₦airaland Forum

In case anyone has forgotten, this is the history of the Eti-Osa LG Toll Project


THE FACTS

1.    The Lekki-Epe express road was initially constructed by the Jakande administration and completed by the Mudashiru and Mike Akhigbe military administrations in 1987.  The entire Lekki axis was then opened up for rapid development.  Between 1985 and now, the corridor has been experiencing rapid and unprecedented urban growth as hundreds of new communities, developments and estates have developed which drew large population of low and middle income Lagosians.

2.    The last administration realizing the urgent need to address the fast growing problem of road congestion conceived the idea of the expansion of the existing express road into a six-lane roadway, the construction of an alternate coastal road that will run from Ahmadu Bello way in Bar Beach, along the shores of the Atlantic ocean towards Ibeju-Lekki Local Government area. The third leg was the construction of a fourth mainland bridge, from Langbasa area near Ajah across the Lagos Lagoon to Ikorodu town and detouring somewhere to join the existing third mainland bridge thereby forming a circular road around Lagos.

3.    A committee was initially set up which recommended the adoption of the PPP concept to handle the project since it was thought then that because of the magnitude of the project, the state government might have to collaborate with the private sector under a Private-Public-Participation (PPP) model to handle the project.

4.    Thereafter, Tinubu’s greed took control.  He floated a company-Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to handle the project as a consortium and appointed a financial advisory company ARM as the financial adviser.

5.    LCC immediately asked for 1,000 hectares of prime land as the contribution of the state government to the project.  This was immediately granted by Tinubu and he released the c of o within weeks for 1,000 hectares of prime at Awoyaya, Abijo, Eputu and Sapati all in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area.  Part of the land is now being developed as ADIVA housing and golf course project by ARM

6.    The project was later jettisoned after obtaining the hectares of land and other payments from the state government and in its place; the rehabilitation of the existing Lekki expressway was adopted by the consortium.  There is no basis for a toll road and 30 year concession arrangement for a mere rehabilitation and expansion of an existing road which the government could afford on its own.

7.    Indeed, the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to Governor Tinubu in 2006, offering to construct the coastal road free of charge to Lagos and its people from the Lekki Free Trade Zone to Ahmadu Bello Way in VI.  He also sent a letter of commitment written by a Chinese construction firm to that effect.  Governor Tinubu firmly rejected this offer and instead opted to abandon the coastal road project which the concession was initially meant for and instead signed a 30 year concession for a toll road to his company.

8.    The rehabilitation work commenced in late 2006 with the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ozumba Mbadiwe end to Mobil building and the 49.4km main Lekki road rehabilitation started in 2007 shortly after Fashola became Governor

9.    By this time, Fashola’s crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe was made chairman of LCC and the entire contract was awarded to HITECH.    HITECH is owned by both the Chagouris and former Gov Bola Tinubu who is the Chairman

10.  LCC was given a 30 year concession (note that all their concessions are usually 30 years) with no competitive bid, no competing quote and no professional evaluation.  The whole thing was packaged by Tinubu and executed by Fashola for their own selfish interest.

11.           To further confirm this, Tinubu has built a multi-billion naira state of the art hotel-the Oriental Hotel along the express road. Conveniently, the toll gate is located a few meters before the hotel coming from VI so that the hotel clients wouldn’t have to pay toll.  Even, special entry and exit points (including a roundabout) have been constructed for the hotel and the multi-level car park beside it (also owned by Tinubu) by the construction company using tax/toll payers’ money. Talk about creating a personal empire. One man owning an express road and a multi-billion naira hotel.

12.           The 49.4km two-phased project is to cost an outrageous N50 billion which the innocent citizens and particularly the residents and indigenous communities of Lekki, Ajah, Epe and Ibeju areas will cough out over the next 30 years while  Tinubu, Fashola, Olowolafe, the Chagouris and their other collaborators and their unborn generations will be smiling to the banks.  A simple arithmetic shows that cost of construction averages N1billion per 1km.  This did not include the 1,000 hectares of land and other costs already incurred by the Lagos state government. This must be the most expensive road anywhere in the world! Meanwhile, there will be 3 toll plazas in a 50km stretch!

13.           Already, the rehabilitation work which started in 2006 has only achieved less than 2km in over 3 years; meanwhile, the consortium has only concentrated on building the toll plazas rather than first completing the two phases for the convenience of residents. Residents in these areas spend more than 6 hours daily on the road while the situation will get worse during the coming rains.  This has disrupted the lives of the citizens and no proper alternate road was constructed by the consortium.

14.           The entire Lekki axis hosts millions of indigenous people who are fishermen and farmers and have occupied their lands for centuries.  They are largely poor and agrarian from villages like Ajah, Badore, Elegushi, Ajiran, Sangotedo, Abijo, Ibeju, and all communities in Eti-osa, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas. These indigenous people along with others living in the area are now being forced to pay toll to enter and exit their fatherland.

15.           These people who have been subjected to economic misfortune occasioned by seizure of their lands by this government are now been economically drained by the imposition of toll gates within their communities.  There has never been any consultations with the people neither was there any environmental impact assessment before the commencement of the project.

16.           THE BIG FRAUD

This is the biggest fraud ever conceived!

(a)     A road that was initially constructed by two previous administration and that belong to the Lagos State Government is now being jointly owned by Tinubu-the former governor and Fashola-the present governor through his crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe under the consortium LCC

(b)     LCC was appointed without conforming to the Public Procurement Act of 2007. There was no public bidding process, no competing bids from other consortium and the fact that the former Governor and the present Governor have personal interest is criminal in nature.

(c)     LCC will collect toll from the taxpayers of Lagos over the next 30years.  The amount to be collected was not subject to any negotiation or law by any regulatory agency.  Which means it is arbitrary and could be changed without notice anytime through the duration of the 30 year lease.  

(d)     In addition, landowners and prospective builders of homes are being charged heavily as infrastructural charge, land use charge and personal income tax and are now required to pay road tax or toll. This is multiple taxation in its worst form.

(e)     The people’s livelihoods have been disrupted for the past 3 years without compensation and there is no alternate road anywhere as it is in practice in other parts of the world where there are toll roads.

(f)      A concession that was granted for the building of a coastal road, 4th mainland bridge and expansion of Lekki road has now been turned into mere rehabilitation of an existing road for the same 30-year concession. This is fraud

(g)     Fences are being built around the toll areas to box residents within the area. This has security and safety implications.  If there is a major emergency like major armed robbery operations, civil crisis, major floods, fire incidents etc and residents need to be evacuated in a hurry; there will be major massive bottleneck at the toll plaza as there is no other escape route except through the lagoon or Atlantic Ocean. Remember the Oke-Afa mass drowning incident of 2002.   God forbid!

(h)     The owners of LCC have also received cash payments and land grants from Lagos state government in addition to the 30 year toll.  These payments and land grants were initially made under the agreement that the 4th mainland bridge-Lekki road-coastal road would be built.  It is therefore criminal to obtain compensation for a project only to turn around and reduce the scope.

(i)       Several prominent Baales, residents and associations have voiced their objections over the years but were arrogantly ignored by government and LCC.  The Eti-Osa Heritage Group, Concerned Residents of Lekki-Ajah (COROLA) and other Indigenous groups have expressed reservations and berated LCC for what they considered inequitable for the residents.

(j)       We indeed wonder what the Lagos State House of Assembly is there for if it cannot raise its voice to protect its citizens.  The House is indeed culpable as it remains ineffective when this entire charade is going on under its watch or is the House of Assembly another conquered territory of both Tinubu and Fashola?

These pastors are just like the politicians. They're all criminals.

Akainzo's response just shows that he has accepted his fate that he is a slave to the govt and does not know his rights. If Fashola/Tinubu asks for his wife he'll dash them and then write,

Before (With wife )
Feeding allowance - N40,000

After (Without wife)
Feeding allowance - N25,000    I am a winner.

Sorry, some of us know our rights.

I have come across many of these arrogant "if you can't afford it, move out of Lekki" or "my family can afford the toll so i can't risk my life" folks in the past few days.

Well, just remember that a society that does not take care of its poor cannot secure its rich.

It's the so-called poor people that you and your greedy Fashola/Tinubu capitalists condemn that will make life difficult for you (through armed robbery and the likes) by the time you privatize everything and take basic survival out of their reach.

Someone said it today that if it's possible, Fashola will make people pay for even breathing in Lagos, and for all he cares, Lagos can as well be sold to his silly private investors.

koruji:
U did not grasp my statement about Ribadu. I was actually saying that Ribadu was the best option, GEJ 2nd.

Now i understand you. My bad. Guess i was just too frustrated with this dying country.

@KORUJI

Your statements are just too illogical. So Buhari/Ribadu would have been worse just because YOU think so. Their antecdents/experience don't matter? Now that's a new one.

Your dumbo president failed as a gov but in your eyes he's the best president Nigeria ever had. Hmmmnnn!

NLC Says Jonathan Is Too Dull For Nigeria

The Nigerian Labour Congress on Thursday lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan, describing him as a "dull leader" who lacks the capacity to govern a complex country such as Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja at the launch of a book ‘Time to reclaim Nigeria’ written by activisit Chido Onumah, the organisation's Assistant General Secretary, Denja Yaqub, said Mr. Jonathan was not deep enough to understand the implication of some policies he is trying to foist on Nigerians.

Mr. Yaqub, who represented the NLC's Acting General Secretary, Owei Lakemfa at the event, also said labour was ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that government’s decision to remove subsidy on petroleum products does not see the light of the day.

“President Jonathan was voted into power by Nigerians, but we have lost him to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and such other bodies," he said. "The fight for fuel subsidy removal has been on since 1986 and many people have lost their lives in this struggle, we will never waver."

He also accused the president of lacking adequate knowledge on the subsidy matter based on his response on the issue at the National Assembly, wondering why he is determined to go ahead with the policy.

“President Jonathan has failed woefully and he does not even understand the subsidy issue as he cannot give an intelligent answer on it at the National Assembly. I am glad Nigerians have already started mobilizing themselves to hit the streets and protest without waiting for labour,” he said.

Speaking along the same line, national secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buba Galadima, argued that rather than talk about subsidy, what the president needs to bother about is the regime of incompetence and corruption pervading government at all levels.

“How will the removal of the so-called subsidy translate to transformation? Nigerians are angry over this decision and the only ones that are not angry are the ones benefiting from the system,” Mr. Galadima said

The CPC leader further accused the president of taking the issue of fuel subsidy removal too personal.

” If the president truly believes that sovereignty lies with the people, he should know that he is holding the office in trust for them."

The event, described by the compere as “the gathering of trouble makers” had as chief host Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the presidential candidate of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2011 election while Hussaini Abdu, Actionaid's country director, was guest lecturer.

In his paper, Mr. Abdu also condemned the decision to remove subsidy while at the same time making life unbearable for citizens by raising electricity tariff, reinstating toll gates, and retrenching workers.

He noted that the title of the book could not have come at a better time than now because the country had been hijacked by five groups of people he listed to include, “corrupt and rapacious politicians, imperial technocrats, international financial institutions, multinational corporations and parasitic business class.”

On his part, Mr. Ribadu said he was he aligning himself with the position of his party, the ACN, which had issued a terse statement condemning the government for trying to cut the subsidy on fuel.

Some speakers at the event spoke on the widespread insecurity in the country. They were however of the view that allocating the lion’s share of the 2012 budget to security is not the solution but good governance.

"In a country in which people are struggling to get the next meal, and one person will steal over N500billion and go scot-free, no amount of money voted for security will guarantee peace other than social justice,” Mr. Galadima said.

Some of those who attended the event were Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by Idiat Babalola; a fomer presidential aide, Uba Sani; S.Oronsanye, who represented the president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities; a chieftain of the the Congress for Progressive Change Farouk Adamu Aliyu; and Abdullahi Ribadu, former vice chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Yola.


http://premiumtimesng.com/index.php/news/3139-nlc_says_jonathan_is_too_dull_for_nigeria.html

Well, we've always known this. It's just a reminder.

Looks = 0
Body Language = 0
Utterances = 0
Decisions = 0

Other parties are not saints either but the PDP is a criminal cult and the worst a political party can get. But i don't blame them. I blame the primitive-brained Nigerians who keep voting for them esp in the last elections. There's only so much rigging you can successfully carry out.

Nigerians, 2015 is awaiting you and you can still vote PDP if you like. We're in it together. Shio!

Fair enough. Congrats!

birds of the same feather. . .

andyanders:
@mazaje
@lukkie
Since you people said it was stage managed, you will be visited with same action and be stabbed and let us see if it was stage managed. Ignorant foo-ls

Hmmnnn, i saw this coming.

This is exactly my problem with religious people, Xtian/Muslim/Whatever; hard-hearted, hateful, vindictive & very wicked. Exact opposites of what Jesus preached. You guys are hardly role models. Rather you act as if your livelihood hinges (maybe it does) on these phantom performances by your "Men of God." You can't take any criticisms and you can kill for it.

Shame on you and your fraudulent minds.

Isn't it clear that it was staged? People are gullible sha, including supposedly educated ones.

The N9 is now in Nigeria. Slot sells the 16GB version for 105k & the 64GB for 115k. And it has Nigerian warranty so it's not a "hussled" product anymore.

2Mekus:
Some of you who brag about other phones might be shocked to find out that your so-called Nokia, Samsung, LG and what have you are actually 'Chinko'. Scrutinize it very well and you will be shell-shocked.

Man, no dey console yourself jare. Go computer village make dem help u configure your phone.

I doubt if you'll get that phone easily. There is a very high demand for it and nobody is willing to sell as used. But Slot (VI) has the 16GB version for 105k.

dammizz:
Idolatery

Here we go. Let's welcome the religious fanatics. Everything foreign is good; but anything African is bad.

Kennyyo:
You can imagine them calling it idolatary! It is not wrong if its halloween, but anything african is termed evil. A people who has lost their identity, language and culture can never evolve. We need to celebrate who we are and we are Africans.

Thank you jare. Help me tell them. We Africans are still slaves to Oyinbo & Arabs, following them like mumu cos of their imported religions.

This makes no sense at all. Is he privatizing the school? Why didn't he do this in his first term when he needed re-election? ACN is gradually digging its grave in Lagos. So the poor's kids should not go to school? Na wa o!

@OP
Yes, it's madness and another way of begging by those broke-a$s pastors/evangeslists. Religious people should live by example and stop screaming their superstitious beliefs into our ears.

My neighbor just bought a 2000 Freelander with a V6 petrol engine. Does this also have overheating problems? He already told me that the thermometer permanently stays halfway. Is that a cause for concern?

Some people seem to have personal beefs with SR. Meanwhile their day is not complete until they visit the site. SaharaReporters publish a lot of "scoops" from informants which may sometimes turn out to be inaccurate. But i still prefer SR to the cash-and-carry journalism practiced in Nigeria.

And there is nothing like jeopardizing national security by running such stories. The New York Times or The Guardian of UK would have ran the story without any scruples. That's what journalists are meant to do - inform the public.

@Beaf
What are you driving at? Nothing special there. It's the same picture duplicated laterally. The men are Benue tribal drummers.

Sorry!

[quote author=Omo-Olomu link=topic=806564.msg9592285#msg9592285 date=1321731614]4 d persn saying he is 1st a yrba b4 been a muslim,pls tnk. Also d u follow d muslim practse or u only brag wt your name.dis life ll end bt d hereafter is evarlastn[/quote]You don dey threaten the guy be that o. Abeg practice your own religion and leave him alone. This is where your fanaticsm begins.

And yes, he's Yoruba before being a Muslim. You can change your religion anytime but you can't change your tribe/race. If u no like am go and report me to God.

Does the dumbo have the liver to do anything? Shio!

They'll soon take over Aso Rock. Jona is digging his own grave gradually. Good job though

I won't be surprised if this couple tells you that condoms & other contraceptives are sins, God put us in this position & will provide for our children. That's how silly Nigerians have become, even the very poor ones.

I think the man is lazy. I live in Lagos and believe me, menial jobs are not so hard to find. There are car washes in every corner of Lagos where he can earn like N1000 or more per day. I really pity the poor kids but I think a lot more questions need to be asked before anyone steps in to help. You might just be throwing away your money.

That guy is smoking something. He's so out of touch with reality.

In the past, the company had a regularly-updated website (slotlimited.com) where you could go and check available phones and their prices. But suddenly the site died and they replaced it with a totally different domain name (slotsystems.biz). That functioned for a short while, albeit in a crippled state until it died too.

The question is, how can a technology-driven company afford not to have a funtional website in 2011?

He should watch his tongue. Boko Haram can attack his church just 'cos of this curse. An it's the innocent members who'll die.

You've already admitted that people call him a con man & the rest. So why would people respect someone they know is not different from Yahoo boys? He & his ilk prey on people's emotions and gullibility. Why would I respect such such con men?

Well said. I admire her courage and honesty. I hope Muslim fanatics will not go and kill her. Islam is the biggest threat to itself.

1wiseman:
I attend Sign Fireman's church and I can tell you that this video was seriously edited to suit the purpose of the producers - who by the way don't believe anything in God (They were out side smoking during most of the services). If Fireman had anything to hide he would not have given them such free access to the church.

I know it is difficult for some people to believe that Christians or pastors should have money but this man (Fireman) is really an anointed man of God and despite the cars and flashy dressing he is very humble. If God was not using him he's church would not have expanded so much in just 2years. And ask yourself this, are his members complaining and do they look poor? I am a college graduate with a masters (i no dey brag o ) and I don't get fooled easily.

I'm sorry but your education is a waste. My grandma who is an illiterate reasons more logically than you. This is one more proof that most Nigerians are Zombies.

As someone said, if the born-again Xtians in Nigeria are actually born-again, Nigeria will be the best country in the world. You're just living in self-deceit.

Personally, i believe that religious drunkenness is a bigger problem than corruption in this country.