After the shame of Lagos rail we need a Zero Tolerance Infrastructural Delay campaign

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) It is no news to anyone that the Norte Dame Cathedral In Paris recently caught fire. As soon as it happened donations began pouring in to refurbish the site. Some of the donors are African presidents whose own countries are in ruins but alas, they have got caught up in the stampede and are pledging to assist France despite the fact that the French do not need their help

(2) Let us leave the African craziness to one side a minute as it sometimes beggars belief. Donald Trump, Theresa May or Angela Merkel have not offered any cash towards rebuilding the cathedral but President Alpha Conde of Guinea has donated €2m. For me, what is key here is the pledge of President Emmanuel Macron to restore the castle completely within five years

(3) Notre Dam Castle is a historic building completed in 1210, so restoring it will be complicated. It is actually much easier to build a new cathedral from scratch but alas, trust the French, they will restore Notre Dam in five years as promised because they know the tourist potential of the building and cannot afford to keep losing revenue

(4) This is something we African leaders need to learn and adapt to. Nigeria is terrible when it comes to delaying projects or wasting time in infrastructural developments and we need to radically change our mindset if we are serious about infrastructural provision. With the way technology changes rapidly today, unnecessary delays dramatically increase costs

(5) Our worst example is the Lagos Light Railway Project which we have been building since 2009. Nowhere in the world does it take 10 years to build a 35km urban light railway project. It is not as if they are blasting through rock, going over mountains or building a tunnel. This project could easily have been completed within three years if we were serious about addressing mass transit in Lagos

(6) Our Lagos light railway is based on the design of London’s Docklands Light Railway Line, that 38km network which opened in 1987. Now, let me shock you, the contract for the initial London Docklands Light Railway Line was awarded to GEC Mowlem in 1984 and the network was constructed between 1985 and 1987 at a cost of £77m. It was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on July 30 1987 and passenger services began on August 31

(7) Can someone please explain to me how the London Docklands Light Railway which originally had 15 stations in its first phase was completed within two years, yet a similar project in Lagos, the Blue Line of the Lagos Mass Rail Transit programme with just 27.5 km from Marina to Okokomaiko and 13 stations has not been completed in 10 years?

( While we have been on this Lagos project, Ethiopia has completed the 759km Djibouti to Addis Ababa heavy duty railway line that cannot only carry heavy freight but runs at speeds of 120km per hour. They began work on it in 2011 and the line was commissioned in 2016 under Ethiopia’s ambitious Growth and Transformation Plan. This line cost a total of $3bn and was completed on schedule. Before you know it, the project will have generated enough revenue to repay off the loans it borrowed from the Exim Bank of China, the China Development Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

(9) Nigeria did not always used to be like this as we completed the National Stadium, Surulere on schedule in time for us hosting the All African Games in 1973 and completed the National Theater, Iganmu on schedule in 1977 ahead of us hosting Festac. Because these projects were completed on time, they did not incur extra costs. It appears that my people do not appreciate the fact that delays can sometimes increase costs by up to 30%, so we need to introduce a Zero Tolerance Infrastructure Delay campaign to prevent the cost of projects spiralling out of control or even being abandoned altogether

(10) Our most shameful project in this regard is the Mambilla Power Plant conceived by President Shehu Shagari in 1982. Some 37 years later and after spending $16bn, we are yet to complete it. As you can see, we are our own worst enemies. These days, China is completing sky scrappers within two months and completing unbelievable bridges within two to three years. How do we change our mindset my people?

Where is the road they will pass?
Has he fill all the potholes in lagos?
The regular traffic that usually happens at iyana ipaja--ikeja route every morning has LASG find any solution to that?
The mumu construction company constructing BRT lane from oshodi- abule egba have they finish their work?



This was the same way BRT launch with all the hyping
Later we will be hearing no bus, no fuel, drivers are on strike etc.


Go and check the BRT plying ikotun-ikeja, igando-ikeja, iyana ipaja- ikeja,



How will these bus solve transportation challenges in lagos state?
He has brought another glorified molue to Lagos, the same fate that befall BRT will befall BRI.

AMBODE is going now, Sanwo- olu might also change is own to BYC....

BabaIbo:


Oga have you ever paid tax directly and indirectly in Lagos, if no, just keep quiet.

Hate exist in the heart of those who accommodates it.
You only speak from the abundance of your heart.

RUN AWAY FROM TRIBALISM

I have paid tax and I am saying the truth, so shut the hell up, some people don't like Lagos development and that's the truth. Why are you feeling guilty? Are you one of them?

I want to thank Gov Ambode doe setting q higher standard fir Sanwo-Olu.

I believe the Giv elect is aware that he has to work extra hard to mayvh Akinwunmi Ambode's achievements and surpass it. We are happy that the spirit if excellence set by BRF has been unheld. Gov elect, welcome to Lagos, pur expectations are high:

Fix the medians along Ikorodu road and ensure that all the Danfo drivers destroying it are banned from plying Lagos road, issue operating licencea to commercial bus drivers and thier conductors, remove agberos from our parks, hqve CCTV installed in all bus stops especially Ikorodu road, all Danfo loading and unloading passengers on the express roads like ketu bus stop right in front of BRTbus stop are banned, monitor the compromising LASTMA and stop extortion, clear all drainage, and push for every landlord to be responsible for cleaning tge drainage in front of their houses, make LGA/LCDA chairman install solar streets light on all major roads, make diversion of domestic water to roads a punishable offence etc.

Lagos, Centre of Excellence!

YoungBlackRico:
Ikeja to Obalende nko, make dem borrow demselves brain o.

Bros, if dem drop you for TBS wetin remain to enter Obalende?

Na maintenance con remain

Lagos road is filled up already. New buses is not the solution.

Olawalesmarter:



I have paid tax and I am saying the truth, so shut the hell up, some people don't like Lagos development and that's the truth. Why are you feeling guilty? Are you one of them?

Shut up and reason for once, even a kid knws the people you're referring to, who has time to hate a place where he has investment(s)?

Moreover, what is the gain in hating?

Na as your own mind be you think other people own be, right?

You better get sense.

P.S- I know you lied about payment of tax but continue this is social media

This government would never learn or use their intelligence, VI needs more buses so people can park their cars at home, its people coming to VI that crowds the third mainland bridge, if there are buses from the mainland to tbs and cms and other smaller buses to routes in VI traffic would disappear overnight.... but this people dont think

Adding more buses on an already over-congested bad roads is foolishness on the part of the Lagos governor.

tomaagy:
This government would never learn or use their intelligence, VI needs more buses so people can park their cars at home, its people coming to VI that crowds the third mainland bridge, if there are buses from the mainland to tbs and cms and other smaller buses to routes in VI traffic would disappear overnight.... but this people dont think

I agree with you a 100. the whole island should have similar arrangement that will run shuttle for the whole island.

money121:
Itesiwaju Ipile Eko

......lo je waa logun.

lol.

slimfit1:
I give those buses 4 weeks

they will be well maintained because they're under public private partnership. Those old ones you still see on the road were bought during Fashola's first term in office, over 10 years ago and have since paid back invested funds in multiple folds.

BabaIbo:


Shut up and reason for once, even a kid knws the people you're referring to, who has time to hate a place where he has investment(s)?

Moreover, what is the gain in hating?

Na as your own mind be you think other people own be, right?

You better get sense.

P.S- I know you lied about payment of tax but continue this is social media

All your investments in Lagos doesn't stop you from hating the place but there is nothing you can do about it

Free?

rawpadgin:
Naija like awfu too much

See as that bros dey shine teeth

E Dey shine teeth as u take spell your AWOOF as AWFUL

I wonder where this 5000 planned buses will ply cos Lagos routes are already filled with many vehicles n traffic grids....let's not hope these scheme will just be for a few months n dies off...another "owam be" things....MC Olomo over to you o

Trini4000:
Naija sef,,,, why them no comot the nylon wey the chair...

How them go take know say na new one

Nice one

Why are we just knowing abt the free rides by this time of day na?

slimfit1:
I give those buses 4 weeks

12 years brt is doing fine....all still have effective air conditioning...tbs/cms to ikorodu route....seems u r too use to that red mood village u r

tribalistseun:
you mean afonjas run lagos economy?

funny guy. How many yorubas still get tribal mark nowadays . Moreso, that picture you uploaded where 2 guys dey shit no be here oo. Lagos no get dat kain look. In fact, no single rock is in lagos and its canal as seen in that picture