Lagos Plans N60 Billion Alternative Road To Ikorodu

The Lagos State government is proposing a N60 billion alternative route to link Ishawo to Ikorodu in order to decongest the daily traffic gridlock in the area.

The proposed road is under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme of the state government and is expected to be built by foreign investors.

Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, Director-General, Lagos State PPP Office, said the project is expected to increase the real estate potential along the Ikorodu axis and reduce considerably the number of man-hours spent on the road.

According to him, the road would be built in four phases and the indicative cost of the project is N60 billion.

“The road will be tolled and include a bridge. Preliminary feasibility studies, design and detail drawings have been submitted,” he added.

In the area of housing, Gbeleyi said the state wanted investors to partner with it, as government has provided opportunities for affordable housing as well as enabling housing supply.

“Government has initiated programmes to promote housing demands by providing land subsidy to private developers and providing home buyers initiative,” he said.

He also spoke on the proposed Alausa Greenfield Captive Power Generation Project which is expected to generate 7.5 megawatts of electricity to illuminate the Lagos State government’s seat of power.

The project is scalable to 12.5 megawatts. A 10-15 year Power Purchase Agreement is to be signed between the state and concessionaire.

Source: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/05/06/lagos-plans-n60-billion-alternative-road-to-ikorodu/

It is good that Fashola's government is taking up this road that has been on the cards for some time. This will be a great relieve to the people coming from Ota area, Ikeja, Ogba and all that axis going to Ikorodu, rather than pass through Ketu and adding to the traffic problems there, they will link Ikorodu through Isawo/Agric in no time.

Lagos orders Aboru, Agiliti, Ajegunle residents to relocate

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo
THE Lagos State government has ordered residents in Aboru in old Agbado-Oke Odo Local Council Development Area; Agiliti in Ikosi-Isheri, LCDA, Ajegunle in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA to vacate and relocate because of the danger posed by flood.

Meanwhile, the state government has prosecuted 2,831 residents who violated environmental offences in the last one year.

Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, who announced this yesterday, at the ongoing ministerial briefing in Alausa to commemorate the third year of Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the vacation order became necessary in view of the expected rainfall this year which could cause great threat to many communities.

The commissioner said warning notices had been sent to “all the affected areas in the state considered to be flood-prone because they are sitting on wetland. To avert any likely disaster, it is highly imperative for these residents to vacate and relocate to safer areas because of the level of rainfall expected this year with its attendant flooding.

“We have warned them that there is no magic to be done to address the situation for them other than vacating the areas. There are other areas which we cannot mention now which have been served quit notices. It behooves on them to heed or face the consequences.”

The commissioner said all the landlords in the areas did not have valid title document to the land and that there was no possibility of any government compensation for the affected people.

He said the government did “not issue Certificates of Occupancy (Cof O) to landlords in slums area like Ajegunle, Ajiliti (Ikosi-Isheri), Ajelogo (Ketu) and Aboru in Iyana-Ipaja.”


Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/05/20/lagos-orders-aboru-agiliti-ajegunle-residents-to-relocate/

I think it is time for me to go and get some lands in Ikorodu

Ogun, Lagos set to tackle flooding from Oyan dam overflow .

Monday, 11 October 2010 00:00 By Tunde Alao

AMID renewed calls for a permanent solution to the persistent flooding of communities located downstream of Oyan dam in Ogun and Lagos states, authorities at the weekend warned that a major response may not be forthcoming till the rains abate.
The opening of Oyan dam last week by the Ogun River Basin Authority had led to flooding that displaced hundreds of residents in the downstream communities, which were submerged by the flood.

Earlier on Wednesday, a technical work group set up by the Ogun State Government to find a lasting solution to the perennial flood problem on the course of the Ogun River had embarked on a reconnaissance tour of the affected areas via helicopter.

However, after the chopper took members through the course of the Ogun River from Oyan dam through the neighbourhood of River View Estate, Isheri and to Majidun River, they hinted that except the rain subside, the situation may not be easily addressed.

According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun State Governor, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, the committee, headed by the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Infrastructure, Mr. Kehinde Osikoya, an engineer, has as members, the Chief Executive Officer of Sparklight Estate, Mr. Toyin Adeyinka, a representative of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) and an unnamed “expert consultant on de-flooding”.

Included on the mandate given the group by Governor Gbenga Daniel was to study the causes of the flooding, the extent of its coverage and the damage done to the environment and come up with a final solution.

Osikoya, who described the flooding as worrisome, said what used to occur once every 10 years had recently become a yearly occurrence, due to the incidence of global warming and the extreme weather conditions being experienced worldwide.

The special adviser, who said the flood situation in the affected areas worsened this year because of the unusually high level of rainfall that is yet to abate, assured that the technical work group would come up with a workable solution to the problem.
Governor Daniel also said that because of the scale of the ecological problem in the affected zone, the appropriate organ of the Federal Government had been notified.

Meanwhile, affected groups in Owode Elede, Agboyi, Majidun in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State also called on the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.

Expressing concern over safety of lives and property in the affected areas, the head of Majidun community, Chief Moshood Aderibigbe, said the volume of water being released from the dam is much greater than what used to be released in the past.

“Now that the effect of climate change and heavy downpour have caused the heavy flooding, we expect the representative of the Federal Government, especially the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) to come to our aid. This is beyond what any state government can handle. We expect similar treatment to the way a community in Plateau State, which suffered a similar fate was treated by the Federal Government, especially, if the dam can be either expanded or relocated to a safer place.”

By the weekend, the flood had taken over the main road connecting metropolitan Lagos with Ikorodu, Epe and Ijebu-Ode, thus, forcing commuters to use the Shagamu-Ijebu-Ode/Redeemed Christian Church of God route, a journey that increased the distance by almost 45 kilometres.

Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25578:ogun-lagos-set-to-tackle-flooding-from-oyan-dam-overflow&catid=25:property&Itemid=655

There's a dam named "Oyan"?

Must be dayokanu's favorite spot.

see beta bush meat o

Ileke-Idi, you are something else  . Not the "Oyan" , but a different intonation O[\]-yan[/] .

Ileke-IdI:

There's a dam named "Oyan"?

Must be dayokanu's favorite spot.

koruji:

Ileke-Idi, you are something else  . Not the "Oyan" , but a different intonation O[\]-yan[/] .

se omo yoruba ni e? Just asking. . . .you confuse me sometimes lol

BoboYekini:

see beta bush meat o 

So you be the best bush meat around? Hoping dem mallams make a good suya outta you.

BTW, I wouldnt touch that bushmeat, not in a clean sanitary condition.

Yep, Yoruba ni mi

koruji:

Ileke-Idi, you are something else  . Not the "Oyan" , but a different intonation O[\]-yan[/] .

koruji:

Yep, Yoruba ni mi

Ke ti re!!!

Cool, nice

Ileke-IdI:

Ke ti re!!! Cool, nice

Great "Ke ti re"? Is that an Ondo greeting - think I know what it means, but not quite sure.
Sorry, username was designed purposefully, but you actually know I am Yoruba, though you might not realize it .

WTF happenned to the drainage?

koruji:

Great "Ke ti re"? Is that an Ondo greeting - think I know what it means, but not quite sure.
Sorry, username was designed purposefully, but you actually know I am Yoruba, though you might not realize it .

It's an ekiti saying. Means "What do we have here".

I didnt know, but now I do. lol

Ileke-IdI:

It's an ekiti saying. Means "What do we have here"?

I didnt know, but now I do. lol

So what is the reply to "ke ti re" in Ekiti & translation.

Ileke-IdI:

So you be the best bush meat around? Hoping dem mallams make a good suya outta you.

BTW, I wouldnt touch that bushmeat, not in a clean sanitary condition.

true

i also suffer tunnel vision when i see beta 'oyan' aka gators 'oyan'

waste of money, give food to lagosians first.

Published 10/12/2010 12:13:00 AM

12-year-old girl drowns in Lagos floods, typhoid cases rise

Mudiaga Affe, Simon Utebor, Success Nwogu and Etim Ekpimah

A 12-year-old girl, Ugochi Ude, on Sunday fell in the floods that have been ravaging some parts of Lagos and Ogun states and got drowned.

Ude, a pupil of Aina Memorial Primary School, Agiliti in Agboyi-Ketu Local Government of Lagos, resided at 31, Oriofe Street in the area before she died.

Although none of her relatives was around when one of our correspondents visited her residence, the landlord’s son, James Umoh , told PUNCH METRO on Monday that the deceased and her guardian returned to their home on Sunday after fleeing their apartment when the floods persisted.

Umoh, who said the family came back basically to move their belongings, noted that Ude, who went to fetch water, fell into the floods on her way home and got drowned around 8am.

He added that corpse was later discovered around 11am.

Umoh said, “Earlier in the morning, Ude was swimming in the floods. But when my father saw her, he shouted at her and told her to come out of the water. She listened to my father. Later she went to fetch water.

“But after a while, Ude’s guardian came to ask me if I knew her whereabouts. Since she told us that she was going to fetch water, we searched many places. We could not find her. When we came back, we met her guardian crying.

“I went back to search for her. I waded through the floods but I could not locate her. At this point, her guardian became worried and urged neighbours to join in the search.

“She pleaded with me to cross over to the other side of the water that is a little bit deep. I went there and later touched something. It turned out to be someone‘s head. I screamed that I had found somebody. People joined and helped me to carry her up but then she was already dead.”

A Medical Officer, Herald Specialist Clinic and Maternity, Maidun area of Lagos, Dr. Nasiru Ibrahim, confirmed Ude‘s death, adding that she was already dead before she was brought to the hospital.

He also said cases of typhoid had increased since the flooding and urged the governments to provide potable water, construct more roads and create more awareness on the danger inherent in people living in such areas.

One week after floods displaced hundreds of Lagos residents, Governor Babatunde Fashola on Monday visited Ajegunle on Ikorodu Road where he announced the immediate relocation of 681 victims of the disaster.

The governor, who led members of the State Executive Council on a sympathy visit to the area, was, however, held up for some minutes along the road following the traffic congestion caused by the floods that have taken a major part of the road.

The development prompted Fashola and members of his cabinet to alight from their vehicles and waded through the floods.

The governor, who blamed the Federal Government for the disaster that had rendered no fewer than 1,000 people homeless, said the situation would have been averted if the state had been allowed access to the ecological fund.

Fashola said, “This is a disaster of no small proportion. It is a disaster for the whole country as far as I am concerned, because the people for whom we exist have been displaced by floods.

“I want to say that National Emergency Management Agency contributions have come a little late because we have been corresponding with the Federal Government for three years. Since 2007 when I first visited this area, we wrote to the Federal Government, appealing to them to let us have access to the ecological funds.”

Admitting that the disaster was foretold, Fashola said the solution proffered by his administration to forestall the disaster was hampered by non release of fund by the Federal Government to the state government.

The governor said the 681 people would be relocated to a camp built by the state government, adding that in due course, land would be re-allocated to the affected victims for resettlement.

He appealed for the cooperation of residents and the affected victims who were going through untold hardship as a result of the situation, explaining that what happened was not peculiar to Lagos but a global occurrence.

He said since 2007, the government had been warning the people of the area of the danger of staying along floodplain areas, but regretted that the residents did not heed the warning.

The governor said the area was not approved for residential purposes, advising the affected victims to cooperate with the government on its relocation plan.

He assured the victims that they would be relocated to a more comfortable and safe area at little or no cost.

In his address, the South-West Coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Bida, said all emergencies management agencies in the country had been mobilised to assist flood victims.

He added that NEMA would request for necessary intervention from the Presidency.

Responding on the ecological funds, a top source in NEMA, who would not want his identity revealed, said, “Ecological fund is a special fund in the federation account, but last year or so, Abia and other states went to court to say NEMA does not have the right to withdraw some money as special funds. However, the ecological fund is directly under the control of the Federal Government.

“So, the blames on NEMA about ecological funds does not arise. Our duty is to ensure that we intervene when there is crisis of this magnitude. The issue of ecological fund is highly contentious; the question you will ask yourself is why will some of the state governments be asking for the fund?

“It may have political undertone, but for NEMA we are not politically inclined. We have assured them that we will intervene and the intervention will reach the victim very soon.”

On his part, the Assistant Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, Mr. Tunde Adebiyi, said it was not true that the agency’s response to the disaster was slow.

“On Thursday we were given the signal, on Friday, we were already in town, and on Saturday, we responded,” he said.

He said the Federal Government would soon swing into actions to forestall a recurrence of the disaster.

Meanwhile, a victim, who identified himself as Olamide Ajah, told PUNCH METRO that they did not want to bequeath their lands because they were family heritage.

He said their forefathers had lived in the area for over 200 years, adding that the flood was rare occurrence.

Also, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who visited the area on Sunday in company with some members of the House, urged the people to remain calm.

One of our correspondents observed that at Okiokio area of Ajegunle in Isheri-Ikosi Local Council Development Area of Lagos State many residents still relied on canoe as a means of transportation within the neighbourhood.

One of the canoe operators, who identified himself simply as Silas, said most canoeists had resorted to canoes because of the presence of reptiles in the floodwaters and the fear of contracting water-related diseases such as bloody urinary bladder, guinea worms, cholera, among others.

He further said this was to avoid the repeat of 2007 when many of them contracted severe water-borne diseases.

Another canoe operator, John Peters, said another effect of the floods in the area was astronomical rise in prices of foodstuffs and other necessaries, as well as transport fares.

Meanwhile, NEMA has ordered the release of truckloads of relief materials to victims of flood disaster in Lagos and Ogun states as interim measures to address the plight of the inhabitants of the communities



source: http://www.punchng.com/Article2Print.aspx?theartic=Art201010120161754

people, give us food to eat, you are making road. im becile politicians. No job, nothing.

Fashola’s sore thumb

Ayo Okulaja

October 12, 2010 10:07AMT


I am great fan of the Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola. I admire him a lot for the extent to which he has been able to mesmerise the nation with his performance; but as I ponder on how to make my vote count come 2011, I doubt if I will vote for him. Why the intentional and utter neglect of Ikorodu?

I reside in Ikorodu, one of the key towns in Lagos. This town, home to over a million people, cannot boast of any of the much vaunted improvements, which this very popular administration has been hailed for.

Where do I start? Is it about the fact not one single road (and I mean, NOT ONE, either major or minor road) has ever been repaired or constructed by either the state or the local government over the past three years?

A visit to any part of this suburb and you can’t just help but wonder if this town is part of Lagos State. The main road that connects this community to Lagos State, the eponymously named Ikorodu Road, is a trunk-A double-lane and it has always been a tough task to commute to and from this town. That was before a sudden overflow of Ogun Road made the Ikorodu virtually impossible to drive through.

Right now, commuting on this road is an awful nightmare for everyone. The last administration had talked up a fourth bridge to the Lagos Island, which appears too costly for the state government to undertake. But residents could not understand what could be so difficult about expanding Ikorodu Road or, better still, opening up another alternative route to link the highly populated Agric environs to Berger in central Ikeja.

This muddy route, sometimes used in the dry season, is in need of a link bridge to make it part functional. This will divert every car moving to Ikeja off the Ikorodu-Mile 12 Road. But no, the brilliant team around Mr. Fashola do not appear to have that little respect for the people of Ikorodu to make this possible. It is noteworthy that Ikorodu Road was itself widened by a military administration, that of Buba Marwa, who is now Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa.

Usually, commuters spend close to two hours to commute from their residence in Ikorodu to their destination on either the Mainland or the Island; but with the ongoing flooding, the catastrophe faced by the absence of government planning is unquantifiable. People now routinely spend 5-6hours just to move from Ikorodu to Mile 12, the nearest community, a distance of less four kilometres.

Yes, traffic is a very peculiar feature of Lagos, but how will I describe an administration popular for rebuilding every part of the city but the one I reside in? Earlier in the year, we saw sign-posted plans to build drainage to support the road and digging commenced. Sadly, this unimpressive project has being abandoned and the whole road is a total mess. Adjourning roads within Ikorodu town are nothing to write home about as well, dotted with potholes that are the size of lakes in some European cities.

True, government constructed a jetty in Ebute, to convey people to the Island by boat. But this has become unhelpful as the sole operator for the past three years levies passengers as it sees fit. The other jetty the Fashola administration is constructing has refused to see the light of the day. This has given room for some illegal boat operators to move in, which has led to a number of boat mishaps and deaths.

I am not deceived by BRT buses plying the Ikorodu Road, because it is senseless patronising the buses to Ikorodu, as there is no dedicated corridor on the road for the buses to pass. This means they are subjected to the same torture as every other car. At the weekends, even the BRT buses double their fare and resort to using the Lagos –Ijebu Ode Expressway, via Sagamu to carry their passengers from Ikorodu to Lagos. They have turned their backs on the road their owner, the state government, refused to fix.

Yet, Ikorodu is said to be the state’s biggest local government and home to major industries whose taxes keeps files moving in Alausa. I simply cannot fathom why a government that seeks to build a mega-city out of Lagos cannot develop the suburbs of the state.

Is Mr. Fashola expecting us to construct our roads ourselves? Your regular slogan of ‘Eko o ni baje’ (Lagos will not spoil) is such an irony in Ikorodu because it is such a forlorn place and we simply cannot understand why it is being neglected. Don’t assume that your charming campaign for re-election in 2011 is all you will need to count on my vote or those of many others.



source: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/5629254-182/story.csp#

KnowAll:


Is this the 4th mainland bridge or something different.?

It should be.

No, this is is not the 4th mainland bridge.

I think this road is supposed to be a link road within Ikorodu to ease off the from the Ita Elewa roundabout.

Ishawo is a community off the Ikorodu Road that can be accessed through Agric junction.

This community is on the NW corner of Ikorodu.

The 4th mainland bridge would land on the SE part of Ikorodu.

Published 10/14/2010 2:43:00 PM

We won’t stop releasing water from Oyan Dam — Agency
Francis Falola
The management of the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority has said the agency will not stop the release of excess water from the Oyan Dam, explaining stoppage will endanger the lives and properties of people along the river channel.

In an interview with journalists in Abeokuta on Wednesday on the recent floods in some parts of Lagos and Ogun States, which were widely blamed on the release of water from the dam, the management of the dam led by its Acting Managing Director, Mr. Rasaq Jimoh, denied the allegation, attributing the floods to climate change.

He said, “If we stop the release of the excess water, the safety of the dam will be put into jeopardy and this will have severe consequences on the lives and properties of the people.

“It may lead to the collapse of the dam and this is going to lead to loss of lives of millions of people with billions of properties destroyed as towns and villages along the river channel will be wiped off.”

He said the agency never released water at night in the night but during the day to enable affected communities take precautionary measures.

The authority claimed that its investigation, which included a helicopter survey of the basin and the affected areas, carried out in conjunction with the Ogun State Government, identified the cause of the flood as global climate change that brought about exceptionally high rainfall globally this year, causing a rise in the Atlantic Ocean level and forcing Lagos Lagoon water level to rise and spread into the flood prone areas.

According to him, “A vast area of land (about 120 square kilometer) lying between Ikorodu/Kosofe/Ilate is flood prone and directly under the influence of backflow from the Lagos lagoon. This area is shared by both Lagos and Ogun States .

“Therefore, water from Oyan River , into which the water released from Oyan Dam flows, could only be a small fraction of the aggregate rain water flowing into the Ogun River from these tributaries which include River Ewekoro, Opeji River, Eredu River Iwopin River , Sokori River, Owiwi River and Abjire River among others.

The agency also blamed the flood situation on the construction of structures close to the river bank disregarding warning of “Green Belt Areas,” adding that the structures were put in place by the developers without consideration of possible flood.

He maintained that the existence of the dam had helped in controlling flooding, insisting that the release of water, which he said was usually done gradually, was not the reason for the flood.

He also disclosed that the authority had embarked on proactive measures by ensuring that the water from the dam was released to the barest minimum.

He stated the need for radical and holistic approach from the Lagos and Ogun State governments, Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority, National Environment Maintenance Agency; State Environmental Maintenance Agency and the owner of estates and buildings in the flood prone areas as well as other stakeholders.

source: http://www.punchng.com/Article2Print.aspx?theartic=Art2010101414471225

Fashola promises to turn Mile 12-Ikorodu road to six lanes

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has promised to rebuild the Mile 12-Ikorodu Road, if re-elected into office next month.

He said commuters, who avoid the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, use the road as an alternative.

The governor said this had put pressure on the road.

Fashola said: ‘’There is too much pressure on Mile 12-Ikorodu road. When Lagos-Ibadan Expressway packed up, commuters shifted to this road.’’

He said: “We have completed the design for the road. It will be a six lane-road, with one line for BRT.”

Fashola urged the people of Ikorodu to be vigilant.

He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was allegedly planning to mobilise thugs from Oyo and Ogun states to disrupt the elections in Ikorodu.

The governor spoke at the campaign rally organised by leaders and members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ikorodu.

Fashola said: “PDP held a meeting. They are afraid of elections. They mobilised people from Oyo and Ogun states to create confusion in Ikorodu.

‘’They want to repeat the same during elections. Let our fathers and leaders be vigilant. We will resist them.

“On the day of election, thumb print the space where you see the broom. Give us that one day and we will give you four years of great and unquantifiable service.”

Party supporters from Ijede, Ipakodo, Owutu, Imota, Ibeshe, Isiwo, Odogiyan and and Igbogbo were hosted by Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Olukoga and Prince Lanre Balogun.

State Chairman of the party Otunba Dele Ajomale presented flags to Alhaji Gbenga Ashafa (Senate), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa (House of Representatives), Sunai Agunbiade and Mrs Nosmot Akinsola (House of Assembly).

Defectors from the PDP, led by Olu Ogunborisa, a former lawmaker, were admitted into the ACN by Ajomale.

The party chairman enjoined them to work for the success of the party at the polls.

Present at the campaign, which took place at the Ikorodu Town Hall, were Fashola’s wife, Abimbola, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Joko Pelumi, Chief Adeseye Amingo, Mrs Toun Ajomale, Chief Funso Ologunde, Kayode Opeifa, Mrs Folake Sokunbi-Kalokalo, Bolaji Sanusi and local party leaders.

Fashola paid tribute to the monarch, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salau Oyefusi, and other eminent Ikorodu leaders, including the late TOS Benson, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, Chief Babatunde Ogunsanya, Olukoga, Basorun and Ogunleye.

He said they were credible leaders.

The governor hailed the people for defying the sun to hear their leaders.

He said it was a demostration that they were ready to support him and ACN at the elections.

Fashola appealed to the party leaders and followers to put the acrimony behind them and work for the interest of the party.

He listed his achievements in Ikorodu as the building of a High Court Complex, provision of water, jetties, roads and establishment of a drivers’ institute.

The governor said: “Thirty-one road projects are going on. We have awarded Ibeshe road and Isawo and Isheri roads.

Fashola told the people to reject the PDP.

He said the PDP frustrated the Independent Power project (IPP), which was hosted by the division.

Fashola said PDP could not do much for Nigerians because it devoted 25 per cent of the budget to capital project.

http://www.ascology.com/news/local-news/7422-Fashola-promises-turn-Mile--Ikorodu-road-six-lanes.html

Lagos debt profile hits N124bn

Article | May 20, 2011 - 4:41am | By Godwin Akanfe
The Lagos State government is owing about N124bn in domestic and multilateral debt as of April 30 this year. This is according to information from the state’s finance ministry.

Finance commisioner, Rotimi Oyekan, said this in a speech he gave during the annual ministerial press briefing held in commemoration of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.

The breakdown of the debt profile showed that the state government has a multilateral debt loan of N62,426,899,007.40 (calculated using an exchange rate of N156.50) and domestic loans of N61,761,172,731.97.

Though, several stakeholders had expressed apprehension over the growing debt profile of the state, Mr. Oyekan promptly allayed the fears of running deficit budget because less than 30 percent of the state’s total revenue is used to service its debt. “It is not a crime to operate deficit budgeting. It is a reflection of present needs,” he said.

The Multilateral loans, which are debts owed by developing countries to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, amounted to about $500m. However, the commissioner said “the loans are structured as long-term loans with a moratorium and at significantly lower rates than commercial loans.”

According to him, $200m was obtained for the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project, which was set up to upgrade slums in Lagos state. He described the loan as “the largest World Bank direct funding for a sub-national government to date was obtained to increase sustainable access to basic urban services through investments in critical infrastructure.”

Mr. Oyekan disclosed also that another $100m loan was secured from the French Development Agency for the expansion of Ikorodu road into six-lanes including BRT route, which Governor Fashola promised during his re-election campaign.

The third multilateral loan is obtained for Development Policy Operation (DPO) whereby the World Bank, for three consecutive years, will support the financing of the state’s budget. However, this, notably, is a detour from the state government’s mantra of borrowing to finance public infrastructural projects.

According to Mr. Oyekan, the DPO is obtained “to support the state’s budget directly rather than specific projects.”

“This is another indication of the level of confidence reposed in the State Government by the Multilateral Agency. It is worthy to note that the State has successfully secured the Federal Government’s guarantee and also obtained the approval of the National Assembly during the Public Hearing sessions of 6thDecember, 2010 and 2nd February, 2011 to incur external loans for its Developmental Policy Operations,” Mr. Oyekan said.

He promptly added that the loans will help bridge “huge infrastructural deficit which would require an estimated sum of $50 billion to address in the next few decades.”


http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/lagos-debt-profile-hits-n124bn

Rainfall: Flood looms in Lagos as govt warns residents to quit tributaries

Written by Kunle Awosiyan, Lagos
Sunday, 29 May 2011

LAGOS State Government on Saturday advised residents  living around the tributaries of Ogun River to move away due to the impending flood that may occur during this rainy season.

The State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Engr. Muyideen Akinsanya, gave this warning.

He added that  there would be heavy downpour, which would eventually lead to flooding in some parts of the state this year.

Areas such as Mile 12, Agiliti, Thomas Laniyan Estate, Owode-Onirin, Agboyi, Owode Elede and Isheri North  Scheme, are susceptible to flooding.

He also said that the state government would soon complete the  residential structures being built at Agbowa for the residents of the affected areas to move in.

According to him, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has predicted heavy rain, which will consequently increase the water volume of the various dams.

“These dams are likely to overflow or collapse if not opened, and  when this happens, properties and lives along its path will be destroyed,” he said.

Considering the fact that the state government lacks effective disaster management machinery in the area of flooding, the permanent secretary called on residents to abide by the numerous environmental laws.

He urged the residents to desist from throwing garbage in the drains and canals; desist from building structures along the drain, and vacate water path in case of heavy flooding.

As a proactive measure to combat the looming flooding, Akinsanya said that the government had built over 133 concrete secondary storm water collector drainages with which more than 8.2 million people had benefitted.

To change the attitude of the residents from blocking the drains, Akinsnya said that a control strategy and surveillance had been developed by the State Waste Management Authority to prevent dumping of refuse in the drains.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/4001-rainfall-flood-looms-in-lagos-as-govt-warns-residents-to-quit-tributaries

does any one know when they will start constructing brt lane along ikorodu axis?