Honestly Naptu beat me to this topic and you've done justice to the topic with sound envidences. I'm too sleepy tonight but tomorrow I'll add some few things.

mapet: Honestly Naptu beat me to this topic and you've done justice to the topic with sound envidences. I'm too sleepy tonight but tomorrow I'll add some few things.

Thanks very much. I've still got tonnes more to post.

mapet: Honestly Naptu beat me to this topic and you've done justice to the topic with sound envidences. I'm too sleepy tonight but tomorrow I'll add some few things.

Those images and ideas are impressive - granted, but of what effect are they on the majority of the poor populace? sadly, very little. The Niger Delta region has got loads of these Skill acquisition and rehabilitation centres dotting the entire region but they're are nothing but prestige and chest thumping structures for state govts and the oil companies that built them, nothing more - ala Lagos.
Perhaps you guys haven't been to these areas - these slums to see first hand how non-existent govt presence is. Perhaps you're yet to understand how immense govt assistant would transform the lives of thousands just by constructing say non - existent drainages, these areas are a complete mess purely out of neglect. The irony is that same govt. is painting roads , planting flowers and fixing street lights in the opposite side of town while in areas with millions crammed in, have not even the most basic facilities.
Those are the issues I expect you guys to be addressing not pictures of rehabilitation centres for area boys that are a menace to the elite - yes, I've not failed to notice. Impressive non-theless.

wesley80:
Those images and ideas are impressive - granted, but of what effect are they on the majority of the poor populace? sadly, very little. The Niger Delta region has got loads of these Skill acquisition and rehabilitation centres dotting the entire region but they're are nothing but prestige and chest thumping structures for state govts and the oil companies that built them, nothing more - ala Lagos.
Perhaps you guys haven't been to these areas - these slums to see first hand how non-existent govt presence is. Perhaps you're yet to understand how immense govt assistant would transform the lives of thousands just by constructing say non - existent drainages, these areas are a complete mess purely out of neglect. The irony is that same govt. is painting roads , planting flowers and fixing street lights in the opposite side of town while in areas with millions crammed in, have not even the most basic facilities.
Those are the issues I expect you guys to be addressing not pictures of rehabilitation centres for area boys that are a menace to the elite - yes, I've not failed to notice. Impressive non-theless.

And is it not because of those drainages at Akoka, Onike, etc that the government is clearing the shanties at Makoko? You want drainages? I'll give you drainages!

By the way, how do you lift someone out of poverty without giving them skills and a job? Which is better, to fish for someone, or to teach him how to fish?

Perhaps you haven't been to Makoko, because I also wonder what drainages you are referring to considering the fact that most of those houses are built on stilts above the lagoon.

I'm going to provide pictures, links and articles this evening, but let me provide some background before then.

A lot of people say that Lagos was not planned, but I disagree. Lagos was planned and there were green areas, flood plains, zoning laws, etc in place in the past. The military came and destroyed everything. They sold land to every and anybody in any available space (even where there was no land). This is the problem that the government is currently trying to tackle.

There are some natural flood plains in which people should not build (eg Ijora). These are low lying areas where water from other parts of Lagos drain into. If the government decides to remove those people from those places, what will critics do?

Some people have brazenly built over storm drains and canals. If the government decides to remove them, what will critics do? I remember one classic case. The MacGregor Canal is one of the biggest and most important canals in Lagos. It was built by Governor MacGregor. Without that canal the whole of Lagos Island would be flooded. Someone went and built a church across the Dolphin end of the canal. When government decided to demolish it, critics complained that Fashola is anti-christian. "He is demolishing a church because he is a muslim". Right now, you can see that the government is trying to free up the storm drainages around Akoka, Onike and other areas of Yaba by removing illegal settlements at Makoko; but they say that he is anti-poor.

I remember when my best friend got that notice from the government. I told her to quickly comply. She didn't. Her wall was demolished and the government billed her for the demolition.

I'll be back with details of drainages across Lagos.

@ Wesley80,

1. Please save your laborious effort at fanning rich vs. poor sentiments. It is simply of little value in the scheme of things here.

2. Starting from your hopeless stats with the tendency to mislead people......93%? some of you need to be careful with the way you throw numbers....... But coming to the issue on ground, I ask you, Was harboring Makoko slum part of the master-plan of Lagos state?

3. Both the OP and yourself missed it completely and will continue to struggle albeit needlessly on the sentiments on Makoko. The fundamental issue is that who were the people of Makoko? Is Makoko extension part of the Lagos Master plan? The OP in a ridiculous attempt to be legit posted a 3D picture of someone else's proposal for Makoko extension. This proposal is yet to be submitted to government for approval (not even an application been made, no town planning consideration), yet the OP puts it up as a basis for comparison with Lagos Atlantic City.

4. For me, what is wrong with your likes, in your unnecessary crusade for "the poor" is that you knowledge is as poor as "the poor" you advocate for. Pray tell, on what basis will Lagos continue to habour the Makoki victims, the health hazard they posed was an issue tending to lead to an epidemic. Was Lagos supposed to shoulder their responsibility with tax payers money, when they obviously are not tax paying? Should anybody just go an take possession of an open space in Lagos and erect properties there and later claim intimdation of the poor when government now comes to boot them out?

5. Your knowledge and trend of what is currently happening in Lagos gives you away. You just sit on computer, google some stuffs, put it together and try to give an impression that you know what is current. On drainages, Lagos state government had been battling drainage problem state-wide since the days of Tinubu, with the creating of drain-duck. In the Last 2years Fashola's government has built and rebuilt more drainages across Lagos than any government in history of Lagos, not even Jakande. Houses along drainage channels have been pulled down for obstructing water flow, so why will Makoko be an exception

6. On the skill acquisition, your submission is as ridiculous as your postings. I've told you that you keep shooting blanks. As recent as the joint effort of Lagos State and Coshcaris with the mechanic schools, the Agric skill acquisition centers in Ikorodu and Epe apart from graduating a students are actually taking products to the market. We've said it times without number that some of you are damn too lazy, instead of conducting adequate research, he make false assumption. Lagos State has demonstrated that all her initiatives were borne out of well thought out plans. Your comparison of the skill acquisition model to the failures in the Niger Delta is grossly incorrect.

wesley80:
Those images and ideas are impressive - granted, but of what effect are they on the majority of the poor populace? sadly, very little. The Niger Delta region has got loads of these Skill acquisition and rehabilitation centres dotting the entire region but they're are nothing but prestige and chest thumping structures for state govts and the oil companies that built them, nothing more - ala Lagos.
Perhaps you guys haven't been to these areas - these slums to see first hand how non-existent govt presence is. Perhaps you're yet to understand how immense govt assistant would transform the lives of thousands just by constructing say non - existent drainages, these areas are a complete mess purely out of neglect. The irony is that same govt. is painting roads , planting flowers and fixing street lights in the opposite side of town while in areas with millions crammed in, have not even the most basic facilities.
Those are the issues I expect you guys to be addressing not pictures of rehabilitation centres for area boys that are a menace to the elite - yes, I've not failed to notice. Impressive non-theless.

interesting