₦airaland Forum

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

To say Pastor Bakare's involvement in politics did not shock will be a huge lie but like he rightly pointed out most of us want anything apart from PDP but also not just anything but a ticket that offers hope. I hope they win. I actually had said the only thing that will stop me voting Buhari is if Tinubu happens to be his VP so they can have my vote.

I thought Buhari would have chosen someone from South East maybe Ngige or even Pat Utomi.

I don't believe this news,. Lagos state does not reveal the amount it spends on road construction. They only tell us the length of the road which is missing. I hope the road construction goes ahead but I seriously doubt this news especially coming from a do-nothing Chairman called kehinde Bamigbetan.

I couldn't read the whole article before passing some comments.

Frittering away of our reserves started while Yar Adua was in office and while Soludo was CBN governor
Depleting the excess crude account senselessly started under Yar Adua while Soludo was CBN Governor.
Soludo had nothing to say to Yar Adua about it unlike Sanusi who has told Govt. that is not the way to go even though he may be powerless to reverse the trend.
Soludo is no doubt a brilliant man, the academic awards speak for themselves however,  he has shown himself to be deficient in character and corrupt (how can we explain his sudden riches after 9 years in Govt). Nigeria has brilliant menin abundance but we lack people with real character and i'm not even expecting them to be perfect (I'm not afterall!!!) but Soludo's fraternisation with the Bank Chiefs during his tenure made a mockery of his time as CBN Governor.
Back to Aganga, I guess if there's one thing we all agree on, it has to be that Aganga and Goodluck are the most clueless President and Finance Minister we've had in recent times. Each time these two guys speak, they only display ignorance!!!
Mr. Soludo can treatise for all he cares but he failed us during his time and he should just go and enjoy his loot! I don't blame him too much, there are not many Nigerians that will see the kind of money he was exposed to and not be compromised but coming out to rewrite histroy and present himself a saint is what I don't buy.

seanet03:
Seconded. Only F*O*O*L*S* will support a Primary Election that will throw up the likes of AKALA and OHAKIM at the expense of A consensus Primary that will produce the likes of Fashola and Adams Oshiomole. beaf and co are super I*D*I*O*T*S*

It is probably only in NIGERIA that a party will tell you to go to hell if you don't like the fact they are imposing their candidates (Usually family members) instead of a primaries election and they still expect to win the election. I think we are a conquered people!!!

Nigerians need to move away from the feeling that the world is either black or white, either AC or PDP, we have to start looking at things objectively and ask where our interests are best served.

Rich Dad:
why all this rants? I think BRF was impossed too? And hes doing wonders, i beg let the best man do the job.whether elected,selected,impossed i dont care as long as the masses benefit form it.Next story

If anyone cannot understand that Fashola and Tinubu had (having) problems because he's not doing Tinubu's bidding, then there's no way to help you. Fashola fans will readily acknowledge him as the best performing Governor but he's probably had the roughest last 2 years of all the Governors not from the opposition but from his Godfather and the ACN controlled House of Assembly. That should tell you something.

Mamora was the best ACN senator yet he was sacrificed for Gbenga Ashafa.

I still keep saying that Tinubu has only one vote. If he's in control it's because we have allowed him either deliberately or out of our docility. As for me, I'ld vote Fashola but every other thing goes to the opposition.

Just as an aside, are Nigerian taxpayers the ones paying the salaries of all these police officers clutching to newspapers and handbags? I've always said it that half of the Nigerian Police force are armed robbers and the other half are glorified housemaids, gate men and houseboys. No wonder there is insecurity.

I hope Buhari wins and Ribadu becomes Inspector General of Police. With a good police force, we don't even need all these EFCC, ICPC etc but before that day comes we will need real police men and women

It seems to me that we all agree that TINUBU is getting too powerful and believes that he can decide all that happens in LAGOS. We also agree that Fashola did a good job in his first 2 years and is having it rough with his Godfather. We also agree that "NOW" is the time to stop Tinubu.

What we need now is the "NEXT STEP" and this seems very simple to me. Vote Fashola for Governor (they will change his deputy since they plan to impeach him). Vote PDP for the Lagos State House of Assembly positions. Vote PDP for the LAGOS EAST SENATORIAL (as protest vote for MAMORA) and for the position REMI TINUBU plans to go for.

I was thinking of voting PDP for Governor initially but I don't know/trust this ADE DOSUNMU man but I seem to remember he had financial issues before leaving NIMASA!!!

[quote author=alj-harem link=topic=583532.msg7515463#msg7515463 date=1294838854]and others,, i am glad that the yorubas are starting to open there eyes to the reality

tiunbu spent 8yrs in office without doing anything

it is only fashola that is making tinubu look good[/quote]In 2007, the only reason I didn't vote Fashola was because I didn't want a situation where one man (Tinubu) will claim the glory for my votes and dictate to someone I stood in the sun to vote for. This is exactly what has happened, Fashola is arrogant today because he knows he became Governor because of Tinubu and no one else. The House and his commissioners are regularly reminding him that he works for the Godfather and should be eternally grateful for the Godfather choosing him to fill the vacancy. Lagosians should not allow TINUBU to turn us to Kwara. The people of OYO were always derided because ADEDIBU decided who got all the offices in Oyo state in 2007 but the sad truth is that the same is true of TINUBU and all who got office in Lagos in 2007.

If Nigerians complain that the same set of people have been ruling us, they embrace woman empowerment and replace themselves with their wives and Girlfriends (Anenih, Ekaette, Nenadi Usman, First ladies etc). Not too long from now, Nigerians will be serving their children. Actually, Nigerians are already sucking up to their children (Adedibu, Obasanjo-Bello, Shagari, Bankole and very soon Osoba's son in Ogun state.

Until Nigerians choose to stand up for themselves and realise that Pikin no pass Pikin (One man, One vote) then let's just accept what we've decided not to refuse. Democracy is all about numbers and if you choose to sell ur own vote, give it, refuse to use then don't complain about the results.

We have all that is necessary to demystify the Godfathers but no we stand in awe of them!!!

That is what you get when you allows clueless people to lead your country.

BTW, I heard students will now seat for 5 subjects in WAEC/NECO due to the mass failure in recent years.

I have a strong feeling this country will be re-colonised in future.

babapupa:
Saying you have not benefited from Fashola betrayed you and your comments. It strips you of whatever credibility. You don't have to remain in Lagos just to deal with ACN or Fashola, move to Ogun or Oyo state and go feel at home with your PDP folks, they'll treat you nice.   

Unfortunately for you, I don't operate on emotions and ignorance like many of you.

I'm repeating it. I got nothing from Fashola's govt last year even though I paid more tax than Fashola himself! I have no water supply, no access to reasonable mortgage, no access to public school and do not even pray to need to use LASG hospitals 'cos even Tinubu and Fashola will not use them, I value my life too! The only tarred road in my locality got worse last year courtesy of HItech and LCC. Before LCC and Hitech, Ajah to VI was 1 hr tops but now it's anything from 3 hrs

babapupa:
#1. Only an ignorant and non Lagosian compares and sites other state's budget to make a point per Lagos state and it's finances.

The states you mention are glorified towns and  villages called states

Lagos state's population is 18 million and the states you mentioned have less than half of Lagos state's population.

The societal and  infrastructural demand in Lagos state outweighs the states you mentioned combined x 10.

The states you mention are not welcoming thousands of Nigerians from every corner of Nigeria every single day and stretching the state's resources and infrastructure to the bones.

Lastly, stop feeling so important about Lagos state's money or budget, the state is extremely poor @ 2 billion dollars/18 million people and crumbling with non existing infrastructure.

I can talk about such states because they build new roads (certainly more than 23 Km), pay salaries, make frivolus trips abroad for executive and legislators and steal state money from their ~N50 bn budget yet Lagos wants to resurface a 23Km road for same amount, please explain to me why I can't make comparison. meanwhile, there's evidence that Lagos state has coughed out N5 bn on this same project and depending on who you talk to LASG may have coughed out up to N20 Bn

babapupa:
Lastly, stop feeling so important about Lagos state's money or budget, the state is extremely poor @ 2 billion dollars/18 million people and crumbling with non existing infrastructure.

Lagos state may be poor by American standards but is probably the richest in Nigeria and if its really a poor state, please let's see the evidence in the lives of our public officials.

^^^

In the 2nd picture posted above by tpia, this guys are waiting for the light to turn green and are stuck in traffic and that is the same for the folks behind them. So you expect them to spend 2 hrs from Ajah to Jakande then fork out N150 naira at the toll and then joint the heavy traffic from Oriental hotel.

Even if this project survives, because of the flawed contract, every Govt. in Lagos will have to be bribed to sustain it and Eti-Osa folks have to pay more!

I must commend the civility of the discussants on this thread so far but one has to wonder how babapupa reasons.

babapupa:
Are you people even aware that government is equipped with the right and sole authority to sell that or any public road to any private entity without providing all the stuff you people are crying about, talk less tolling?


This is obviously a concerned government. I do appreciate the fact that they are listening to the folks in the area and  trying to settle the issue.  I know shared sacrifice is new to many, but the government can't keep dancing to your selfish needs and complaints.

The government does not have enough money to satisfy the state's infrastructural needs and if what you desire is up to date infrastructure, we all pay to pay for it some way, some how.

You keep talking of foreign investors, the LASG has put N5 bn in this project and you keep telling us they are tolling because they have no money. I have not seen any evidence that more than N5 bn has been spent on this project yet yet money has been collected from banks.  How come the Bordillon guys don't have to pay for their road, how about the guys on Western avenue, how about the Okota link bridge?

I can't even begin to state how I feel that someone will type what you have up there in a Democracy but I guess that's the way people like you and TINUBU reason and he's taking over the whole state for himself afterall he's the GODFATHER but sorry to let you know, we are not his Godsons!!!

We are demanding a full investigation of the whole project 'cos it's just too shady.

We can't be threatened by Fashola, we've not benefitted from him and LAgos state is worse off as a result of lack of will to stand up to his evil Godfather. the N50 bn we are talking here for resurfacing of 23Km road is the budget of states like OSUN, ABIA, JIGAWA, ZAMFARA, KWARA yet they still construct a few new roads and the Governors and commissioners will steal money also.

I'm not sure you understand what N50 bn is but I guess you are just one of the ACN propaganda machines. This time you guys are sure gonna lose!!!

Eko O ni Baje!!!

Fashola simply suspended this as part of their propaganda machinery. On LTV news at 8pm today, they simply went to the toll gate and claimed that LCC has complied with the directive of the listening Governor to suspend the tolling!

Please let Mr. Fashola tell us the people he's been discussing with. We represent a coalition of 74 Estates and 14 villages in Eti-Osa and fashola has not met with the chairman of any estate or any of their representative yet he claims to be negotiating.

LTV also interviewed Jide Akinloye (outgoing Lagos state house of assembly member representing Eti-Osa) who thanked the Governor and said nothing about the issues at stake!

The Eti-Osa Chairman meanwhile claimed that "we' are not against tolling! I would like to know who the "we" are because we are against tolling and fencing, and certainly not going to pay toll on an UNCOMPLETED ROAD!!!

You want me to spend 3 hours from Ajah to Lekki Phase1 and expect me to give you 150 Naira for resurfacing the road!!! While it's easy to say that even God will cause that kind of money, we will not even allow LCC to make that money.

@ Eku_bear, I had questions for you on page 8 but I have those questions here for you again?

What happened to N5 bn tax payers money in the project?
Why pay toll on an uncompleted road?
Why pay toll when the commute time for the majority of people is worse than initial?
What is the compensation for all the 4 years of inconvenience?
What do I get for my tax if I stay in Lekki, considering there are no schools, no street roads, no hospital, no fire service, no sewage treatment?
Why must my own road be tolled when all other roads are not tolled and constructed faster?
How come you have to spend N50 bn on a 23Km expansion?
Why three tolls (average of 1 toll per 10 Km)?
How come there was no bid for the concessioning?
What value was given to the initial road?
If you have N50 bn, why not construct the Coastal Road afresh and toll it for whatever amount?

We just finished a peaceful protest at the Lekki Phase 1 roundabout this morning. It is heartwarming to see a couple of people park their cars and join us and also wanted to be part of future struggle.

There have been insinuations that we are being politically motivated so we had a couple of the chairmen of different estates along the road address the press. The Chairman of NICON TOWN and VGC estates representatives were there so if it's a matter of paying the money, these guys should have no problem.

Some of the community people felt that we should actually block the road (we did for a couple of minutes and the Police were supportive (of course they can't afford it too!!!) but we felt that we had passed our message across especially given the fact that FAshola was on TV yesterday to appeal to people not to protest and also sent a large number of police men to ensure there was no violence.

We noted that we have nothing against Fashola or LCC or even the construction but we are against fencing and tolling.

I MUST ADD THAT FASHOLA HAS A HUGE PROBLEM ON HIS HANDS FROM WHAT I SAW: THE ETI-OSA PEOPLE ARE READY TO DO ANYTHING TO ENSURE NO TOLLING. Tinubu may have bought their Obas and Chiefs but there is problem on the way coupled with the fact that PDP doesn't mind taking advantage of this opportunity.

Watch out for CHANNELS, STV, DBN and NTA!!!

Pifa:
Actually, ndu_chucks, there is litigation pending on this matter.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5635668-147/story.csp

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5626546-147/story.csp

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5637334-147/court_to_visit_lekki-epe_highway.csp

I “googled” the name of the presiding judge and found this:
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/41671//lawyer-wants-court-to-stop-toll-collection-on-lago.html
   
   
   
Officials have already talked about concessioning more roads in Lagos. I certainly hope they have learned from the Lekki episode and make sure the process is transparent and done the right way in the future.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5618111-146/story.csp

The case is still in court and one would have thought that the least Governor Fashola (A Senior Advocate of Nigeria) could do was to allow the court to rule before LCC is given permission to collect the tolls.

Feelers from the court case already shows that the Judge is compromised (no surprises afterall he's a Lagos state judge) but we will move to the APPEAL court and ultimately to the SUPREME court so LCC should prepare for a Looooooooooooong battle!

The contract details which Opuiyo, LCC and LASG are guarding jealously must come out in the open.

Most people are not aware that they are at liberty to increase the toll anytime and they will build more tolls in future if they expand beyond 23Km.

tpia1:
not true.

the fact that most newly created highways are also toll roads, does not mean old roads cant be upgraded to become the same.

check toll roads in the west. Many are privately funded, and some were given out by the govt same as what LASG is doing here.


Officials debate making Route 30 a toll road

btw, my reason for using the west [and malaysia] as a point of comparison in this instance, is their roads you all admire so much, while complaining about not having the same in nigeria, started from somewhere. They didnt just magically drop from the future.





In every privately-financed toll road I know of, the construction was generally done as an adjunct to an existing government road. The Lagos state government got it backwards in their case: they are using taxpayers' money to construct an alternate route after giving taxpayers' road to a private enterprise to develop and toll for 30 years. Why not use the money they are spending on the alternate route to develop the Lekki road in the first place, and then toll it directly for the government? I can never be against allowing the investors to profit on their investment, but I get the impression that tolling the Lekki road was a back-room deal designed to steer business to the concessionaire.

@tpia, You don't seem to understand the issues here! No one is saying we shouldn't have good roads like Malaysia or any part of the world but this LCC tolling of Lekki-Epe way is a very dodgy arrangement! I thinkyou should read the italicized part above and try to make sense of it before you post more pictures of Malaysia and tell us more stories of America.

I will readily concede that we are protesing late in the game but who cares! If you plan to dupe and I found out just before I part with my money, even if you have spent your life savings on the project, I won't pity you, YOU JUST LOST!!!

I don't know what risk analysis the project financiers did but they mut be very foolish! This tolling can never survive outside of a controlled ACN government. If Fashola was a difficult Godson, LCC will already be in trouble. The project is so so so flawed. They have no design, you create special roads for people depending on who they know and what noise they can make!

The road that was there stood for over 20 years but this new one can't even last 5 years.

I don't know what stake you have in the project but even Fashola knows he's got trouble on his hands,

As an aside, I know in lekki, to perfect any your document for Governor's consent, you will spend an average of 500,000 naira (Lekki Phase 1 alone has 4,000 homes and VGC has around 2,000 homes!) not to talk of ~250k that is paid for land use charge in Lekki phase 1. For those who don't know, Lekki residents are already financing the road and we will not pay tolls on it.

Fashola should get ready for this battle, in our engagements with him we have seen the insincerity but we understand that his hands are tied but he should remember that PDP are waiting in the wings!!!

We may end up regretting voting PDP in office but this toll will not stand whatever it will take!!!

jerseyboy:
This Lekki toll road is nothing short of wickedness. Tinubu and co came upon a situation that was desperate for the users of that road. Instead of giving relief they saw an opportunity for extortion using the instrument of state. If road have been built all over the state without tolls the question remains why Lekki road alone? This is sheer wickedness mix with opportunism and preying on people's desperation.

The above is spot on! and once again this is what happened

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's financial Engineers came up with a good plan to enrich him and they formed a company called LCC.
The existing road is concessioned to LCC without bids from other companies and given to them at zero cost even though there is an existing asset.
The company has no money and to make it look legitimate, LASG provides $42 million for it to start and this also helps LCC to get legitimate funding from banks.
The banks need collateral from LCC, so LASG provides 1500 hectares of land around Ibeju-Lekki as collateral.
Now LCC has money (too much money in fact) but Asiwaju needs money to start his empire so LCC provides some of the money to Asiwaju Tinubu.
LCC still has enough money to start complete 6km of Road after which tolling starts.
The 6km is deliberately put into the contract so that revenue from the tolling is what will actually be used to finance the road consturction.
Also once tolling starts, this gives the banks confidence to provide more money to LCC because it has a steady source of income.
To guarantee LCC's profits, the toll will be taken for 30 years and also there is a provision for more tolls to be built in future (average of 1 toll / 10 km) which is why you have 3 tolls between Shoprite and Crown Estate.
Also the road expansion will stop at 23 Km so that can be a Phase 2 and more toll plazas.


If this was a genuine plan to develop infrastructure befitting of megacity, LASG knows they should have built the coastal road first and tolled it.  This would have caused minimal disruptions and you can even build faster (You can even charge N1000 for that!)   From VI to Epe is roughly 71 Km, and VI to Ibeju is 49 Km so why are they planning on expanding just 23 Km, do they want to cause more confusion in future when you can simply build the road with less dislocations now.

We are already paying for this road with our taxes and we will not pay any more tolls.

To the supporters of the tolling, once again let's address issues here:



If they really had N50 bn to spend on road, that is more than enough to construct the Coastal Road. Before the road construction it was less than 1 hour commute time from Ajah to VI, now it's like 3 hrs from Ajah to VI and I'm supposed to pay for tolls.

What happened to N5 bn tax payers money in the project?
Why pay toll on an uncompleted road?
Why pay toll when the commute time for the majority of people is worse than initial?
What is the compensation for all the 4 years of inconvenience?
What do I get for my tax if I stay in Lekki, considering there are no schools, no street roads, no hospital, no fire service, no sewage treatment?
Why must my own road be tolled when all other roads are not tolled and constructed faster?
How come you have to spend N50 bn on a 23Km expansion?
Why three tolls (average of 1 toll per 10 Km)?
How come there was no bid for the concessioning?
What value was given to the initial road?
If you have N50 bn, why not construct the Coastal Road afresh and toll it for whatever amount?


I won't want to go on but please address some of the questions I have above and stop telling us about AMERICA! We are talking about a road going through a Slum city called Lekki where more that half of the population don't make more than N25,000 Naira a month, where no other Government infrastructure exist (students have to go to school at VI/Obalende)

FINALLY!!!

We had another meeting at 4pm today at VGC Playground 1.

There is also a peaceful march planned for 3rd of January, 2011 (Time is 7AM) and venue is Lekki Phase 1 Gate. We need this to be successful and very peaceful. We will not march to the toll gate avoid exuberant youths / Govt. saboteurs destroying any property. The communities are ready but we need the working class (It's a public holiday) people to show up and this may be the only time some of you will show up, please make good use of it. Spread this word through email, facebook and blackberries.

Up till now, most of those leading this protest are elderly people who may not even be alive in 30 years time. We need young people to get involved, this is your future!

Finally, suggestions are welcome and more importantly please help spread the word!!!

No to Suspension, We want Cancellation! NO TOLLING, NO FENCING!!!

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=576642.msg7441837#msg7441837 date=1293830359]The following is a very rough attempt to estimate the profitability of the road.
--------------------
Alright, so it appears they are spending roughly 50 billion Naira to complete the road, so $330 million ($6.7 million per kilometer.)

For me, if I'm investing in a 3rd world country like Nigeria from abroad, I'd want 20-30% ROI, minimum (let's use 20% for now.) So they'd need to generate $66 million after expenses. Estimate road maintenance, depreciation, various other expenses etc at say $10 million/year or so? So they need to rake in $76 million/year to be worthwhile, roughly $208K/day.

Hard to aggregate their cost schedule over all the different classes of vehicles and of course the distribution of vehicles that ply the road, but it seems reasonable to guess that the saloon cars will dominate the traffic. So let's say N120 per car at each toll. Given 3 tolls, this is N360, or $2.40. Taking into the 10% discount offered for the eTag, drops down average money LCC earns per car to $2.16.

So they'd need 97K vehicles per day plying the road in order to hit this 20% ROI figure. Their estimate seems to be that currently 85K vehicles ply the road every day (http://www.lcc.com.ng/_Docs/LekkiTollRoadUserGuidev1May2010f7b74c93-c011-4cb8-ab81-e2d0526b7b9d.pdf).

Using the numbers I sourced and guessed at above, they wouldn't hit this 20% figure. But perhaps my guessed numbers are off in some way; those with more expertise should chime in. It is also very possible that over the next 30 years with the natural population growth of Lagos, the population that plies the road will grow substantially, and thus the road will be more profitable, so that is something that also needs to be taken into account.

All in all though, I'm not necessarily sure that this will be a huge money-making scheme. The profits will be good, but not insane.[/quote]I've found all you analysis uninformed to say the least! Who are the foreign investors you keep talking about in LCC? As far as we know LCC is a wholly Nigerian company (a dodgy one if I may add, who are its promoters?). I've provided you data to show that LASG has provided N5 bn for this company to work with. Nigerian banks invested N10 bn.

Personally i don't care what the ROI, ROR or DPI is, I need value for money! You don't take away an existing road from me because you resurfaced some part of it and tell me to leave the straight road I've always known for a corner road in Oniru, how does that help me?

If they really had N50 bn to spend on road, that is more than enough to construct the Coastal Road. Before the road construction it was less than 1 hour commute time from Ajah to VI, now it's like 3 hrs from Ajah to VI and I'm supposed to pay for tolls.

What happened to N5 bn tax payers money in the project?
Why pay toll on an uncompleted road?
Why pay toll when the commute time for the majority of people is worse than initial?
What is the compensation for all the 4 years of inconvenience?
What do I get for my tax if I stay in Lekki, considering there are no schools, no street roads, no hospital, no fire service, no sewage treatment?
Why must my own road be tolled when all other roads are not tolled and constructed faster?
How come you have to spend N50 bn on a 23Km expansion?
Why three tolls (average of 1 toll per 10 Km)?
How come there was no bid for the concessioning?
What value was given to the initial road?
If you have N50 bn, why not construct the Coastal Road afresh and toll it for whatever amount?


I won't want to go on but please address some of the questions I have above and stop telling us about AMERICA! We are talking about a road going through a Slum city called Lekki where more that half of the population don't make more than N25,000 Naira a month, where no other Government infrastructure exist (students have to go to school at VI/Obalende)

mbulela:
you may be right on this but a concrete fool would be appreciated.
It would alter the dynamics of this argument and make things easier.

I don't really understand what you mean but usually I try to stay with things that can be proved and not everything can be divulged here.

LCC will not disclose details of the contract to anyone neither will LASG but we have our way of getting these things. there are many thing that the public do not know yet. Up till 2 weeks ago, we thought they were expanding 49km of road. Do you know they have a non-competing clause in their agreement meaning if the whole of Nigeria moved to Lekki, there will be no more roads apart from this one and the coastal road (whenever they choose to construct it, by the way, they don't have money). LCC has made sure that there will be no light rail, no sea transport, just this 3 lane road.

if the agreement can come out in the open you will find out what the average financial expert knows about this type of deals.

I've always asked why LASG will never tell you the cost of any of its completed roads. Even this N50 bn for Lekki road will not be confirmed to you by anyone so I won't blame anyone for peddling rumours, but we do have facts if you care to know!!!

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=576642.msg7440310#msg7440310 date=1293811009]OK, so it cost 50 billion to do. How do you suggest the money being spent be recovered?[/quote]This is inflated cost and we don't have to bear it. That is why your NITEL could not be sold for a good price initially. No evidence for the money invested. Why should you build me a road for N50 bn when someone else can build it for far cheaper and faster.

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=576642.msg7440310#msg7440310 date=1293811009]Alright, mostly residential, yes? So the property owners there are benefiting tremendously from the increased property values. How come I do not hear any mention of this? So in essense, you want your property value improved, the road near your home improved, but don't want to pay for it, at all?[/quote]The property value is not improved. As a matter of fact property value has reduced in this area although I'll readily concede that Global recession contributed and also traffic (which LCC caused). Rental values are going up but less houses are being rented.


[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=576642.msg7440310#msg7440310 date=1293811009]Justify this statement about cash cow. Estimate how much money will be made from the road when it is completed, and compare that to the cost of borrowing money from a Nigerian bank and servicing the 22%ish interest rate they charge. I am 95% sure that the approach LASG is taking is much cheaper than using a Nigerian bank.[/quote]Well incase you don't know Nigerian banks contributed $80 million to this project and tax payers contributed N5 bn Naira. We are saying that we are being shortchanged. We are not getting value for our N5 bn. The contractor is even incompetent, rebuilding the same thing over and over again. Why should I pay for LCC's fence?

Funding for the project, which should take 3 years to complete, comes from the Lagos State which has invested Naira N5bn (US$42 million) in a 20-year mezzanine tranche. The African Development Bank provided N10bn (USD85 million) senior debt over 15 years and local bank lenders provided a 12-year note facility of N9.4bn (US$80 million).

see link below:

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313



[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=576642.msg7440310#msg7440310 date=1293811009]Bullsh1t. So who the F is supposed to pay for this? I want a brand new Hummer for free too. But of course good things cost money, and money doesn't grow on trees.[/quote]Well I'm already paying for it with my tax. What did the residents of Bourdillon do to deserve a Julius Berger contstructed road in record time without toll, I guess it's because the lion of bourdillon lives there. The residents of Okota got a bridge without toll. They did good work on Western Avenue without toll. I'm already paying too much and i refuse to pay more!

mbulela:
bros, we need to be pragmatic o!
you want NO everything?so who will pay for the 50billion already spent?
you might not like the idea of PPP but it is a reality of present day.
a govt that can't be held to its word is not worth the pay (money) it prints.
IGR and taxes will never be enough.
as usual, the truth is in the middle.

They may have spent N50 billion but not on the road so why I should I pay them? N50 bn comes to N2 bn per Kilometre, that is "impossicant", even JB doesn't build for that much.

I actually like the idea of PPP een with its deficiencies but we must be alert. Let them build the coastal road with and toll it. I will pay for it.

I will try to address some of the specifics of the Lekki-Epe Toll way here.

There was an existing road (no matter how bad it was) built at tax payers expense.
LASG has provided $42 million (N5 billion) of Lagos state tax payers money to fund the project.

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313

The FG benchmark for road construction in Lagos/Niger Delta is N320 million per Kilometre. (the 5bn should give us 15 km of new road).

For those of you who may not know so much about how PPP has been used to corruptly enrich political office holders, I welcome you to the world of evil financial engineering and I will summarize what has happened with your road and I welcome LASG and LCC to dispute it.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's financial Engineers came up with a good plan to enrich him and they formed a company called LCC.
The existing road is concessioned to LCC without bids from other companies and given to them at zero cost even though there is an existing asset.
The company has no money and to make it look legitimate, LASG provides $42 million for it to start and this also helps LCC to get legitimate funding from banks.
The banks need collateral from LCC, so LASG provides 1500 hectares of land around Ibeju-Lekki as collateral.
Now LCC has money (too much money in fact) but Asiwaju needs money to start his empire so LCC provides some of the money to Asiwaju Tinubu.
LCC still has enough money to start complete 6km of Road after which tolling starts.
The 6km is deliberately put into the contract so that revenue from the tolling is what will actually be used to finance the road consturction.
Also once tolling starts, this gives the banks confidence to provide more money to LCC because it has a steady source of income.
To guarantee LCC's profits, the toll will be taken for 30 years and also there is a provision for more tolls to be built in future (average of 1 toll / 10 km) which is why you have 3 tolls between Shoprite and Crown Estate.
Also the road expansion will stop at 23 Km so that can be a Phase 2 and more toll plazas.


If this was a genuine plan to develop infrastructure befitting of megacity, LASG knows they should have built the coastal road first and tolled it.  This would have caused minimal disruptions and you can even build faster (You can even charge N1000 for that!)

From VI to Epe is roughly 71 Km, and VI to Ibeju is 49 Km so why are they planning on expanding just 23 Km, do they want to cause more confusion in future when you can simply build the road with less dislocations now.

We are already paying for this road with our taxes and we will not pay any more tolls.

As most of you can sense, I'm not interested in arguing with folks who have no understanding of what is happening here in Lekki but keep talking about PPP and tolls in America and different places.

No one has told us of an existing road anywhere in the world being expanded with 1 lane on each side for N50 billion with 3 tolls in a 23 Km expansion and yet you commence tolling after completing 6 Km only. The Lekki-Epe road is basically in a residential area and within 1 LCDA where every infrastructure is provided by private citizens. No water, No School, No Hospital, No Fire Service, No sewage treatment
This is the reality of the Lekki-Epe way which we will resist! It is not a matter of how much toll I'm to pay but the injustice behind it all! Successive governments have left this area undeveloped for a long time and the next thing LASG wants to do is to profiteer from us. LASG obviously sees this area as the cashcow but must you kill the Chicken that lays the golden egg?  The most contribution LASG tax IGR is obviously from Eti-osa!

We had a Press conference at Ebun Adegboruwa's Chambers earlier today with representation from different media organizations including MITV, The Guardian, Channels TV, CoolFM, Wazobia FM, cable news NN24, Silverbird. Please look out for these Press conference on these stations. I must quickly warn that some of them may not show the press conference depending on the instructions they get from "ABOVE". We have moved on from shutting down media houses to intimidating them. (I may expatiate in future posts but suffice to say this is a Marathon).

There is another meeting for 1st of January, 2011 at VGC Playground 1 (Time is 4 pm)  Please attend if you are interested, we appreciate the internet warriors but we need those who will be on ground to resist this slavery!!!

We appreciate the efforts of those that participated in sending 5 million SMS to Fashola's email and phone which led to the suspension.

There is also a peaceful march planned for 3rd of January, 2011 (Time is 7AM) and venue is[b] Lekki Phase 1 Gate.[/b] We need this to be successful and very peaceful. We will not march to the toll gate avoid exuberant youths / Govt. saboteurs destroying any property. The communities are ready but we need the working class (It's a public holiday) people to show up and this may be the only time some of you will show up, please make good use of it. Spread this word through email, facebook and blackberries.

Up till now, most of those leading this protest are elderly people who may not even be alive in 30 years time. We need young people to get involved, this is your future!

Finally, suggestions are welcome and more importantly please help spread the word!!!

No to Suspension, We want Cancellation! NO TOLLING, NO FENCING!!!

We just finished a meeting of the "Lekki toll resistance" and the agreement is that there will be a press conference at the Ebunolu Adegoruwa's Chambers at Lekki Phase 1 (just after This Present House). You can come in through Lekki phase 1 admiralty way or the former 2nd roundabout.
The Press conference is for 10 AM prompt. We need as many people as possible who area against this Slavery to come and show their presence.
Those who want the road tolled are welcome to come and explain to us why we don't deserve a free road to go to our houses and take them to the schools we pay heavily for since LASG has abandoned Eti-Osa.

We may look a rag-tag army now and Tinubu may even buy all the media houses (they are refusing to carry our stories and grant us interviews even with Cash payment) but we know we are fighting a good cause and God that delivered our ancestors from SLAVERY will deliver us and destroy our oppressors.




Re: Fashola Suspends Lekki Expressway Toll Collection
« #86 on: Today at 08:57:08 PM »
Modify message
I will offer a few more information for those who think we are fighting a useless fight

Even though the road has been concessioned, the Lagos state government (LASG) has actually committed N5 billion ($42 million) of tax payers to the project and this facts sits pretty on the website of Standard bank and Mr. Fashola said that much in one of his investor road shows in the city of Dubai.

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=speechdetail&spid=324&mnu=governor

When the Lekki toll proposal was brought up in the executive council meeting during Tinubu's era, 90% of those in attendance including Mr. Fashola voted against it but it was vetoed.

In any PPP, there is always a value for the existing asset (even NITEL has) but the Lekki road was given a zero value. We know in actual sense that there was a value collected but used to execute Fashola's election.

They will only expand ~25 Km of road and construct median for the remaining 24 km at a sum of 50 Billion naira.

This will be the fight that will define Fashola's tenure and also the fight that will give LAgosians back their state from one Godfather.

Please vote out the ACN House of Rep Member from Eti-Osa for even allowing this to go on for so long. They need to know that no Godfather can save them!


see link below for more info

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-572178.0.html

I will offer a few more information for those who think we are fighting a useless fight

Even though the road has been concessioned, the Lagos state government (LASG) has actually committed N5 billion ($42 million) of tax payers to the project and this facts sits pretty on the website of Standard bank and Mr. Fashola said that much in one of his investor road shows in the city of Dubai.

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=speechdetail&spid=324&mnu=governor

When the Lekki toll proposal was brought up in the executive council meeting during Tinubu's era, 90% of those in attendance including Mr. Fashola voted against it but it was vetoed.

In any PPP, there is always a value for the existing asset (even NITEL has) but the Lekki road was given a zero value. We know in actual sense that there was a value collected but used to execute Fashola's election.

They will only expand ~25 Km of road and construct median for the remaining 24 km at a sum of 50 Billion naira.

This will be the fight that will define Fashola's tenure and also the fight that will give LAgosians back their state from one Godfather.

Please vote out the ACN House of Rep Member from Eti-Osa for even allowing this to go on for so long. They need to know that no Godfather can save them!


see link below for more info

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-572178.0.html

We just finished a meeting of the "Lekki toll resistance" and the agreement is that there will be a press conference at the Ebunolu Adegoruwa's Chambers at Lekki Phase 1 (just after This Present House). You can come in through Lekki phase 1 admiralty way or the former 2nd roundabout.
The Press conference is for 10 AM prompt. We need as many people as possible who area against this Slavery to come and show their presence.
Those who want the road tolled are welcome to come and explain to us why we don't deserve a free road to go to our houses and take them to the schools we pay heavily for since LASG has abandoned Eti-Osa.

We may look a rag-tag army now and Tinubu may even buy all the media houses (they are refusing to carry our stories and grant us interviews even with Cash payment) but we know we are fighting a good cause and God that delivered our ancestors from SLAVERY will deliver us and destroy our oppressors.

Gbawe:
Stick around buddy. I posted a poll , on Nairaland, from the PDP website the other day showing that 70% of Nigerians dont want the PDP leading the nation  . Lo and behold the poll was taken down, from the PDP website, literally minutes after I posted links to it via Nairaland !!!!! Saharareporters carried news of this occurence that exposes how jittery the PDP is;

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/panicky-pdp-yanks-online-polls-showing-ruling-party-trailing-other-parties

The PDP will be heavily defeated in the next election. That is what Nigerians have indicated consistently. Rigging will be resisted more effectively this time as well .You dont rule disastrously for 11 years and expect the red carpet treatment. PDP can forget Lagos and they should be ready to concede the entire SW region to the ACN Party. If other regions of Nigeria know what is good for them they will fight to get rid of the "evil" PDP.

I agree with your position largely but ACN has been disastrous in Lagos especially with the overwhelming majority. I think the best bet for electorates in Lagos may be retaining Fashola (in the absence of a better Gubernatorial candidate from other parties, PDP is not an option) and keeping him on his toes by electing House of Assembly/Rep members from PDP and other parties. ACN will definitely be hearing from the people of Eti-Osa at he polls (for the arrogance of the toll gate) and also from the Doctors, teachers and their families but I think Fashola may just retain his position.

This may even be a win-win for Fashola and electorates, frees him from Tinubu and the Speaker's (Ikuforiji's threat). I also suspect that FAshola has put Lagos in a huge debt which will not be good for the next governor.

The best thing Jonathan can do for himself and re-election bid is for him and his wife to keep quiet. Each time Goodluck OR Patience talks, they spew out trash! (pardon my irreverence!)

The Jonathan's are only fit to lead a village and Patience cuts the image of the wife of a local motor park chief.

There is a stakeholder's meeting at Millenium vocation centre, Ologolo village (around Agungi) tomorrow at 9 AM. We will discuss the next line of action.

RSVP : 08023202835 (WALE SANNI)

We may look like a rag tag army but we need to look these politicians in the face. We've all been angry but we need to let the LASG feel our Anger sometime before the 3rd of January (we preach non-violence for NOW!!!)[color=#990000][/color]

@ Xavier
I have no response for you now but suffice it to say you will hear from us even if you are TINUBU + FASHOLA!!! For every Jeremiah, there is a Samballat and his co-travellers.

LEKKI-EPE WAY TOLLING: THE BIG FRAUD

I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
--- Charles De Gaulle (1890 - 1970)

The people of Eti-Osa especially those that live around the Lekki-Epe way are finding out the hard way what Charles De Gaulle found out several years ago that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. When the whole idea of expanding the Lekki-Epe way, most people believed it was just another democracy dividend, the reward of having Action Congress (believed to be the modern day Awosits) in power especially given the woeful performance of the PDP Governors across several states. Many people including myself did not bother to find out the terms of the expansion especially since it was proposed as a public private partnership (a relatively new concept in this clime). Many people found out very late that and understandably so that the existing road will be expanded and tolled and shockingly at three different points in a residential area and within the same local government and a distance of less than 24km between first and third toll points (This must be a first in the world).
A lot of things have been written and said about this road expansion but I will only concern myself with reasons why this project must be considered for what it is exactly – a monumental fraud - and why citizens must rise up to ensure that tolling is not successfully done.

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
--- Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963), "Proper Studies", 1927

There are several facts about this Lekki road expansion that many people are not aware of or even seem to ignore out rightly.

1. Even though the road has been concessioned, the Lagos state government (LASG) has actually committed N5 billion ($42 million) of tax payers to the project and this facts sits pretty on the website of Standard bank and Mr. Fashola said that much in one of his investor road shows in the city of Dubai.

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=speechdetail&spid=324&mnu=governor

2. The Lekki-Epe way is about the only visible sign of government presence in the area which is dominated by private sector investment in roads, schools, hospitals, provision of water etc.
3. There are many residents of this area who pay over N3 million in income tax alone year and are being denied the very minimum of having a free road to their house.
4. Contrary to the expectations of most people, the road will only be expanded for a distance of less than 25 Km. The concessionaire (LCC) is only required to provide median for the remaining 24 km which really defeats the notion that the road is being done to prepare for the expected Megacity traffic from the Lekki Free trade zone.
5. LCC has a non-competing clause agreement which essentially means that LASG cannot provide an alternative means of transport (water or rail) for the people of Eti-Osa save the Coastal Road for the next 30 years even though they are supposed to pay their tax dutifully.
6. The Lekki road is being constructed by an incompetent contractor (Hitech) and has spent over 4 years doing less than 20% of the work.
7. The Governor set up a committee to examine the issues in dispute that led to the August Protest and while the team was still at work; LCC proceeded to accelerate the pace of work at the Chevron toll even while it was being recommended for demolition.
8. LCC plans to commence tolling on 3rd January, 2011 even though the average peak period travel time from Ajah to Victoria Island is over 3 hrs compared to less than 1 hr before the Lekki expansion commenced.
9. The Lekki-Epe way is not an expressway as it has posted speed limit of 60 km/hr even in the completed section
10. The Lekki road project is the most audacious fraud a Government can commit against its own people, the most flagrant disregard of tax payers and exploitation of the citizens.

Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.
--- Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

The Lekki-Epe way residents have a good opportunity for mass mobilization given that there are many estates with organised resident associations along the road and the indigenes have already demonstrated their unity of purpose during the great Lekki protest of August.
Many residents, workers and indigenes in the Lekki area are opposed to the idea of tolling, even though there are some who think that one toll plaza should be just fine but there has not been an opportunity for them to voice out their opinion and even the hugely successful Lekki protest of August took many by surprise especially the 8-4 workers (5am – 9pm in the case of Lekki). There are also those who believe that the toll amount is the most important thing as long as it is affordable.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
--- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968), Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

The Lekki toll fraud is the first in the state and many Lagosians cannot be bothered because they have no business in the Lekki area and view the area as a rich area and this has worked well in LASG’s favour but the lesson of history is clear – this will be the first of many more.

Power never takes a back step - only in the face of more power.
--- Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

It is clear that LCC and LASG are determined to go ahead with the toll plan except there is a determined resistance from the stakeholders and I will outline a few of what can still be done.
1. All stakeholders (Resident estates, Workers union, Local communities) should come together to outline where they stand on the issue of tolling and take every necessary step to ensure that the people are respected.

2. It is very important to ensure that tolling does not commence on 3rd January, 2011.

3. Every eligible person should get registered in preparation for the forthcoming elections and make it a duty ensure that no member of this present LAGOS state House of Assembly returns to the house except they promise to pass the Freedom of information bill in Lagos and ensure transparency in the government of Lagos. I have only refrained from asking that Mr. Fashola be voted out because I’m yet to see a better opposition candidate (they probably do exist) and clearly do not regard the PDP as a party to be trusted.

4. The Lekki toll is not the right opportunity to show one’s class or level of affluence in the society as LCC plans through the SWIFT and e-Tag toll classification. If you really work hard for your money, the duty you owe LASG is to pay your tax and they owe you the provision of basic infrastructure including a free road to your house.

5. A press conference is planned for Wednesday 22nd December, 2010 and next steps would be announced. The only reason LCC and Fashola have succeeded thus far is because we’ve been docile and now is the time to put our money where our mouth is. The tolling has been perfectly planned for the holiday period when many people are expected to have travelled and opposition will be weak.

Why now? Why not now?
--- Lekki Residents, Resolution 2010


Many people ask if it’s not too late to resist the tolling and why now when so much has been spent and my response is basically given above.
1. While it may appear a bit late, it is still very timely because our success will send a strong message to corrupt politicians and greedy bankers to take their stakeholders seriously. The banks in this case recognise that this a very risky financing project as it is a clear case of enslaving the people which is why they had to get LASG to commit N5 billion and also ensure 1500 hectares of prime land is deposited as collateral. The bankers are business men and will do anything that gives them more money except people react appropriately.
2. This is an election period and there is no better time to get our elected officials to listen to us than now.
3. The whole transaction has been shrouded in secrecy with active collaboration from the House of Assembly and if we don’t help ourselves now, we’ve lost it.
4. People ask if LCC does not deserve credit for the “good work” they’ve done so far and my simple response is always a question - if you pay your tax, do you deserve a good road to your house or what did the residents of Bourdillon in Ikoyi do to deserve a good road to their house?
5. There are rumours that the project cost is N50 billion for expansion of 25 km of the road and provision of median for another 25 km which gives an average of N1 billion per kilometre, more than 3 times the FG benchmark of N320 million per kilometre for a new road.
6. The ACN with total domination of the House of Assembly and Local Governments and has yet to show any sign of transparency in its affairs. Mr. Fashola has always avoided telling us the cost of any road project.
7. There is no alternative to the toll road at the moment. The much touted Oniru bypass cannot be an alternative because it’s been built well in advance of the tolling and even makes our journey more tortuous than what we had before.
8. Lekki tolling is the start of a new method of slavery and needs to be nipped in the bud right now.

LEKKI-EPE WAY TOLLING: THE BIG FRAUD

I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
--- Charles De Gaulle (1890 - 1970)

The people of Eti-Osa especially those that live around the Lekki-Epe way are finding out the hard way what Charles De Gaulle found out several years ago that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. When the whole idea of expanding the Lekki-Epe way, most people believed it was just another democracy dividend, the reward of having Action Congress (believed to be the modern day Awosits) in power especially given the woeful performance of the PDP Governors across several states. Many people including myself did not bother to find out the terms of the expansion especially since it was proposed as a public private partnership (a relatively new concept in this clime). Many people found out very late that and understandably so that the existing road will be expanded and tolled and shockingly at three different points in a residential area and within the same local government and a distance of less than 24km between first and third toll points (This must be a first in the world).
A lot of things have been written and said about this road expansion but I will only concern myself with reasons why this project must be considered for what it is exactly – a monumental fraud - and why citizens must rise up to ensure that tolling is not successfully done.

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
--- Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963), "Proper Studies", 1927

There are several facts about this Lekki road expansion that many people are not aware of or even seem to ignore out rightly.

1. Even though the road has been concessioned, the Lagos state government (LASG) has actually committed N5 billion ($42 million) of tax payers to the project and this facts sits pretty on the website of Standard bank and Mr. Fashola said that much in one of his investor road shows in the city of Dubai.

http://corporateandinvestment.standardbank.co.za/sa/news_centre/news_centre.jsp?from=recent&mediaid=313

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=speechdetail&spid=324&mnu=governor

2. The Lekki-Epe way is about the only visible sign of government presence in the area which is dominated by private sector investment in roads, schools, hospitals, provision of water etc.
3. There are many residents of this area who pay over N3 million in income tax alone year and are being denied the very minimum of having a free road to their house.
4. Contrary to the expectations of most people, the road will only be expanded for a distance of less than 25 Km. The concessionaire (LCC) is only required to provide median for the remaining 24 km which really defeats the notion that the road is being done to prepare for the expected Megacity traffic from the Lekki Free trade zone.
5. LCC has a non-competing clause agreement which essentially means that LASG cannot provide an alternative means of transport (water or rail) for the people of Eti-Osa save the Coastal Road for the next 30 years even though they are supposed to pay their tax dutifully.
6. The Lekki road is being constructed by an incompetent contractor (Hitech) and has spent over 4 years doing less than 20% of the work.
7. The Governor set up a committee to examine the issues in dispute that led to the August Protest and while the team was still at work; LCC proceeded to accelerate the pace of work at the Chevron toll even while it was being recommended for demolition.
8. LCC plans to commence tolling on 3rd January, 2011 even though the average peak period travel time from Ajah to Victoria Island is over 3 hrs compared to less than 1 hr before the Lekki expansion commenced.
9. The Lekki-Epe way is not an expressway as it has posted speed limit of 60 km/hr even in the completed section
10. The Lekki road project is the most audacious fraud a Government can commit against its own people, the most flagrant disregard of tax payers and exploitation of the citizens.

Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.
--- Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

The Lekki-Epe way residents have a good opportunity for mass mobilization given that there are many estates with organised resident associations along the road and the indigenes have already demonstrated their unity of purpose during the great Lekki protest of August.
Many residents, workers and indigenes in the Lekki area are opposed to the idea of tolling, even though there are some who think that one toll plaza should be just fine but there has not been an opportunity for them to voice out their opinion and even the hugely successful Lekki protest of August took many by surprise especially the 8-4 workers (5am – 9pm in the case of Lekki). There are also those who believe that the toll amount is the most important thing as long as it is affordable.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
--- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968), Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

The Lekki toll fraud is the first in the state and many Lagosians cannot be bothered because they have no business in the Lekki area and view the area as a rich area and this has worked well in LASG’s favour but the lesson of history is clear – this will be the first of many more.

Power never takes a back step - only in the face of more power.
--- Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

It is clear that LCC and LASG are determined to go ahead with the toll plan except there is a determined resistance from the stakeholders and I will outline a few of what can still be done.
1. All stakeholders (Resident estates, Workers union, Local communities) should come together to outline where they stand on the issue of tolling and take every necessary step to ensure that the people are respected.

2. It is very important to ensure that tolling does not commence on 3rd January, 2011.

3. Every eligible person should get registered in preparation for the forthcoming elections and make it a duty ensure that no member of this present LAGOS state House of Assembly returns to the house except they promise to pass the Freedom of information bill in Lagos and ensure transparency in the government of Lagos. I have only refrained from asking that Mr. Fashola be voted out because I’m yet to see a better opposition candidate (they probably do exist) and clearly do not regards the PDP as a party to be trusted.

4. The Lekki toll is not the right opportunity to show one’s class or level of affluence in the society as LCC plans through the SWIFT and e-Tag toll classification. If you really work hard for your money, the duty you owe LASG is to pay your tax and they owe you the provision of basic infrastructure including a free road to your house.

5. A press conference is planned for Wednesday 22nd December, 2010 and next steps would be announced. The only reason LCC and Fashola have succeeded thus far is because we’ve been docile and now is the time to put our money where our mouth is. The tolling has been perfectly planned for the holiday period when many people are expected to have travelled and opposition will be weak.

Why now? Why not now?
--- Lekki Residents, Resolution 2010


Many people ask if it’s not too late to resist the tolling and why now when so much has been spent and my response is basically given above.
1. While it may appear a bit late, it is still very timely because our success will send a strong message to corrupt politicians and greedy bankers to take their stakeholders seriously. The banks in this case recognise that this a very risky financing project as it is a clear case of enslaving the people which is why they had to get LASG to commit N5 billion and also ensure 1500 hectares of prime land is deposited as collateral. The bankers are business men and will do anything that gives them more money except people react appropriately.
2. This is an election period and there is no better time to get our elected officials to listen to us than now.
3. The whole transaction has been shrouded in secrecy with active collaboration from the House of Assembly and if we don’t help ourselves now, we’ve lost it.
4. People ask if LCC does not deserve credit for the “good work” they’ve done so far and my simple response is always a question - if you pay your tax, do you deserve a good road to your house or what did the residents of Bourdillon in Ikoyi do to deserve a good road to their house?
5. There are rumours that the project cost is N50 billion for expansion of 25 km of the road and provision of median for another 25 km which gives an average of N1 billion per kilometre, more than 3 times the FG benchmark of N320 million per kilometre for a new road.
6. The ACN with total domination of the House of Assembly and Local Governments and has yet to show any sign of transparency in its affairs. Mr. Fashola has always avoided telling us the cost of any road project.
7. There is no alternative to the toll road at the moment. The much touted Oniru bypass cannot be an alternative because it’s been built well in advance of the tolling and even makes our journey more tortuous than what we had before.
8. Lekki tolling is the start of a new method of slavery and needs to be nipped in the bud right now.

COMPAQ:
What we need is not a refurbishment. MMIA needs a BRAND NEW terminal building. For goodness sake, Heathrow has up to terminal 5 and the terminal I used last had about 12 carousels!! It is amazing that we have only about 3 immigration stamping points at MMIA. If 2 flights land around thew same time, see queue!! And rather than the silly immigration guys working swiftly, ther will even slow you down the more to ask you for "wettin you bring come? Even if na perfume I no mind", shocking!!!! Nigeria is an embarrasment to Africa!! Giant indeed!!

I don't think lagos needs a new airport. The airport is quite underutlized right now. Heathrow has two runways just like MMIA. Heathrow has so many terminals but it's one of the busiest airport in the world (I think!) interms of plane movements and passenger traffic.
how many airlines land in MMIA in a whole day. I'm not sure they are up to 50 (~ 1 plane per 30 mins) as opposed to Heathrow where a plane lands like every 2 minutes and you can see the queue. What MMIA needs is more efficiency and refurbishments. They need to attend to passengers faster, provide multi-level parking and ensure they maintain it regularly. I doubt if Lagos with the level of poverty in Nigeria can justify another international airport in terms of economics. Which airlines will fly to the place, it's the same set of FEW people that travel in Nigeria. We have pauperized our people to the extent that international air travel is seen as a big deal and therefore even though we have 150 million people, more than half of them will never travel outside of NIgeria in their lifetime!

The reality is that LIBYA and Libyans do not need Nigeria for anything. I'm not sure you will find many Libyans in this country.
Nigeria on the other hand needs LIBYA and Ghadaffi to forgive the numerous NIGERIANS currently on death row in Libya. Libya is on the desert route to Europe and Nigeria will still need Libya except Goodluck has a miracle in the offing that will prevent Nigerians choosing to die trying to get into Europe than living in their country.

I don't think it shows wisdom to abuse someone you need favours from.