naptu2:

From the mid 1990s onwards, Obalende had become an eyesore. Commercial buses park anywhere they feel like parking, obstructing traffic and causing confusion. CD and cassette sellers blast loud music from giant loudspeakers. Companies and individuals pour water on the street to the extent that there's dirty and stinking water everywhere, even during the dry season. Hawkers block the side of the street, obstructing pedestrians (there were no pedestrian walkways) and they even encroach on the street, obstructing the flow of traffic. There were potholes on the streets that were probably partly caused by the awful dirty water that was on the road even during the dry season. Area boys often molested people and dispossessed them of their belongings in the early mornings and late at night.

Well, the Lagos State Government moved into the area about a year ago and started changing things. A new bus park was built for danfo buses and bus drivers that park on the street, outside the bus park are made to pay a hefty fine. The old LSTC terminus has been renovated and is now a BRT terminus. The traders at Obalende saw what happened at Oshodi and appealed to the governor that he shouldn't arrest them because they are now ready to comply with environmental laws (there's a video of that somewhere on Youtube). The government has not stopped them from carrying out their business, but they've been told that they must stay beyond the sidewalk. Anyone that strays onto the sidewalk or the road, will have his goods confiscated and he would be arrested. The roads are being reconstructed, there's now a raised pedestrian walkway/sidewalk and the drainages are also being reconstructed. The roundabout is being beautified (a garden has been planted there and gardens are springing up in different parts of the bus stop). Men of the task force (mobile police, kai and civil defence) are permanently stationed at the roundabout, so the place is safer. Huge lights have been set up at the new bus park, the BRT terminus and other parts of Obalende. The street lights now work.

And then there's the MacGregor Canal! I'm going to show you pics of that canal from the 1950s, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

naptu2: McGregor Canal.

The McGregor Canal was dug by governor William McGregor. McGregor was a medical doctor who improved sanitary conditions in Lagos. The canal divided the island into Lagos Island and Ikoyi Island.

It was substantially filled in when the 3rd Mainland Bridge/Ring Road was being constructed in the 1970s

McGregor Canal runs from Lagos Lagoon, past Dolphin Estate, through Obalende, under Awolowo Road and empties into Five Cowrie Creek.

In the 1990s MacGregor Canal was turned into an eyesore. Mechanics set up their workshops right beside the canal and they often dumped tyres and used engine oil directly into the canal. Many Lagosians used the canal as a waste dump, throwing piles and piles of garbage directly into the canal. This was one of the causes of flooding in Obalende and South West Ikoyi. Someone even built a church right across the canal (near the Dolphin end of the canal).

In 2008 the government moved in to try and clear the canal. The chuurch was demolished (some said that this was done because Fashola is a muslim who hates christians. I wonder whether there's anything in christianity that encourages people to disobey laws, obstruct canals, cause flooding and inconvenience your neighbour). In 2010 the government erecting a wire mesh fence around the canal, to keep out unwanted people (mechanics, etc) and prevent people from dumping garbage in the canal. The canal was dredged and the tyres, car parts and other garbage that had blocked the canal were removed. Now the government is planting a garden beside the canal.

McGregor Canal in the 1950s
www.nairaland.com/attachments/708145_MacGregor20Canal201950_jpg7f95567a855c289ff9bcc6fa6593ba4a

McGregor Canal in 2008
www.nairaland.com/attachments/708146_MacGregor20Canal20March202008_jpgd7131c39f7187f94ce42ea6a8580bd46

McGregor Canal in 2010
www.nairaland.com/attachments/708147_MacGregor20Canal202010_jpg81e28cde5ecaaee271e8f7a5719f04b8

McGregor Canal in 2013
[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1116829_IMG01673-20130520-1301_jpga6cd37cfcf26e5845f27503e624d2768[/img]

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1116830_IMG01674-20130520-1301_jpgc1a17cc3ec5471edcbf3699629a21a45[/img]

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1116831_IMG01675-20130520-1301_jpg029a757f06faba730137deab3326e3f3[/img]

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1125671_IMG01676-20130526-1643_jpg92cf376dabdad728825d282d760eb64e[/img]

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1125672_IMG01677-20130526-1643_jpg36b1b50230b6bdf3a6a2ec8528c7fbc5[/img]

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1125673_IMG01678-20130526-1644_jpgf52b2a46797696c3b283fc2d01338c97[/img]

engineerd:

I'm not on anyone's payroll. I am merely stating an obvious fact. The masses will benefit in the long run from the revenue generated from the same toll.The said revenue generated from toll can be used to build/maintain better road networks across the state. Like i said, if you cannot afford to pay toll, then there are alternate routes. For Nigeria's standard, the current Lagos state administration is doing an excellent job! Its not easy to administer a bunch of advanced animals. Lagos state will be a paragon of excellence for others to follow....

Ricky_Ross:

Bros you have time, this village goat can never change. He has never stepped out of ala awusa so he has no idea what Akwa Ibom looks like. Akwa Ibom has world class roads and world class infrastructures while Lagos is a shiithole and the dirtiest city in Nigeria.

They talk about 20 million people living in Lagos as if Lagos state government is providing free food or school uniforms to Lagos residents. Lagos is the smallest state in Nigeria for Gods sake as well as generating the highest IGR in Nigeria, yet these clowns will not put these things into perspective. Can these ACN thugs tell us why everything is tolled in Lagos? Can they call us why LASU school fees was increased by more than 1000? As for me I just read their posts and laugh. I dont take these clowns serious.

naptu2: Do you know that Lagos State has acquired farmland in Ogun State and is in discussions with Kogi and other states to acquire more farmland in those areas? Do you know why it is doing this? That's the story of the YES Agricultural Empowerment Scheme for unemployed school leavers and others.

Programmes like these are not as sexy as cable stayed bridge and Eko Atlantic City, so they don't get as much column inches in the newspapers.

GARRI (x7):
[size=14pt]Lagos acquires 50 hectares of land in Abuja, and Ogun to cultivate food[/size]

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has revealed that the state government has acquired about 50 hectares of land in Abuja and neighbouring Ogun State for cultivation of food to support its agriculture and job-creation scheme.

Fashola made this known on Wednesday while he was speaking about the state government’s agricultural scheme as he was presenting the states 2013 budget estimated at N497.277billion to the State House of assembly.

Admitting the challenge of limited land in the coastal city, the governor stated that “due to the limited amount of land the State has to cultivate, the administration is pursuing a radical alternative of acquiring land for farming outside Lagos.”

According to the Governor, “the administration has already secured 50 hectares in Abuja, and Ogun State which is four times bigger than Lagos in land size for cultivation.” He added that “other States such as Bauchi, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Katsina are favourably considering the State’s requests for farm lands.”

The administration is also cultivating 75 hectares of land for rice under its Rice for Jobs programme while the irrigation project to improve, yield and produce rice per hectare is progressing positively in Badagry.

Reeling out his administration’s further achievement in the agricultural sector, the governor stated that the 500 hectares of land was recently allocated for rice farming to feed the Imota Rice mill just as his administration has successfully completed the Imota Rice Mill in Ikorodu, the Erikorodo Feed Mill, the Erikorodo Chicken Processing Plant, also in Ikorodu and revitalized Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate.

The governor added that in Epe, the Agric Youth Empowerment Scheme is progressing with the training of a new batch of 200 graduates for whom the Executive Council recently approved the release of N500M that will be given to them shortly along with one hectare of land per farmer to enable them start formal production.

www.channelstv.com/home/2012/10/31/lagos-acquires-50-hectares-of-land-in-abuja-and-ogun-to-cultivate-food/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

miqos02: The Ogun State Government on Wednesday allocated 500 hectares of land to the Lagos State Government for agricultural purposes.

The government said this in a statement jointly signed by the governors of Ogun and Lagos states, Ibikunle Amosun and Babatunde Fashola, at the end of a meeting between the two states.

The meeting which lasted about one hour was held at the Government House, Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta.

The statement added that the land in Eggua, Yewa North Local Government Area would be used for agricultural development.

It also said the letter of allocation for the land was presented to Fashola during the meeting.

Amosun also handed over Certificate of Occupancy of Iju Water Works to Fashola during the meeting.

The statement reads in part, “The request for agricultural land by Lagos State Government has been granted and a letter of allocation in respect of 500 hectares in Eggua (Yewa North) was presented by Amosun to Fashola.

“The Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) in respect of Iju Water Works was also handed over to the Lagos State Governor, while re-connaissance of Adiyan Water Works land area is ongoing.”

The two governors re-affirmed their committment towards regional integration of the South-West.

src: http://www.punchng.com/news/amosun-fashola-meet-over-boundary-dispute/

Boss13: Where is Eko Atlantic?

jmaine: Mr Naptu, may I ask what's the relevance of your quotes on Lagos acquiring farm lands and this thread

naptu2: My happiness! They are going to link Admiralty Road to Ajah to also provide an alternative to motorists (so that they don't need to go on the expressway).

Massive respect to Yar'Adua for what he did to ensure that the bridge was built.

Okoya Thomas and the Oba of Lagos expressed the same fears I had when the bridge was completed, but the commissioning was delayed.

Work has already started on a link bridge over the Ejigbo Canal. More link bridges at Ajiliti and Isheri-Ijegun.

Work on Glover Road and Thompson Road to dissipate traffic from the bridge.


My sadness. I didn't like some of the things he said about the court case$

A summary of the speech coming up soon.

blancason:

Respect to you and Eko Ile....you have shown the natural intelligence God gave us. Billy"goat"naire and the other ignorant dude has been shamed. Kudos

talktimi: Eko Ile can never have any meaningful argument on nairaland without tribal slurs or insults, its all good sha the beauty of democracy encorages free speech

naptu2: The commissioning has started. You can watch it live on LTV. Can't wait to drive on that bridge.

blancason:

Respect to you and Eko Ile....you have shown the natural intelligence God gave us. Billy"goat"naire and the other ignorant dude has been shamed. Kudos

mikeapollo: This is what happens when you have a corrupt, capitalist, anti-people, power-drunk governor masquerading as a democrat.
Fashola is raping Lagos state and Lagosian. People will be shocked to discover the financial attrocities being committed by this corrupt governor after he would have left office

makizee: @eko ile, well done sir and more grease to ur gears, i like the way you tackle some people that don't see anything good in the Fashola administration, everyone can see he is a breath of fresh air from what we are used to in this part of the world.....But you seem to see no negative in his administration, that is where i would disagree with u...my folks actually think me as a Fashola Apologist but i have had times where i was his harshest critic too...am not a psycophant...am sorry o, but the way you seem to defend all his actions and his inactions would make u seem like one..not just on this particular topic but am speaking generally..so is there anything you think this administration has done badly and care to highlight.

Eko Ile:


Ode. So, my speech is not free and only yours is free. Please STFU.

Eko Ile: Very beautiful picture and thanks for the wonderful complements.


Good to know you are good for something at least.

KEEP IT UP...

Eko Ile: ^^^^^^ Weak and boring..


Abeg go suffocate on some dry akpu..


lmao..

dammytosh:

...please spare me the go back to your village crap.

If Americans think that low, A Kenyan man will not be the president.