₦airaland Forum

leighcon:
If Naptu2 doesn't know, nobody knows.

What is the Borini Prono angle? They have been invited for the repairs all the times I have known. Could it be that they did the project for JB?

Naptu2 falls no hand.

We then started work, we had got half of the way, I think that was around 1989, I believe I had just lost my wife. Babangida now said, there was no money. I said that is not possible. I told him, I have been to Abuja, I saw what is happening there, so I told him: the method you are using in Abuja, let us use it in Lagos, even if we are going to use oil to exchange for the funds because Lagos was too critical to the nation’s economy.

Bode Emmanuel used to be the Chairman of one of the construction companies, that is how we became close. I told him you are a Lagosian, please let your company continue the job, we are working on payments, I also called Julius Berger and gave them assurances. There was one Dafinone that also came to our rescue, we then also told Government to collect some of the money from source too.

💚🎓 @iumotong juggled World Cup football with her first class honours degree, following in the footsteps of friend and inspiration @EniAlu. This is her story... pic.twitter.com/3l1witLfGQ

— COPA90 (@Copa90) March 8, 2019

Falcons’ attacker Ini Umotong bags first class degree in England
By Calista Jacob-Akpan

Super Falcons’ attacker Ini-Abasi Umotong has bagged a First Class Degree in Economics from the University of Southampton, England.

The Akwa Ibom-born striker, who graduated in flying colours has been combining education with sports had once won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and highest goal scorer awards while playing for Wimbledon FC also in England.

Umotong first represented her country of origin, Nigeria in the 2015 FIFA Women World Cup final in Canada.

She is primed to be included in the provisional list of Nigeria’s Super Falcons team to the forthcoming Women’s World Cup final billed for France this summer.

What were the projects you planned to execute during your tenure but for reasons of time and financial constraints, you could not?

I wasn’t happy with the transportation system in Lagos, and I particularly felt bad about the waterways that we could not fully exploit. I sent a delegation abroad to look for flat bottom boats that could take passengers across the waterways. I wasn’t happy with the transportation system and would have loved to see a better system in place. One of the ideas I had was to construct the 3rd Mainland Bridge. Don’t forget, the 3rd Mainland Bridge was a creation of the government of Lagos State and not the Federal Government. The Federal Government only took it over at a point in time when we didn’t have enough money and, therefore, included the project as part of the state’s contribution to second Five-Year Development Programme of the Federal Government in 1972. I went abroad and was surprised to discover that the headquarters of Julius Berger was located in the same area with the hospital where I went for medical treatment. I met Mr Whitman who later served as vice chairman on the board of Julius Berger. His first job in Nigeria was the construction of the Itoikin Bridge that links Lagos with Epe.

During my meeting with Mr Whitman and his team of engineers, I showed them what we were planning for the ring roads around Lagos. I believe people getting out of Lagos should have free ways that they can use. The concept I had for the inner ring road and outer ring road was to have pillars erected to the middle of Herbert Macaulay and Murtala Muhammed Way with the pillars supporting a network of highways on the top like the ones I saw in Tokyo, Japan. I believed we could achieve same in Lagos. The Julius Berger team looked into my concept and came up with a blueprint ready for my submission to the Federal Government. That was how Julius Berger and an army of officials came all the way to Lagos. Work began in earnest with the engineers in boats and canoes crisscrossing the body of water over which the 3rd Mainland Bridge and its ring roads would be built. At Marina, they proposed sand filling as the best option so as to be able to gain more useful land, in addition to solving the traffic problem on that axis. I was thinking we could use the idea of the 3rd Mainland Bridge to sand fill a sizeable portion of the water front of the University of Lagos and adjoining areas and create a big motor park where a park-and-ride system of transportation would be available to take passengers from the Oworonshoki area into Lagos, where you will equally take a taxi or a bus to wherever you are going on the Lagos Island and when you are through with what you came to do on the Island, you will be taken back by boats across the water to where your car is parked at Oworonshoki. That was one major project I would have loved to accomplish but couldn’t. To date, our waterways, I must say, are still largely underutilised.

Lastly, the third mainland bridge.

Yes, a lot of people do not know that you were instrumental to the construction of the famous Third Mainland Bridge, tell us the full story

By the way, I am very much in support of what Governor Ambode did, by speaking up about his frustration concerning the Airport/Oshodi Expressway. Sometimes, you need to blackmail the Federal Government to get some of these things done. I did the same thing with the Third Mainland Bridge.

I remember General Babangida had come back from a trip and I had gone to receive him, despite the fact that we were using siren, it was tough passing through traffic because we passed through Yaba to Dodan Barracks.

So when we got there, I saluted and turned back. I could see that he was looking very unhappy. Akhigbe had tried with the issue but the next day, I went to Babangida and said, sir this traffic situation is bad, can you please let us sit down and discuss how to finish this bridge.

General (Mamman) Kotangora, who was the Minister of Works, said the end, that is the Oworonshoki side is a built up area and it will be impossible to navigate it. I said sir, can you please give me the map, they said it is with Julius Berger.

When I left there, I went to Julius Berger, I got the map, and in the process of checking that map, I saw the Coastal Road up till Calabar, that was how I began the Coastal Road. That map is there, we can still look at it. So I went to him and said, Sir I know this is a Federal Project but it is my people that are suffering, can we do this 50-50. If we can’t pay, you can take it from source.

That was how we then introduced the Development Levy, it was for the Third Mainland Project mainly. That was when Gani Fawehinmi took me to court. I was not bothered because I knew we were doing something that will benefit majority of Lagosians.

We then started work, we had got half of the way, I think that was around 1989, I believe I had just lost my wife. Babangida now said, there was no money. I said that is not possible. I told him, I have been to Abuja, I saw what is happening there, so I told him: the method you are using in Abuja, let us use it in Lagos, even if we are going to use oil to exchange for the funds because Lagos was too critical to the nation’s economy.

Bode Emmanuel used to be the Chairman of one of the construction companies, that is how we became close. I told him you are a Lagosian, please let you company continue the job, we are working on payments, I also called Julius Berger and gave them assurances. There was one Dafinone that also came to our rescue, we then also told Government to collect some of the money from source too.

That was why I was on that site every day to ensure that work was going on as scheduled.But we had a problem at Oworonshoki, one Baale and one Imam, came, they were complaining about the houses that were in the right of way, I told them, please this road is greater than all of us, nothing must stand in its way.

They were still complaining. I just kept quiet, I went to the Army Engineers, I think Ihejerika was in charge of the Army Engineers, I told them I want that place cleared for the road in 24 hours. I told them that they should clear everything on the path of the bridge on the weekend, so that they cannot go to court and stop us. Fadayomi was my Commissioner of Justice and Baba (Teslim) Elias was with us, I also went to Rotimi Williams, they said start the operation by Friday and before they can go to court on Monday, you have completed your operation. I loved that idea.

I was happy with the kind of advice I got . Just as we were talking, one man came in from Julius Berger, a very nice man that I worked closely with during the project.

He said, I should not use Army Engineers that there was another way we can do it, that if we use the Army, we will be blackmailed.I said I don’t care. We cleared the bridge area, there were no houses for many metres, but today, the plan was to allow space in case there is future expansion.

But today I have seen houses on both sides, when I noticed that Ambode was doing some work there, I thought he will bring down those houses, that is the difference between the civilian and military government. We do not care about re-election, we just get the job done.  When we cleared the place, off course, the people went to court, but the deed had been done and that was how Justice Esho used the word Executive Rascality, and you the media starting singing about it, but we did not let that disturb us. Today, we are all enjoying the Third Mainland Bridge.

 

Another thing we did that made me happy was those beggers we cleared in Ebute Metta and sent them to Kano. I read the Quran very well, there is nowhere where you should be a beggar permanently. Sanusi said the right thing. How come there are no beggers littering the streets of Saudi? I saw them as a nuisance dirtying the state, I was happy that Babangida did not react when I took that action.

Now, lets talk about Maroko, the every contentious issue, what made you take that decision

Honestly I have no regrets for what we did at Maroko.That area I know very well, Victoria Island stopped at Adetokunbo Ademola area, the other places was marshy land. We used to carry out training exercises there. General Garba used to take us there anytime we had promotion exams because that time in the Army, you cannot move up except you pass your exams. I don’t know what operates there now.

The place where I stay now in Lagos is part of the extension. Anyway, I had planned to begin some redevelopment in the area, but one of these days we went to Epe, and Babangida was in the vehicle. We were returning at about 8pm and we were attacked by robbers.

Before them, I had been getting terrible reports from the area and on two occasions, I have had to ensure that the Inspector-General removed the DPO of the area.

Anyway, we were returning from Epe, we passed the first wave of attack, and then there was this terrible one around the present Lekki Phase one. We heard gun shots. I asked my Oga (Babangida) to continue, I jumped out of the vehicle and confronted them. We pursued this people and they all ran into Maroko.

The next morning, I called the Baale, I ordered him to fish out those people, he began to give excuses. I kept quiet but later went to apologize to Babangida for the incident.

Before taking the Lagos appointment, I had asked Babangida that he must hold me responsible for any action I take. I am a very principled person, even my children know this, and when they complain, I tell them once a soldier, always a soldier. Anyway, I went to Babangida, I told him sir this Maroko incident, I said I wanted to level the place. He said Rasaki, you cannot do it. I said have you forgotten about our agreement, he said, no don’t do it.

At that period, I called Mr Adeyemi, he was Permanent Secretary of Environment in Lagos State, he said he cannot do it  and that baba Jakande tried but he failed. I said me, I am a soldier, I am trained to make the impossible possible.

I said I have heard you sir. Babangida was travelling outside around that period, I called my group, I have a team of officers that I trained at NDA.I went to signal, I went to Armoury, I told them by Monday morning, I don’t want to see Maroko standing.

Babangida was going for two weeks so I gave the people, one week notice, we went again on Friday and by Monday, we levelled the place. What we saw was shocking, we saw shallow graves, we saw fake hospitals, I wanted to prosecute the Baale but for the plea of Oba Oyekan.

We moved some of the residents who had genuine papers to Abesan Estate. Whatever you say about it, you have to give it to Babangida, when the people like Oniru family, Dideolu Estate came with their claims, he said we should give the land them. Look, we demolished houses owned by military offices too

So that was how we did Maroko. I have no regrets at all.If we did not clear Maroko, the people in Victoria Island and Ikoyi would have had no rest.I did it with good conscience.

I think Fashola should have done same when he wanted to flush out Makoko. That shanty is not benefitting anybody.

So how do you feel when you pass through the area today

I feel very happy that the shanty town has become modernized and decent.

Have you heard that you had a nickname, who build this gadder

(laughs heartily) Of course, I heard it and when I checked the dictionary. I discovered that there was nothing wrong in what I said since gadder and bridge mean the same thing, I am a telecommunications engineer, so I just laughed over it.

Any regret?

Yes, I was not happy that we were not able to do the Ijanikin Road to meet the Ring Road. I had just six months.We wanted to do a road passing through the (Federal School of Arts & Science) FSAS pass the Officers Mess all the way to Niger Dock Area. Babangida said I should award the contract. I used to drive around myself and I see things.

The road was to cost N2.2billion at the time. That would have solved the problem we have today at Mile 2. That is what I see that Ambode is doing and I commend him. We were to also do the 4th Mainland Bridge.

Are you happy when you come to Lagos these days

I am happy because each time I come in, there is always something new.

So Lagos is 50, what would you like to say to Lagosians

I congratulate Lagos. My Lagos of the future is a Lagos that looks like Sweden or Denmark. By improving the human resources in Lagos, developing ICT Industry and improving the Acquatic Economy.I have travelled very wide, and seen things, I believe with the IGR of Lagos, Lagos would be a Mega city

Lastly, there was an issue you brought up at the CONFAB on special status for Lagos

Yes, I am a strong advocate for a special status for Lagos. I want us to have 50 oer cent share of whatever monies we make here in Lagos. Look at NPA, the ship for instance, it is the people of Lagos that bear the brunt of the environmental pollution. The useless smelly oil, the fumes etc. So why can’t Lagos have 50 per cent of the money realised from this activity. We were the first to put up a decree on environmental pollution.

I kept speaking to Babangida about it and they eventually said they were working on ecological fund.I did not receive it, but Otedola did. When Tinubu came, I used to tease him that he should have gone to join the army, he did a lot of things, without caring about the political implication.

We also fought for Population to be added as criteria for sharing, Lateefat Okunnu was my Deputy then, she was in the Federal Ministry, and brought her experience to bear.

How come you are not in politics, like other Generals

I tried it but I have seen that it is not for me. People do not like men like me who are principled with intergrity. Also, I am a man of tradition, I cannot stomach the way these young boys are abusive and the general lack of discipline, when we used to go to Baba Adedibu’s house, you will see all these boys jumping on his bed, doing all manner of things, dirtying the whole place, When I was involved, they all wait outside my gate. My wife and some of my children are there.

That is enough, we will contribute from where we are.

leighcon:
Naptu2 , Explorers,

Please confirm some of the information in this post.

That Julius Berger constructed the bridge. Certainly, they had a lot to do with it, but what about Borini Prono?

Was the major repair works not in 08/09? The 2013 if it happened, apparently, wasn't major.

Can we say the bridge was a collaboration between the FG and LASG?

We also cannot day it is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, can we?

MorataFC:

Kelechi Iheanacho: Nigeria coach questions striker's commitment

By Oluwashina Okeleji
Football Writer, Nigeria

 22 March 2019

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/695/cpsprodpb/B20F/production/_106138554_1075711732.jpg
Leicester City and Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho has not scored a goal since September

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has questioned Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho's commitment and professionalism to the national team.

The 22-year-old was overlooked for the Super Eagles' two matches this month after failing to score a goal for club or country since September.

Rohr was scathing of Iheanacho on the eve of his team's Nations Cup qualifier against Seychelles.

"I think he must be more professional," the German coach said.

"We're not satisfied with his performances the last time he was with us.

"There's a new coach at Leicester City (Brendan Rodgers) and it (his omission) will be an opportunity for Iheanacho to show during this international window that he wants to get back into the starting team of Leicester.

"Personally, I think it's a good thing for him to stay back at his club to prove this."

Rohr was asked by reporters whether he expected more from a Nigeria international.

"It's not good enough to be funny all the time," he responded.

"You must show that you are serious by working hard every day in the training sessions.

"And show that you seriously want to come back into the team at the club and also with us."

Iheanacho made an immediate impact to the start of his senior international career, scoring seven goals in 11 matches.

But a combination of a loss of form and lack of confidence have left him searching for his first international goal since scoring against Argentina in November 2017.

Iheanacho has 10 goals in 58 matches for Leicester City since joining the former Premier League champions from Manchester City in August 2017.

At international level, he has scored eight goals in 24 appearances for Nigeria since making his senior debut against Swaziland in November 2015.

He starred as Nigeria won the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates for a record fourth-time and emerged as the tournament's outstanding player, being voted the Most Valuable Player.

He scored six goals to secure the Silver Boot as the competition's second-highest goal-scorer.

Officialgarri:
https://www.nairaland.com/5091526/fg-closes-case-against-onnoghen#76863328

I refer to the link above and other verifiable news source.

Lawyers in the house, I would like to know the fate of Onoghen since the allegations made against him have be struck out .

Will Onoghen be returned to the sit of the CJN and Justice Ibrahim Mohammed will be demoted ?
Or will Onoghen be automatically retired by the FG?

If he would be returned as a CJN, will he have to be sworn in by President Buhari again?