bid to ensure a cleaner and safer environment, officials of the Lagos State Environmental Task Force yesterday demolished illegal structures at the popular Oshodi Market.
The demolition, which began in the early hours, took many of the traders unaware as they watched helplessly while their makeshift shops and wares were set ablaze.
A trader, who gave his name as Bayo, said the exercise was short of democracy.
He lamented: "Where do we go from here? The demolition exercise is purely an act of dictatorship. This is the kind of thing we see during the military era".
He continued: "If the government's plan is to give us a clean and safe environment, it should have provided us (traders) with alternative places to trade. No prior notice was given to us".
According to Bayo, the situation is going to push more people into joblessness and increase the crime rate in the city.
Mr. Jimoh Akintobi, who sells outside the Oshodi Market, said the demolition exercise is a welcome one.
Pointing to the railway lines, Akintobi said: "Do you like the way the women selling there risk their lives? The government has warned them (traders) several times, but they would not listen. How much wares do they sell that they should put their lives in danger? Most times, many get killed by moving trains".
Akintobi noted that beside the risk of lives, the environment was usually filthy and could lead to outbreak of cholera.
In the same vein, a man who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Guardian that the exercise was good.
To him, a place like Lagos or any capital city should not condone filth or illegality.
Efforts to speak with the task force officials proved abortive as the journalists were referred to the Government House, Alausa.

Woman dead in Lagos truck crash 14/8/2008
The Nation

From Wale Adepoju and Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta
An unidentified woman was killed yesterday in Lagos after two containers fell off a truck and crushed her to death.
A commercial motorcyclist also lost his two legs in the incident which occurred as the truck with the registration number XN982-SMK, lost its balance while negotiating the bend linking the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ikeja with Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way.
The containers were believed to contain industrial chemical.
An eyewitness said the lady, who was trapped under one of the containers, died instantly.
Commuters and passers-by watched in horror as people rallied round to rescue the victims.
The commercial motorcyclist reportedly jumped off his motorcycle to avoid being crushed by the containers.
He was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH), Ikeja where he is receiving treatment.
The hospital management said he was responding to treatment.
The incident led to heavy traffic build-up on the road which leads to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, one of the nation’s major gateways.
However, a combined team of police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was on hand to supervise rescue work and control the traffic.
And in Abeokuta, three pupils of St Anne’s (R.C. M) Primary School, Oke - Ilewo, were feared dead in an accident involving the truck of a table water manufacturing company.
An eyewitness told The Nation that the truck, which was speeding, failed to stop at a zebra crossing on Lalubu Street, a few meters from the school’s entrance gate.
The driver and the truck are being detained at the Ibara Police Station.
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunny Ubua, confirmed the incident. But he declined to give the casualty figure.

Lagos to present document on building regulation soon
14.08.2008 Tribune
A policy document to address building collapse, rapid growth of slums, flooding and other developmental issues in Lagos State will soon be out.
The document, code named Lagos Habitat 2011, is the outcome of the work of the Technical Committee on Planning Regulation and Building Control and will, among other things, require that all buildings in the state be subjected to tests to determine their structural integrity with a view to pulling down all those with faulty structural integrity.
Chairman of the 15-member committee, Brigadier-General A.O. Reis, told Government House correspondents at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on Tuesday that the committee had also recommended the branding of all building materials such as blocks to enable the government to trace the makers.
General Reis said in order to exercise control over the quality of materials, the committee recommended the accreditation of all those involved in the building industry from artisans up to professionals and also building materials suppliers.
“Sometimes, it is not the problem of workmanship; it has to do with materials. Now we will start to have them brand these materials, even blocks, so that we can know who produced which blocks,” the chairman said.
He said one of the initiatives was to move all block producers and concrete-block producers into specific locations where they could be traceable.
General Reis said it was a great challenge at the moment to trace all the concrete block makers on the Epe Expressway, adding that once the block makers were moved to designated centres, it would be easy to trace them and their products.
“This way, we will be able to control the quality of their products,” he said.
The policy document which draft has already been submitted to and approved by Governor Babatunde Fashola, he said, would take care of planning issues of flooding, transportation and slum proliferation.
He said the intention was to attain objectives in the area of planning administration, community regeneration, new towns integration and building collapse and control.
“Specifically, in line with strategic initiatives and recommendations setout in the Draft Reform Policy on Planning Administration, Lagos is projected to rank high on global planning indices in 2011,” General Reis said.
He added that it was not only about building collapse but also about the general environmental degradation of Lagos.

3rd Mainland Bridge: VI, Ikoyi residents heave a sigh of relief
By Francis Famoroti Punch
Published: Thursday, 14 Aug 2008
Respite has come the way of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki residents of Lagos State, as traffic congestion on major roads in the areas has eased off following the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge for repair by the Federal Government.
Our correspondent who monitored traffic on Lagos roads on Tuesday observed that there was uninhibited vehicular movement along Awolowo and Alfred Rewane roads, both in Ikoyi and Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Adeyemo Alakija Street and Ahmadu Bello Way on Victoria Island.
It was observed that the traffic snarl, which usually occurred between 7.00 a.m and 10.00 a.m daily on these roads were virtually non-existent.
An estate consultant, Mr. James Oyeyipo, said the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge for rehabilitation work was responsible for the free traffic flow on Ikoyi, Victoria Island roads and Lekki-Epe expressway.
According to him, “Since the partial closure of the bridge, residents and motorists plying Ikoyi and Victoria Island roads hardly experience congestion on the roads again. In fact, a motorist from Marina or Obalende area can easily access any part of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki within a short period.”
Oyeyipo said motorists and commuters now spend an average of about eight minutes from Obalende and Marina to Ikoyi and Victoria Island.
He called on the government to hasten the rehabilitation work in order to alleviate the plight of motorists and commuters commuting from Mainland to Lagos Island through the bridge and other bridges linking the Island.
A resident of Ijeh Housing Estate, Mr. Folorunso Adeyiga, attributed the traffic flow on Ikoyi and Victoria Island roads to the effect of the partial closure of the bridge.
He said, “hundreds of vehicles and commercial buses are held in traffic daily, thereby making it possible for Ikoyi and Victoria Island roads to be devoid of congestion.”
Adeyiga urged the highway engineers to equally assess the state of Eko and Carter bridges after completing the repair of the Third Mainland Bridge. He said by so doing, the engineers, as professionals, would ensure safety of lives and property.
An employee of a bank on Victoria Island, Mrs. Tessy Okon-Eboh, confirmed that since the partial closure of the bridge, “workers and residents move easily from one part of the VI to another.”
She regretted that flood was seriously affecting various parts of Victoria Island due to the lack of drains and water channels.

2008-08-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

Opulence and Chaos Meet in an African Boomtown
By WILL CONNORS
Published: August 12, 2008 New York Times
LAGOS, Nigeria — The governor’s son sits hunched at the bar, contemplating his nearly empty bottle of Hennessy. On the dance floor, the airline director’s daughter sways back and forth to a hip-hop beat. Nearby, the star soccer player, just in from London , tries to squeeze past his growing circle of fans and hangers-on. In the center of the club, the oil magnate’s son gets on top of a table and takes a swig from a bottle of Dom Pérignon.
Just another Saturday night in Lagos , one of Africa ’s money- and contrast-rich boomtowns. Already a city of superlatives on the continent (it has variously been deemed Africa’s most traffic-plagued, most populous and fastest-growing megacity), Lagos has a new title to add to its mantel: most expensive.
Lagos has always been one of the most powerful commercial hubs in West Africa, ever since slaves were first shipped from here to Europe and the Americas . But because of the rising price of oil, the declining United States dollar, the relocation of foreign workers from the oil-rich but kidnapping-prone Niger Delta, large privatization efforts and a mad dash for the city’s remaining plots of land, Lagos is more flush with cash and full of glitter than ever.
A recent study of the most expensive cities for expatriates by the consulting firm Mercer found that Lagos ranked 30th, making it only slightly less costly than New York but considerably more expensive than Los Angeles , Miami and Washington .
Even European cities like Stockholm and Barcelona , Spain , were found to be more affordable — and in Lagos the high prices are that much more eye-popping because the average Nigerian survives on less than $2 a day.
Evidence of vast amounts of money floating around the “islands” — two small pieces of land poking into the Atlantic that anchor the city’s economic activity and are home to banks, consulates and oil and telecommunications companies — is everywhere. Dinner for two at an average restaurant costs more than $200. A cocktail costs more than $15. A box of cereal costs $12 at a supermarket. Hotel rooms under $400 are difficult to find.
In the aisles of glistening new malls, expatriates and wealthy Nigerians often buy $10,000 watches and $5,000 cellphones. New BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and Bentleys plod through grinding traffic, bumping over rocks and weaving around potholes.
Multimillion-dollar yachts speed up and down the creek separating the two islands. (The creek was recently determined to be too shallow for the biggest yachts, so a dredging project has been started to deepen the waterway.)
Apartment rents on the islands start at $3,000 a month, but rents of $6,000 to $7,000 a month are common here, and renters are required to pay two or three years of rent in advance.
But high prices do not always mean high quality. The city was built to accommodate fewer than 100,000 residents, but it is now home to an estimated 14 million or more, according to the state government. So no matter what your station in life is, it is impossible to avoid the city’s traffic or its lack of reliable water and electricity. Most homes and businesses on the islands run on diesel-powered generators nearly 24 hours a day, resulting in thousands of dollars in energy bills.
Tayo Emden, 33, a British-educated Ghanaian who has lived in Lagos for five years as a director for a telecommunications company, said the costs were just too high to stay.
“After living in London with colleagues, we thought Lagos would be nice and cushy, but we’re having second thoughts,” Ms. Emden said. “You used to get a lot of bang for your buck, but that’s not the case anymore.”
Several efforts have been made to create economic hubs away from the islands to reduce traffic and lessen the burden, but none have been successful. So at least three million commuters fight their way through hours of traffic to the islands every day. Many leave before 5 a.m. to beat the traffic, and many do not return home until after 10 p.m.
Moreover, most Lagosians do not enjoy the privileges of the city’s new wealth, and perhaps no economic division cuts deeper than housing. On the islands, plots of 645 square feet sell for millions of dollars, and houses built on the plots are subdivided and rented out to wealthy Nigerians or expatriates whose companies do not bargain down.
“Living in Lagos is tough, that’s the bottom line,” said Bola Sobande, the general manager of the popular Palms shopping mall. “But Nigerians are survivors. We survive against all odds. Until something else comes up, we’ll just hang in there.”
More than 70 percent of the city’s residents live in informal housing, crammed into slums with no electricity or water, according to Felix Morka, the executive director of the Social and Economic Rights Action Center , a local economic rights group.
“Only the superrich can compete in this market,” Mr. Morka said. “Most people are looking for a small plot of land where they can build a shack, or to rent space in what are known as ‘I See You, You See Me’ buildings with no facilities at all. That’s what people can afford.
“The oil companies can afford to rent out huge complexes for all their staff,” Mr. Morka said, “so why would a landlord want to rent out to the Nigerian teacher who barely is even assured of a salary at the end of the month?”
Because of widespread corruption, the vast amounts of money coming in rarely trickle down in Nigeria . Still, more and more people stream into the city every day, drawn by the prospect of wealth absent from most of the rest of Nigeria .
“People are moving to Lagos because you can find work, you don’t need to know anybody or have anything,” said Francisco Abosede, the state minister for public planning.
Early on a Sunday morning, as the rich and famous begin to stumble out of clubs and into the hazy light, they are quickly surrounded by dozens of young boys acting as informal parking attendants or hawking chewing gum, mints and phone cards. The boys are paid little mind, but if they are lucky, a small bill may be handed to them from behind the narrow slit of a tinted window of a departing BMW.

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lagos halts sand mining, issues fresh rules
By Tunde Alao Guardian
OSTENSIBLY to protect the environment and ensure compliance with rules guiding its operations, Lagos State government yesterday stopped the mining and dredging of sand in its waterways until further notice.
Also, Lagos government has issued fresh guidelines on further mining activities in the state.
This was disclosed yesterday at a stakeholders' meeting held at the Governor's Office, Alausa, where practitioners in the sector met with the state government.
Speaking on the order, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who mentioned the Ado-Ajah Badore axis, said the activities of the dredgers in the area had been of serious concern to the government.
According to Fashola, the constant deterioration of infrastructure in the area, coupled with the destruction of aquatic environment, called for the review of the dredgers' activities.
To correct the perceived anomalies in the sector, certain regulatory measures, which should be met, have been put in place.
The guidelines include the provision of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which would be carried out by experts, the hydrographic survey and bathymetric survey of the proposed locations where mining and dredging would be carried out.
"Unlike before that people would just move into a location and carry out dredging, government agencies, particularly the Ministries of the Environment and Waterfront Development and Infrastructure, would henceforth be charged with the responsibility of supervision, approval and regulation of mining and dredging in the state", he added.
A policy document to address on a permanent basis, the issue of building collapses, rapid growth of slums, flooding and transportation, as well as other developmental issues in Lagos State, will soon be out.
The document, code-named LAGOS HABITAT 2011, is the outcome of the work of the Technical Committee on Planning Regulation and Building Control and will, among other things, require that all buildings in Lagos State be subjected to tests to determine their structural integrity with a view to pulling down all those with faulty structural integrity.
Chairman of the 15-member committee, Tunde Reis, said at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on Tuesday that the committee had recommended the branding of all building materials, such as blocks, to enable the government trace the makers.
Reis said that to exercise control over the quality of materials, the committee recommended the accreditation of all those involved in the building industry from artisans right to professionals and also building materials suppliers.

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lagos releases Lekki infrastructure master plan
By Tunde Alao and Kamal Tayo Oropo Guardian
IN line with its policy of urban renewal, the Lagos State Government yesterday unveiled the new infrastructure master plan for the Lekki axis of the metropolis.
The initiative, tagged "Comprehensive infrastructure Master Plan for Lekki sub-region," was presented to the public and the stakeholders for a review.
The event, which took place at the Lagoon Restaurant, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, was witnessed by military personnel, the police, customs, members of the diplomatic corps, professional bodies and traditional rulers.
In his keynote address, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), said he was delighted over the completion of the plan by the consultants and members of the technical committee saddled with the responsibility. He added that the project was to prepare Lagos for the megacity imperatives.
According to Fashola, Lagos is planning for 40 million population projection in 2015, as against the expected 25 million projected by the World Bank.
The governor said that the new plan, if properly implemented, would make Lagos the third mega-city in the world, with the appropriate infrastructure to cope with the bulging population.
Besides, Fashola noted that a huge population can and should be an asset but that uncontrolled urban sprawl, inadequate urban planning or violation of plans can result in uneconomic and incompatible land use.
To him, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure, arising from uncontrolled urban sprawl and poor maintenance, resulting from traffic jam and other associated abnormalities can lead to pollution and economic dislocation.
"The development effort of Lagos State should be attuned to the 21st century requirement with proven international best practices and experience. Consequently, the engagement of the firm of Messrs Dan al-Handershar Shair and partners to prepare the Lekki sub-region infrastructure master plan was considered more appropriate," he added.
He also said that the Lekki infrastructure and land use master plan is a partnership effort between the Lagos State Government and primary stakeholders in the sub-region, aimed at introducing order and functionality into the area to rescue the huge investments and the environment from going to waste.
In his opening address, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisco Bolaji Abosede, while elaborating on the need for the exercise, said that the state government took a holistic view of the general problems in the sub-region.
According to him, the components of the Lekki master plan, which need to be addressed include the existing conditions of land use and facilities, constraints on development, land available for development and provision of new world class infrastructure to attain a sustainable sub-region of Lekki status.

Land Use Act has failed, says UN Habitat boss

2008-08-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Land Use Act has failed, says UN Habitat boss
• Thursday, Aug 14, 2008 The Tide
Access to land should be a fundamental human right, the United Nations HABITAT Programme declared yesterday in Abuja.
The Programme Manager for Nigeria, Prof. Falade Johnson, said that the hindrance to the right in Nigeria was the Land Use Act, whose objectives had not been achieved.
The Act was first promulgated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1976 when he was military head of state.
Falade told our correspondent that the purpose was to make land readily available for development, but that it has not achieved the result.
He said that during the course of implementation of the Land Use Act, it became “cumbersome and unreliable”.
“The Act is insensitive to our socio-cultural environment. People who had land before were forced to forfeit them to government.
“To buy land in an urban area, you have to buy from various stakeholders or through government schemes, which has become difficult to implement,” he said.
Falade explained that even when the land had been bought, the original owners continued to exploit the buyer until he or she gets frustrated.
He added that in many instances, the original owner sells a piece of land to a number of individuals, many of whom might not get their refunds after the highest bidder had taken possession.
“If the government can amend the Land Use Act to address such issues, I believe land can be accessible to all, instead of to some selected few,” he said.
Falade said that because Nigerians did not have title documents on their properties, they could not use them as collateral.
“If you own a house without the Certificate of Occupancy, you cannot do business with it.
“We are losing a lot of money because of these lapses,” he said.
Falade suggested that the Land Use Act undergoing reforms should take into consideration all the lapses hindering housing accessibility.
He explained that it was wrong for government to trade with land or for state governors to sign Certificates of Occupancy.
“Certificate of Occupancy has become a political tool. If one does not belong to a political circle, it becomes very difficult to obtain the certificate.
“In Kenya, the government has taken a drastic measure that the signing of Certificate of Occupancy should be left to a technical committee, which would be free of bias or partisan influences,” he said.
Falade suggested that government should be addressing high cost of land and houses, twin problems that had made access to housing difficult for the poor.
He said that in Nigeria, from the day of purchase of the land, it could take about 180 days to complete documentation, while in many developed countries, it would take only about seven working days.
He noted that the 180 days required that the buyer bribes the original land owner in some instances to expedite the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy.
“Where does the poor benefit from such”? he queried.
Falade said if the poor could not have access to land, government should evolve a deliberate programme for the indigent.
He appealed that the reformation of the Land Use Act, should involve not only the elite, but also town planners, stakeholders and the poor.

Lagos warns against dumping of refuse into drainage channels

2008-08-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Lagos warns against dumping of refuse into drainage channels
By Seye Olumide
THE unwholesome habit of some Lagosians who dump refuse and waste into canals and drainage channels has been partly blamed for the flood that often ravages the state.
Speaking during an inspection tour of canals and drainage channels in Amuwo Odofin Local Council recently, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment Dr. Muiz Banire noted that the State Government, through his ministry, has done its best in disillting and dredging canals and drainage channels, but regretted that such efforts seem to be thwarted by indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainages.
He appealed to contractors and developers in charge of constructions in theAmuwo Odofin estate to stop work temporarily pending the time a meeting would be held between them, residents of the estate and the ministry to discuss the issue of channelisation of drainages and canals which the community members had expressed worry over.
In a similar vein, Banire also assured residents of Crystal Estate in the same Amuwo Odofin Local Council that the present cause of flood in the estate would soon be corrected.
He also directed that a meeting be held between the contractors in charge of the canal, the residents and the ministry to iron out issues concerning the construction.
Said he, "The purpose of the meeting is to allow the community members make their input on the ongoing project".
At Satellite Town, Amuwo Odofin, Banire, while listening to various complaints from residents of National Provident Fund (NPF) and Nigerian General Insurance (NGI) Estates urged the contractor handling the project to speed up the job.
Banire was however upset with the attitude of traders in Ajeromi Ifelodun Market who despite government effort in dredging the four- kilometres canal had not desisted from dumping refuse into it.
Warning that government might be forced to wield the big stick if such attitude continues, Banire also enjoined all the markets close to canals within the area to erect fences that would demarcate them from the canal.
"This would prevent indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the canal," he said.
He also directed that the Ayeke Achapo Canal should be fenced on both sides while warning that government would henceforth take strict measures against anybody that dumps refuse in the canal.
Although he did not comment on some structures that were built within the 15 metre- setback in some of the areas he visited, a resident in Itire, Frank Abuze told The Guardian that effective utilisation of canals in Lagos may not be achieved if houses are still constructed within the setback.
Other areas visited by the commissioner are Alaka-Iponri-National Theatre, Ajegunle, FESTAC, and Ijesha.

Residents seek Police protection from robbers
By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
Published: Wednesday, 13 Aug 2008 Punch
Residents of Akowonjo and Egbeda in Alimosho area of Lagos State have appealed to the Nigeria Police to protect them from attacks by armed robbers.
Investigation by our correspondent showed that residents of Ogunbiyi, Jimoh, Akiwowo streets, Alimosho Road and environs now live in apprehension of possible armed robbery attack.
Our correspondent also learnt that recent victims had suffered physical injuries and loss of cash and other valuables during such attacks. They said their community had been subjected to weekly robbery attacks since the beginning of the year.
A resident who craved anonymity for security reasons said, “Residents of Ogunbiyi Street would not forget last week in a hurry. On Thursday, they struck again. In my house, people lost valuables like laptops, cash, jewelleries and wrist watches. A tenant was beaten by the robbers with gun butts.”
“Every week, we suffer armed robbery attacks here. The other day, some of us that went to work were told not to come home because some armed robbers were operating at gun point and attacking residents.”
The shop of a resident at Vulcaniser Bus Stop who had threatened to report the matter to concerned authorities was looted by the robbers, whom many residents suspect live within the affected areas.
Another resident whose brand new jeep was snatched at gun point on Sunday evening, said the area had become robbers’ haven in the past few months.
According to those who lamented their bitter experiences to our correspondent, armed robbers usually strike at Akowonjo, either during the day or in the night within the hours of 5.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. These they identified as the most dangerous period of the day for residents.
Residents also alleged that while each robbery attack lasts, Police distress telephone numbers and patrol teams are not always functional or forthcoming.
They said they have reported the development at Idimu Divisional Police Station, whose Divisional Police Officer could not be reached for comments.
While they call for more vigilance by all, many have also called for decisive action by the community development associations, and better protection from the Police.
Speaking on the save-our-soul plea, Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said he had not been briefed adequately as to be able to respond to residents’ allegations. He promised more Police protection, however.
Mba said, “It is advisable for people not to be hasty in judging the Police, because security can only be ensured through the combined efforts of everybody. The Police cannot be in every street.”
“What have the people done to tackle the problem other than reporting?
“It is not possible to ensure total security in a community without the people helping the Police with information. The community would have to sit and consider why its people have become targets of armed robbers.”
Mba added, “They would have to find common solution also that could complement Police protection.”
Akowonjo and Egbeda have witnessed increasing bloody incidents recently. Last Wednesday, a 31-year-old resident of Ifeloju Street, Mr. Daniel Bisiriyu, was allegedly shot dead by a mobile Police guard attached to a bank in the area.
According to Police sources, Daniel was allegedly killed on the suspicion of planning a robbery attack on the bank. But his family said he was not a robber but a law-abiding citizen.

Menacing containers on the highway

2008-08-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Guardian Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Menacing containers on the highway
By Bertram Nwannekanma Guardian
SIX weeks after a 40-foot container fell off a flat-bed truck at Oshodi, Lagos mainland, it is still there.
Traffic and road safety officials only managed to push it away from the middle of the Anthony-Oshodi stretch of the expressway where for much of that Sunday, June 29, it brought vehicular traffic to a near-halt.
Thanks to Providence, no life was lost, which was not the case two months earlier when an unlatched container at Ibafon, along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, fell off a truck and on top of a commuter bus, killing the occupants.
One of them was the childhood friend of Uche Madukwe, an Aba, Abia State-based trader,
Who later told The Guardian that the sight of the crushed remains of his friend and other passengers was one gory sight he would never forget.
He also said he has developed a fear of containers.
According to him, seeing them brings bad memories of the incident which claimed the life his friend who was returning from a trip to Ibadan.
"My heart skips a beat whenever I am in a vehicle and the driver moves near to a truck carrying a container.
I start to sweat, especially when the containers are not latched to the trailer and I remember what happened to my friend."
Last week at the Tin Can Port area of Apapa, Lagos, a container slid off a truck and fell on a car packed a few seconds earlier by a bank worker.
According to an eye-witness: "The female bank worker had sat in the car waiting for someone . "The trailer was about twenty metres away and approaching, though there did not seem to be anything wrong with it.
"Then the woman got out of the driver's seat and went into the bank, just as the trailer driver on which the container was loaded started to back into the space beside the banker's car.
"All of a sudden the trailer seemed to have malfunctioned and started rolling backwards quickly.
"In panic, the driver braked sharply and the container slid off with the momentum and crashed onto the car, flattening it.
"If the woman had been inside the car, she would have been killed on the spot."
Everyone in the area agreed Providence saved the female banker in the Tin Can Port incident while it was the general opinion that indiscipline, lawlessness, sheer carelessness and the urge to cut corners may be blamed for the Oshodi accident, as well as that of Ibafon and others.
The driver of the trailer at Oshodi was said to have tried to climb small incline to connect the Expressway at Oshodi-Oke, when the container fell.
" It was supposed to have been latched in the first place.
" Secondly, the driver was not supposed to use that route.
"He wanted to get to his destination quickly only to end up abandoning the truck and fallen container since then", a Lagos Stae Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) official, Biodun Lateef said
The incident, a compact disc seller on top of the bridge, Kenneth Odoh said happened because the driver neither took cognizance of the traffic rules nor latched the container.
"There was a time all containers were latched withy chains os thick cords but no more.It is even a surprise to see any container secured on the trucks that carry them these days."
According to him, it was sheer luck that the accident happened on a Sunday afternoon when, both human traffic and market activities were low.
But that the container has been left where it was several weeks ago has caused a lot of concern.
Some street traders have begun selling under it which Odoh said was yet another illustration of ineptitude of governmental agencies and the lawlessness of the citizenry in Lagos.
Though Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), according to Odoh came and took the offending trailer to their office, "they abandoned the container" said to be carrying charcoal to the Apapa port, when the accident happened .
" A similar incident happened in this same Oshodi recently and the whole area and its environs ground to a halt.
"Two unlatched containers had fallen off and blocked the Oshodi-Oworonsoki expressway."
" Though that would not be the first time a container had fallen off on the expressway, it had a very serious effect as the ensuing traffic jam affected all other surrounding roads in the area.
"All the roads in Mushin, Isolo-Ejigbo-Ikotun Road, Egbeda-Akowonjo, Mobolaji Bank Anthony and Awolowo Way in Ikeja, Oshodi- Mile Two Expressway, Abeoukota Motor Road and virtually all roads that somehow join the Oshodi-Oworonsoki Expressway were blocked for hours.
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials tried to remove the 20-foot containers, which were said to have fallen off a truck.
The Head of LASTMA, Zone 4, Oshodi, Mr. Abiodun Akinlola, who led his men to the scene, said the load might have been too heavy for the truck.
The LASTMA officer, who descried the increasing instances of unlatched containers falling off on Lagos roads, said road safety and traffic agencies should rise up to the challenge posed by unlatched containers to avoid damage to property, loss of lives as well as compounding the already difficult traffic situation.
He said: " We have towed the truck to our office. While lifting the containers was a bit tough. Though there was no loss of lives, but it is dangerous not to latch containers very well before the trucks move. If that had been done, all these problems would have been avoided."
A motorist, Gbemi Aderemi who had been trapped in the traffic told The Guardian:
"The recurring incidence of unlatched containers that cause traffic jam on Lagos roads calls into question the existence of laws in that regard.
"It also speaks volumes about the ineptitude of some agencies like Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officers, the police and LASTMA."
A worker in a publishing company along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Wale Adeyemi, lamented the hardship caused within the metropolis by fallen containers, saying:
"The time has come when government should take more decisive action against any organisation or individual that is found responsible for such nuisance.
"A few weeks ago, a similar incident occurred along the same route at Toyota Bus Stop when a container fell and blocked the entire road. It took almost two days for it to be moved away from the highway. I wasted two hours from Airport Road to Five Star Bus Stop due to the hold up caused by the fallen container.
"Again last month, a similar tragedy was averted.
A 20-foot container fell off a truck near Toyota Bus Stop, on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, missing by a hair's breadth a family of five that had only just then overtaken the truck on which the container was loaded.
The truck was heading towards the Murtala Mohammed International Airport or towards Oshodi when the container fell off."
Weeks after the wreackage of that accident has been left on the side of the Expressway that a motorist said, he nearly ran into it at Night
He lamented that the drivers of the containers, apart from not exercising enough care while driving, as a matter of routine do not even bother to secure the containers.
The entire stretch of the expressway from Oshodi where the container fell was initially blocked and vehicles coming from Mile Two were trapped in the traffic for hours, Wasiu Saminu, a commercial bus driver who plies Mile Two-Oshodi-Oworonsoki lamented
" A businessman, Mathew Odinaka, said: "It is time government came out with measures against container owners and their drivers. Many lives have been wasted on the highway because of this carelessness. This would hardly happen anywhere else.
He said government "should live up to her responsibilities and not stop at towing defaulting vehicles in order to get money but should see also that rickety trucks and fallen containers are quickly evacuated from the road and road side to avert further accidents."

Petroleum tanker fires and rising death toll on Nigerian roads

2008-08-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

Petroleum tanker fires and rising death toll on Nigerian roads
10 August, 2008 02:00:00 JOSHUA BASSEY and IKECHUKWU EZE
BusinessDay
The recent tanker fire at Orile-Iganmu, Lagos State, in which ten persons were roasted alive and a number of others sustained varying degrees of burns, was not the first of its kind. If anything, the frequency of occurrence of such incidents on Lagos roads and the country in general, has been alarming.
And sometimes, it is hard to believe that precious lives could be so dastardly wasted in disasters that are clearly avoidable. It is vexing, even, to accept the obvious that most of the times, victims of such man-made disasters bear no direct blame for the fate that befell them other than that they had the misfortune of being ferried in vehicles trapped in such fire accidents.
Sad as this may be, it has become our lot, occurring regularly on our roads, especially in this part of the world where everything about emergency management seems to be in disarray.
And talking about disaster control, it is yet to be seen in black Africa, an entrenched culture of commitment: Commitment by governments, agencies and institutions vested with the onerous task of preventing or attending to disasters whenever they occur.
Often times, it is either the people or institution trapped in disaster do not know who to reach, or on successfully getting across to an emergency outfit are disappointed that the outfit lacks the wherewithal to tackle the situation. For decades, complaints of insufficient water during fire and other modern apparatus necessary in emergency have continued unabated, even as fire service stations across the country bear ugly testimonies of criminal neglects.
A visit to the federal fire service station on Funso Williams Avenue (former Western Avenue) near Ojuelegba, Surulere, Lagos would at best expose a sorry sight. This is where ill-motivated firemen expected to risk their lives during emergency operate from.
But it is not only the government that is to blame. It is worrisome that private sector organisations are not better off, or how else does one describe a situation where a manufacturing plant dealing in highly combustible materials would lack basic fighting equipment, and yet are in business.
Olufemi Aduwo, president, Ethics and Probity Society of Nigeria, a Lagos based non governmental organisation blames this on the system, and argues it is a complex problem which has its root in a number of factors including bad governance, corruption, illiteracy, poverty, greed and negligence, all of which are very familiar with us. According to Aduwo, these factors are interwoven, and are symptoms of "a central disease" (poor governance) which Africa is richly "blessed" with. But it will seem that the malaise is more pronounced in the "giant brother" country which record of petroleum related disasters (many of which were avoidable) and attendant waste of human lives remains unbeatable.
From the first major petroleum fire disaster near Jesse Town, Delta State in which nearly 800 people were burnt beyond recognition in 2000, to a similar disaster (July same year) in Warri, where at least 100 villagers lost their lives, to a petrol tanker fire at Ile-Ife, Osun State (November, 2000), which claimed over 200 lives and yet another near the fishing village of Ebute in Lagos State, which killed about 60 persons. It has continued unabated culminating in the death of over 125 villagers on June 19, 2003 in north of Umuahia, Abia State capital where a punctured pipeline exploded in flames, and another on September 2004 where dozens of people were killed at Ijegun near Satellite Town in Lagos State, to yet another at Ijegun, a suburb in Alimosho area of Lagos where several persons including innocent school children who knew nothing about the genesis of the fire were sent to their early graves.
Last year, October to be precise, a tragic tanker fire close to the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos wasted about nine souls. In that incident, no fewer than three vehicles were burnt. The tanker loaded with petrol and approaching Ojeulegba from Ijora was said to have had the driver's compartment severed from the body before the tail rammed into other vehicles and exploded into flames.
The victims were motorists and passengers returning from home after the day's hard labour. Lagos State government subsequently blamed the incident on "continued recklessness" of tanker drivers on Lagos roads. A month earlier, a similar tanker fire near Mile 2 on the Apapa-Oshodi Express road had trapped five vehicles with no casualty (God was at work).
In May this year, a trailer conveying explosive materials exploded near Fadeyi Bus Stop on Ikorodu Road, Lagos, destroying four houses and 21 vehicles in one fell swoop. One of the affected houses, a storey building subsequently caved in due to high degree of heat. In all, over 60 persons lost their shelters. It is instructive that they were not scooping fuel from any ruptured pipeline; the disaster, like a volcano hit them in the comfort of their homes.
Since that incident, there have been several similar tanker fires including the ones along Oworonshoki Road and another near Charley Boy Bus Stop on Gbagada Road all in Lagos, which torched four other vehicles and caused severe damage to the road median.
The tanker on Oworonshoki road, according to eye witnesses has been leaking all the way until it got to the point where it caught fire probably due to heat. The traffic gridlock that ensued forced vehicles approaching from the Island to take alternative routes. one victim of the accident spent days at the Gbagada General Hospital.
Like many of its kind in the past, the Orile-Iganmu tanker fire was avoidable. But as has become the case here, warnings that could have averted the waiting danger were ignored. There was also an element of delayed response in terms of mopping up the spilled highly inflammable content.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the commercial Coaster bus that sparked off the fire was warned against taking the risk of driving onto the spilled petroleum product, but he rebuffed the warning. Yet the police were on duty, of course, Orile police station is less than ten metres from the scene of the accident.
But beyond this, the first tanker conveying diesel was said to have fallen at about 4.30am spilling its content on the road before the Coaster bus ran on it by 6am. This was confirmed by the general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Damilola Osanyintolu, meaning that there was a space of two and half hours between the time the tanker fell and the time the fire disaster occurred. Was this period not long to have averted the disaster?
Those who lay the blame on carelessness, over speeding and poor culture of vehicle maintenance on the part of drivers are probably not far from the truth. The point is that Nigerian vehicle owners, especially operators of large and articulated vehicles do not keep to the manufacturers' schedule of maintenance, with most waiting until the vehicle stops moving before they could think of fixing it. The implication is that such vital parts requiring periodic replacement like tyres and break pads are allowed to wear out in such a way that they would cause preventable fatal accidents.
Dele Browne, assistant corps marshall in the Federal road Safety Commission Abuja believes that human factor is critical to minimising road accidents.
"A good driver will also be good in maintaining his vehicle," he said in a recent television interview where he also maintained that many of these vehicles were in deplorable conditions.
The road safety officer also frowned at what he called road rage being exhibited by truck drivers and drivers of other big vehicles. "There is a tendency for you to feel that you are the king of the road when you are up there driving a bigger and a heavier vehicle," he says adding that such arrogant posturing frequently results in fatal road accidents.
According to Browne, FRSC is already doing something towards ensuring sanity on the roads. Part of what the federal government agency has decided is to have a special certification for commercial drivers. FRSC is also said to be holding talks with several stakeholders like the union to which the tanker drivers belong, NUPENG, with a view to restricting heavy duty vehicles to specific hours, say between 6:00 PM to 6: 00 AM.
However, in as much as it is difficult to overlook the culpability of drivers in the milieu of road tragedies, it is also important to point out that the lapse of concerned authorities contribute in no small measures to the general issue of deadly accidents. The fact that Nigerian roads have degenerated into death traps needs no gainsay. Not a few people insist that Nigerian roads are the worst on the continent. This could be an exaggeration but it is difficult to find in any other part of Africa where potholes on the road are left unattended until they become gullies big enough to swallow big vehicles. More often than not, tankers and trailers that fall into these ditches disgorge their consignment on the roads, thereby worsening the hazard for other road users. It is also needless mentioning that the concerned authorities lack the initiative to promptly evacuate damaged vehicles from the roads; a needed timely intervention to reduce carnages on the roads.
Perhaps the system as they say needs some radical reforms that will accord priority to emergency situations so as to arrest the carnages and continued waste of lives, and according to Jide Idris, Lagos commissioner for health, the state is taking up this challenge head on.

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Confusion on third mainland bridge
07 August, 2008 02:00:00 BusinessDay

The closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos for repairs has once again gleefully exposed the shoddy manner government agencies carry out assignments of national importance. After few days of the partial closure of the bridge to traffic, it has become the worst nightmare of many Lagos residents.
The experience has been confusion and unprecedented level of traffic jams in and around the entrances and exits of the bridge. Business and social activities have been severely affected by the partial closure of the bridge.
The many experiences of individuals and groups of people following the closure demonstrate that enough preparation was not done before partial closure of the bridge.
The public was not adequately sensitised on the issue. This lack of awareness became apparent when people did not know about alternative routes earmarked for them.
There were reports that pedestrians and motorcycle operators were arrested on the bridge on the first day of the closure. If they had proper information they would not have gone to pass the bridge. How did they even get to the bridge in the first place if the law enforcement agencies had blocked all entrances to the bridge?
The minimal publicity given to such a serious engagement, considering the importance of Third Mainland Bridge as the main link between the mainland and the island of Lagos, gives the impression that the authorities were not quite interested in minimising the sufferings that users of this bridge would go through because of the closure. Inadequate information became obvious in the clear absence of enough billboards, banners, radio and television jingles giving the required information and plans for the partial closure of the bridge.
The partial closure of the bridge has also exposed the lack of coordination between the different agencies of the Lagos State Government and Federal Government involved in ensuring that the impact of the closure is minimised. Indeed, many are confused as to which agency has the overall responsibility for the management of the process.
It has become clear that well articulated alternative routes were not provided as part of the preparation for the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge. Well articulated alternative routes would have minimised the time and energy many users of the bridge have had to spend to get to their destinations.
If there was even the best of preparation, the on-going repair of the bridge has brought to the fore the need for construction of an alternative road or bridge to minimise the traffic congestion in Lagos on a daily basis.

Guardian Monday, August 11, 2008

2008-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Guardian Monday, August 11, 2008
Is the sun inexhaustible?
By Babatunde Fashola
ON assumption of office as Governor, I had once thought that our immediate priority with the environment was first to conquer the challenge of managing solid waste and flood, while other environmental challenges though compelling and worrisome, could be ordered as subsequent priorities. Upon further reflection, I am convinced that we cannot afford to do so. I think that we should be as concerned with those challenges as we are and will be with solid waste management and flooding.
As the world continues to struggle to cope with the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions, rising carbon levels, arctic melt down and increasing water levels, African nay Nigeria scientists must be at the vanguard of the search for alternative energy sources. The presumptive and prescriptive solutions are renewable energy sources such as bio-fuels and the solar power. Our concerns and the need for our active participations arise from the following events and questions I have asked myself and which we must ask ourselves and find answers to, before we join the rat race.
The first of these events is factual; namely that, Europe and America do not have as much sunshine as Africa. Therefore it is safe or reasonable to conclude that the sparing supply of sun in those parts, and the winter season which is not prevalent in Africa are nature's prescription for maintaining balance of the eco-system not only in those parts, but for the purpose of keeping the African weather the way it has been known to be. Vice versa, the amount of sunlight and rain, without winter in most parts of Africa, are also nature's necessary prescriptions for maintaining the Africa climate and balancing Europe and America.
The other event or fact is that dwindling levels of crude oil and hydro carbon supplies across the world demonstrate clearly that this source of power, and indeed possibly nothing that nature has provided is inexhaustible. The increasing threat of extinction of certain species of wildlife and flora and fauna and the disappearance of dinosaurs confirm the indisputable exhaustibility of nature's gifts.
The recent scarcity of food supplies especially grains cannot be divorced from increasing recourse to them as necessary inputs for bio- fuels. Therefore before we all turn to the sun for solar power, I think it is important to attempt to, ascertain how exhaustible or inexhaustible the sun itself is before we pursue worldwide recourse to it as an alternative to petroleum.
Will Africa become cooler or colder if large parts of the world begin to tap and store the rays of the sun as a primary source of power? If Africa becomes or will become cooler as a result, are we sufficiently prepared to deal with the cold technologically? Or will we simply tap more solar power to generate more heating? What will be the effect of a cooler Africa on Europe and America? Will the Atlantic and similar oceans and water bodies become cooler, colder or will they freeze? Will this lead to reduced water sources and supply necessary for drinking, farming and sustenance of life? Is the search for renewable energy a futile race to prevent end times? Is the increasing global warming a sign of the end of planet earth? If so, is it stoppable or reversible?
I do not want to be misunderstood as probably suggesting that the issue of global warming is not real or deserves attention; as some have posited; On the contrary, my simple message from this piece is to urge caution, rationality and verification so that we do not replace one problem with another.
My views seem to find support in Lord Browne's article published in a recent British Newspaper, when he said:-
"Returning to Ford's innovation of a century ago, to a great extent the need for oil results from our reliance on the motor car. However, events might have transpired differently. When the Model T was created, it could have run on either gasoline or ethanol. Gasoline was chosen for a number of reasons that had little to do with engineering - including "prohibition" in the US which restricted the production of ethanol, and the falling price of gasoline.
The effects of that choice have been as significant as the advent of the motor car itself. Gasoline is a high-carbon fuel. Burning it releases greenhouse gases, the consequences of which we are only now beginning to understand. The choice of gasoline also required the addition of an agent to allow the engine to run smoothly. That agent was lead, the presence of which in fuel has led to significant levels of harmful local pollution.
Gasoline's predominance, which has little to do with pure engineering, has had profound consequences for mankind. It has helped create what I believe is today's greatest engineering challenge: combating climate change. Perhaps we could now be running cars on renewable, low-carbon fuels if things had developed differently.
My view is that engineers must be more involved in thinking through the impact of society on their works, and of their work on society. Engineers can not predict the future. But we can use our expertise to have a positive influence. The engineers of tomorrow are professionals who will revolutionise the way we live through their ingenuity and their humanity."
It is clear that if it was possible to have foreseen today 100 years ago, serious reflection and possibly a change of heart will have occurred to the engineers who chose gasoline as the source of energy for the first Ford T Model. The quest for alternative energy sources is justified and necessary for the sustenance of humanity. The solutions so far propounded have not been perfected or tested to any known limits of endurance .Africa must not be seen to be joining the rat race , it must lead or join the human race.
Herein lies in my view, the imperative of this message. We must seriously reflect on the choices we plan to make today, so that tomorrow can be assured. Too much is at stake for us not to be involved. The answer to the problem might lie somewhere other than where the whole world seems to be looking. Our planet must not perish.
Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is the Governor of Lagos State.