₦airaland Forum

The State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, however, told our correspondent that private initiatives were an important part of the environment.

He said, “Private initiatives are always necessary in all human endeavours in all societies. That is why there are private hospitals, schools and all others. As long as there are options, private initiatives will always be available.

“Remember, the state is adding to her infrastructure portfolio regularly. Can the deficit be eliminated in a year? No. So we have to keep attacking, which is exactly what the state is doing.”

The tale of toll bridges and roads in Lagos already appears to be twofold. While the wooden bridges on one side, service a section of the state that is largely dominated by modest dwellings, the tolled Lekki-Ikoyi suspension bridge and the Lekki-Epe Expressway are servicing another section believed to be living in more affluence.


In the same vein, why don't the LASG shut down all those death traps wooden structures called Link bridges built by individuals across Igando-Ayobo canal? Its all double standards!

[quote author=dimples*]Sexy eyes that can un.dress me

Some Sexy lips esp. Pink lips daaayuum[/quote]you just described me do you know me before?

The State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, however, told our correspondent that private initiatives were an important part of the environment.

He said, “Private initiatives are always necessary in all human endeavours in all societies. That is why there are private hospitals, schools and all others. As long as there are options, private initiatives will always be available.

“Remember, the state is adding to her infrastructure portfolio regularly. Can the deficit be eliminated in a year? No. So we have to keep attacking, which is exactly what the state is doing.”[i][/i]

Yes Mr Commissioner, it is true that private initiatives should be encouraged but within specified, set, and acceptable quality standards to ensure that the lives of the people whom you are there to serve are not endangered in any way.
private hospitals, schools like you said, are regulated and made to operate within the standards set by the state.
Are you saying that these wooden death traps called bridges met your standards? or perhaps that is your standard for the less privileged, masses who live in these areas. I have some simple questions to ask you:
1. Can a private entity be allowed by Lagos state government to build such wooden bridges in places like the island or even Ikeja?
2. Is Lagos State discriminating against its citizens?

The sight of such bridges in Lagos state is a big dent to the hardworking, focused, trail blazer, mega city image that the government is selling to the world. we can excuse PDP states with such infrastructures but definitely not an APC state.

The Lagos state government must as a matter of urgency construct safe bridges in these areas to address the widely circulating notion that Lagos is a lover of the rich and hater of the poor.

A message to Dr. Bukola Saraki: empower your people so that they need not die every year trying to catch the crumbs you throw at them. Incidents of these kind will keep occurring if you fail to do the right thing. EMPOWER KWARANS!

Who is going to sack her? i wish there was somebody who could

Redhot111: Ohonba line advert bak in d days. If u stayed in Benin den u will knw wat I mean

Good morning Lagos the price na opueke

Thats our definition of celebrity in Naija. Once you wear a pair of cheap sunglasses covering your whole face indoors, then you are a celebrity

This move is a more practical way of tackling unemployment in Nigeria. we don't need to keep churning out white collar professionals alone to the detriment of the real sector of our economy, what we need is to ensure that most Nigerians acquire vocational skills which will make them self sufficient thus reducing the clamor for the few existent or non- existent white collar jobs. It is instructive to know that those who have vocational skills make more money even outside the country than their white collar counterparts.
Lets see more of such Universities.

tpacalipse: Scan the car first to determine if the issue is not as a result of electrical shift solenoid malfunction. Most of the time, it ain't mechanical. I have had issues with mine, and from personal research now I know many things about the auto gear for that car. Very soon I will give it out and buy myself a 1999 w202 C class Benz 200 or a VolVo 850. I hate Toyota now.

Talking about Volvo 850, a friend has been using one for sometime now and i must say i am amazed at the number of road trips the guy makes with it. he also said its fuel consumption is very good(30 ltrs from Akure to Lagos). His is an Estate 850. i am now giving a second look at Volvo also considering the fact that it is not on car snatchers list. what informed your choice of this Volvo 850?

Such a comment coming from an Honorable minister of the federal republic of Nigeria clearly goes to show how much knowledge she has on the job thrown at her laps. It also shows her mindset, endorsing accidents while doing too little or nothing to prevent their occurrence since" they are acts of God". Those still flying within this country are obviously on their own.

So these celebrities no dey comot glass for eye even when dem dey sleep?

WHAT IS THE PLACE OF THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS IN ALL OF THIS?
He (Fashola) said there is a need for shelter for 5 million Lagosians. My question to him is, what is the breakdown of this figure? what percentage of the figure is rich, Poor, Middle class.
We just need to be sincere with ourselves in this country. we need to tell each other the truth.
The poor masses are only useful for forming long queues under the heat of scorching sun to cast votes during elections.

Kudos to Shagari,Gowon and Jakande who brought up real solutions to housing problem through provision of affordable housing schemes.

I came across this write-up on premium times and would like to share, though lengthy but interesting.

Published: September 17,2013

By: Femi Aribisala

Poor people can have no place in Lagos, if Lagos is to become the megacity of Governor Fashola’s lofty dreams!
Hip, hip, hip; Hooray! Lagos is now going to be a megacity. Under the able leadership of Governor Babatunde Fashola, the apostle of good governance, Lagos is undergoing a major makeover. The Atlantic Ocean will be banished, to be replaced by Eko Atlantic; a shimmering new 3.5 mile island built literally on the water behind a “great wall of Lagos.” Greenery has suddenly appeared in Lagos, displacing the concrete jungle. There are now parks with manicured lawns. There are now tree-lined roads. Pot-holes are now being tarred. Sidewalks are now provided for pedestrians.

Eko o ni baje
In the middle of this transformation, a new immigration department has been opened in Lagos. “Illegal aliens” are being expelled and are shipped back to their homelands in the dead of night. New visitors may have to obtain visas to come here. All this makes it imperative to determine who exactly is the Lagosian? Who is entitled to enjoy the new amenities that Governor Fashola and his team of dedicated public-servants are bringing to Lagos? Accordingly, a battle royal has emerged for the rightful ownership of Lagos. Some are insisting Lagos is no man’s land. Others are discovering Lagos as their fatherland. But there is no question that the government has already determined the precise identity of the true Lagosian.
As far as the Lagos State Government is concerned, the true Lagosian is not the Yoruba man or the Igbo man. Neither is he the Hausa man or the Fulani man. The true Lagosian is the rich man. The poor have been served quit notice. They are no longer wanted in Lagos. Fashola’s resounding slogan is “Eko o ni baje,” which means Lagos will not go to the dogs. The poor are considered the dogs of Lagos. In that troublesome capacity, they can have no place in Lagos, if Lagos is to become the megacity of Governor Fashola’s lofty dreams!

Action Governor
For some strange reason, Lagos has tended to have better Governors than most states of the federation. But if you were to ask me who is the best among all the Governors of Lagos, I would answer you without hesitation. In my opinion, it is Governor Babatunde Fashola. Fashola is a man with a vision. He is a man with a purpose. He is a man clearly able to translate ideas into weapons. He has transformed and is transforming Lagos right before our very eyes.
But I have a nagging suspicion that the reason why I am so readily persuaded by Fashola’s virtues might not be unconnected with the fact that I am not a poor man. The poor themselves may have a very different point of view. They are probably likely to insist that the best governor in the history of Lagos is Lateef Kayode Jakande; alias “Baba Kekere.”
I am not a poor man by Nigerian standards. Therefore, I do not presume to speak for the poor. But then, increasingly, I am beginning to wonder who exactly speaks for them in Lagos. One thing is certain, Fashola speaks primarily for the rich; and this is not good enough. In the Lagos of today, the poor have no voice. Fashola’s laudable policies are too one-sided. They are tailor-made for the rich: and are grossly disadvantageous to the poor.

Relocating the poor
I don’t have to be poor to know that the poor are increasingly unwelcome in Lagos. The genius of Fashola is to relocate them to the outskirts of the city. If they are non-indigenes, they are relocated back to their homesteads. The systematic ridding of Lagos of the poor is a longstanding process. The poor were shipped out of Maroko. It has been replaced by Oniru where apartments go for an average of 2.5 million naira a year.
Slums in Mushin, Oluwole and Makoko have been demolished. The residents were evicted from their homes, with no talk of rehabilitation. Markets in Tejuoso, Yaba and Oshodi have been demolished and rebuilt. The new stalls are beyond the pocket of the earlier poor occupants. Everywhere in Lagos, the poor are becoming persona non grata.
In places like Ojota, Makoko, and Ijora-Badia East, the poor residents have been evicted from their homes. In some cases, they were given only 72 hours notice to leave. In Makoko/Iwaya, the government’s quit notice described them “environmental nuisances” that “undermined the megacity status” of Lagos. It stated that their menial existence was detrimental to the government’s determination to beautify the Lagos waterfront.

Eko Atlantic
As the poor are being squeezed out, so is more leg-room being created for the rich. The Eko Atlantic project is the epitome of this. It involves dredging 140 million tons of sand from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean to subdue the sea and create nine million square kilometers of prime real estate, protected by an eight meter-high wall, vaunted to last 1000 years. When completed, the project will boast residential areas, offices, shops, and leisure facilities for 250,000 people, with another 150,000 commuting to work. To have a foothold in this brave new world, you will need a cool 300,000 naira for just one square meter of land.
However, what Lagos desperately needs is not a “Manhattan island” that will cater primarily for the rich. What Lagos needs is massive low-cost housing to accommodate millions of slum-dwellers. The state government itself acknowledges that Lagos has a housing shortage in excess of five million. By its own estimates, it needs an annual growth of at least 200,000 houses to keep up with the population growth. In spite of this, it touts a six billion-dollar white-elephant project that ignores this urgent need of the poor masses in favour of one that caters to the rich few.

Ban of Okadas
I hate okadas. They are a menace on the streets. Even the sidewalks are not safe from them. Okada riders are a law unto themselves. They obey no traffic rules. They imperil their clients by taking dangerous risks. The mortuaries and hospitals are filled with those who have lost life and limb because of their recklessness. But I will be the first to admit that one of the reasons I am able to hate okadas with so much passion is because I have a car. I don’t have to take okadas and have never ever taken them.
Governor Babatunde Fashola also has a car. So it does not surprise me that, like me, he is also fed up with the menace of okadas in Lagos. Therefore, recently an edict was passed banning them in most areas of Lagos. The government refused to provide alternative means of transportation for those who don’t have cars before banning the okadas. This oversight translates into contempt for the poor. I don’t have to be poor to recognise that it has been disastrous.
Since the banning of the okadas, I have repented of my earlier hatred of okadas. No matter that I wind up my tinted windows; the better to enjoy the air-conditioning in my car, I cannot remain oblivious to the mass of humanity in Lagos now constrained to walk for miles or stand for hours at bus-stops, waiting in readiness for the battle ahead when it will become necessary to fight for the few spaces available in the few buses when they finally, finally, arrive.
Let’s face it; with the okadas gone, the poor in Lagos don’t get home until midnight and then they have to set out for work by 5 a.m.; and that is if they have a job. I asked a lady in my neighbourhood supermarket how much she makes as a cashier. She told me 20,000 naira a month. I don’t know how anybody can survive in Fashola’s Lagos with such a salary, especially since over 50% of that goes for transportation alone.

Paying tolls
The new departure in Fashola’s Lagos is that people now have to pay for driving on tarred roads. If you are one of the poor residents of Ajah, Badore, Elegushi, Ajiran, Sangotedo, Abijo, Ibeju, and other communities in Eti-osa, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas, you will now have to pay tolls for leaving your house to head for the Lagos mainland and pay again for going back home. On the Lekki expressway, no less than three tolls are envisaged for just a 50 kilometer stretch of road.
The Lagos State Government is only interested in exploiting the poor in this area, and there are literally millions living there. There is little or no government infrastructure there. There is no general hospital, and no low-income housing scheme. No sporting or recreational facility. No public transportation system. No public water works: just the payment of tolls. The original idea was to develop a coastal road as an alternative route to the tolled road, but this has not been done.

No petty-trading
So how can the poor make ends meet in Lagos? With okada gone, and excluding outright crime, one option is petty-trading Lagos-style. This entails turning the streets into one big supermarket, and training for the 2016 Olympics by running after cars in order to sell something as menial as groundnuts. But even here, you are likely to be confronted by the long arm of the law. Street-trading is frowned at in Lagos. The “kick against indiscipline” brigade will seize your goods if they get hold of you.
The Arab Spring outburst in Tunisia started because the goods of a poor street-trader, Mohamed Bouaziz, were confiscated by the police. That act brought the man to the end of his rope. He bought a jerry-can of petrol and set himself on fire. Those sympathetic to his plight took to the streets, and the upshot of this was the overthrow of the government.
Lagos, Nigeria may not be Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. Nevertheless, Governor Fashola has a legacy to protect. Rather than this new policy of banishing the poor to Siberia, Fashola should sit down and fashion comprehensive policies that take into consideration their acute suffering in Lagos. If he does not, his disregard of the poor will soon overshadow his remarkable achievements in Lagos State.

This OP is a liar. why upload a fake picture to vilify someone else?

kayusbrown: So many things are wrong with the Nigerian Educational System. The discrimination against HND holders is just one of them and it is very unfortunate because it hinders the technological advancement of this nation. The HND programme is an ill-conceived programme. Progressive nations who used to run same programme have scrapped it (e.g. Ghana). Scrapping the HND programme still remains the permanent solution to the issue of discrimination. A practical way of going about that is for all HND holders to lead formidable protests via their alumni association to prevent the admission of candidates into the HND progaramme of their respective institutions and mandate NBTE and National Assembly to scrap the programme. Part of the demands should be the immediate development of a maximum of 1year Top-up degree programme for HND holders willing to obtain bachelor's degree in our Universities. That is the way forward because no matter how hard HND holders cry to the authorities to make the certificate equivalent to bachelor's degree, no one will listen and nothing will be done in that regard. The discrimination is already deeply entrenched.

https://www.nairaland.com/985998/presidential-scholarship-scheme-discrimination-against
https://www.nairaland.com/1312040/asup-strike-hnd-discrimination-conspiracy
https://www.nairaland.com/1315065/breaking-yoke-discrimination-against-higher

Spot on bro. I completely agree with you. Anything short of this would be begging the question or postponing the evil day.

I actually first used an ATM machine in lagos in 2006. what about you? i must admit that i was jittery at first. had to get someone to help me with pin change and all that. still brings me laughter when i look back in the days... what about you?

Dean Olamide: Dt awkward moment when u graduate with HND and Haaving Ur MBA and sametime running Ur BSC? SMH for u... Who u wan impress... Where did u drop ur PGD before u get. Ur MBA.....

Just Question +++o++++++

Going for a Bsc after MBA was not an easy decision. it was one borne out of some kind of frustration. Just imagine a scenario where you see a job advert clearly asking for "a good first degree" No equivalents... you'll agree with me that most blue chip companies in various sectors are guilty of this outright discrimination. They dont just want to see the HND even when you have the PGD.
To answer your question, i was able to go straight for my MBA(Uniben) because i had an Upper credit in my HND. Even now that i am running my Bsc programme, i was allowed to start at 300 level(Unilag) because of same Upper credit. After getting this BSc, i will now ses how they will scheme me out of any Job opening which i am qualified for. I just pity for those guys in Polytechnics right now, wish they know how tough it is out here.

still early in the day, go get direct entry form and go for your Bsc. This is the best advice considering the current Nigerian situation. I have Upper credit(HND) and an MBA but i am pursuing my Bsc currently. Smh for this Country

I am of the opinion that one of the ways of shaping future of the next generation and to discourage crime/corruption could be by taking our children on a visit to Nigerian prisons to see the conditions of inmates. The tour guide will show them the inmates and tell what crimes they committed and the length of their incarceration. just my 2 kobo. What do you think?

Times are hard and children are going back to school. have you been able to pay the fees? what effect did it have on your pocket?
I have paid and a have a big hole in my pocket to show for it
God dey!

in addition to what the OP stated, when i used to board buses, i used to do a quick scan to see if there are any neighbours or fellow church members on board, especially when i am broke

This same thing happened to a friend along Abuja- Lokoja expressway. thank God the guy was sharp to know that they were jokers. i met them around ofosu last year and i just shouted at the guy; this was after it happened to my friend. Let us shine our eyes

You need the services of someone to drive you and your family around safely; someone who becomes like a part of the family, knows the workings of the family including secrets yet they are paid peanuts that cannot even help take care of their families.
Imagine being driven by a person who cannot afford to pay his children's school fees, house rent and other monthly expenses. How can such a person concentrate on his driving job which he is expected to do perfectly. He hears you mention those huge figures when making business calls yet lives in poverty. How secure do you think you are with such a person in your employ? they are vulnerable hence their easy involvement in crimes like robbery, kidnapping, etc. Most big guys i know still pay less than 30k.
Question is how much do you pay your driver? Sincere answers please.

For all those who have ulcer challenge, i have a simple, natural remedy which cures permanently. This is often overlooked because of its simplicity. This forum is meant for us to share knowledge for free so i'll give it just as my father gave it to me many years ago. Here it is:
Just get shea butter, melt with heat and take a table spoon full twice daily.
For those in Nigeria, there is another way to take it using Eko aka Agidi to touch and eat the melted shea butter.
continue medication until symptoms cease.

What about the Ipaja - Ayobo Link bridge?
https://www.nairaland.com/1381747/tale-two-link-bridges-lagos

Please visit the link below to better appreciate what is happening in Lagos.

https://www.nairaland.com/1381747/tale-two-link-bridges-lagos

And this thread never made front page.. so sad how we reason on this forum.
most people are so quick to pull the tribal card on any issue brought forward for discussion.
Back to the issue on ground, a look at the breakdown of the population figures of Lagos would reveal areas with huge population of people who pay their taxes in Lagos, little wonder these areas become the toast of the politicians during electioneering campaigns. Unfortunately in this case, Alimosho is in that category. The case of Alimosho is likened to that of the Niger delta region which produces bulk of the Nation's wealth but have little or nothing to show for it.
how many votes do they record in the Island where their focus seems to remain. Fashola has a short time in office and it would only be wise for him to address this mess for the sake of equity and fairness.
I implore those who have not been to this area to try and do so before hitting their key pads.

Residents are anxious to know when work will actually commence on the planned link bridge which the Lagos state commissioner for works spoke about sometime ago. Anyone with specific details of the plans?

I'm not surprised that this is happening at AIT; Something like this is also happening at This Day Newspaper. Their owners live large at the expense of their workers. its a shame.