I've got so much to post and so little time in which to post it. I'll probably spend the weekend here.
Let's start with a preview of the nothing
Note: before we start shifting the goalpost, the argument is that Fashola has done nothing, so if there's something (I know the something will never satisfy some people). . . . .
Boss13: Let me be blunt. What development are you talking about? Are you talking about road? Are all the roads in Lagos motorable even in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki. Is LASG providing your with water in your house? How about housing? What about education (I dont know mean repainting the schools. I mean the standard of education. Can it be compared with other schools country and world-wide?) What about Agriculture? Is Lagos really producing any food? What about Security? Do you really feel safe living in Lagos?
Honestly, the only work I see it planting of flowers are repairing already constructed roads (especially in VI and Ikoyi) and why will some people start chanting that Fashola is working and Fashola himself is admitting that he is working. Gawd!!!!
Wow! So you mean you can't see what's happening in agriculture, job creation, transportation, housing, road and bridge construction, etc? Wonderful!
Boss13: Fashola is truly working. Working on roads or rather repairing roads. There are so many abnormalities that needs to be corrected in Lagos and they are not receiving the desired attention. I am currently in Abuja and I have been here for a week. The sanity in this place just want me to break down in tears when I compare it to the madness in Lagos. I can truly estimate the number of minutes it would take me to get to my desired location. You can hardly see hawkers knocking on your car window pressurizing you to buy their wares. You can hardly see social miscreants loitering around the meteropolis. Everybody in Abuja seem to be doing something (my own opinion). Nobody is disturbing the peace. Taxi fares are incredibly cheap. People are not running around and dancing on highways. The air is fresh. The roads are surprisingly good without potholes smiling to finish your shock absorber or puncture your tyres. I dont have to worry about mad and drug induced danfo drivers driving and screaming at the same time. Shockingly, the power situation is too good to be true (22hrs constant power supply in this same Nigeria).
Now I understand why people in Abuja do not want to stay in Lagos. Also, I truly do not understand why sycophants continue to beat the drums for Fashola (even when he is doing his job). Please these people should take out time to travel to other cities in this country (lets forget about out the country). I have spent my entire life in Lagos but I have never, in this country, felt so relaxed breathing fresh and unpolluted air.
Do you know what will happen if Fashola decides to remove those beggars from the roads? Do you know what will happen if he decides to sanction the bus drivers and others who cause the traffic jams?
anonimi:Or have flats rented out at minimal monthly cost for occupiers to own in say 20-30 years time. I believe that is what Mobolaji Johnson did for those relocated to Surulere and what is done in those countries where some of our people are hiding in socio-economic exile doing jobs for which they are over-qualified COMPARED to their oyinbo colleagues on the same job.
That's what the Lagos HOMS is about. The sad thing is that not everybody will be able to afford even that minimal rent, that's why places like the Destitute Homes exist and that's why it's also important to create jobs through skills acquisition centres and micro-finance loans.
django1: how many free houses has the FG giving to destitutes and road side beggers?
It would be absolutely INSANE to give out free houses. People will migrate from all over the ECOWAS region to occupy the houses. It will lead to massive corruption.
What is possible is to have homes like the Destitute's Home at Okobaba (I posted the picture earlier) for those who can't work and to create skills acquisition centres to ensure that those who can work will have a means to earn a living and thus be able to afford to buy or rent apartments. You then create a mortgage scheme (eg Lagos HOMS) to ensure that the houses are affordable.
It took me forever to remember the name of this movie. This was one of those "holiday movies" (movies that NTA showed virtually every holiday in the 1980s). It's a delightful, but long, cartoon movie.
The Little Convict (1979).
After failing to sell any of his paintings at a funfair, an artist begins to tell his granddaughter about the origins of his paintings.
We are then transported on board a British convict ship headed for New South Wales where we meet six convicts; Toby Nelson (a young boy), Polly Nelson (Toby's older sister), "Dipper" Davey (an old pick-pocket), Big George (a Blacksmith), Jack Doolan (a highwayman), and "Silly Billy" (a village idiot). The five men are selected to do hard labor for the military - under the supervision of Sergeant "Bully" Langden and Corporal "Weasel" Wesley - while Polly (secretly in love with Big George) is sent to work as a servant girl at the governor's home.
Toby in the meantime saves a baby koala after Bully and Weasel kill it's mother while hunting, and keeps it as a pet, naming it Yo-Yo. But when Bully's continuing abuse of the convicts ends in old Dipper's death, Jack Doolan, fearing a similar fate, escapes and Big George is thrown in jail for helping him to escape.
Left with only Yo-Yo to keep him company, Toby sets out to find Jack Doolan in order to free Big George. Along the way he meets an Aboriginee boy name Whooranga, who has a strange power over animals. Together with Jack Doolan, our three heroes plan a daring rescue attempt for Big George, only to be faced with making the ultimate sacrifice upon carrying it out.
I think that this seaport (and the Lekki and Olokola ports) is overdue. We really need to reduce the pressure on Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. I'm also happy that it'll have a rail link. Although I believe that government shouldn't get involved in certain businesses (like shipping), I almost wish that the NNSL was still in existence, because there are certain things that we need to put in place to ensure that we maximise the benefits from these ports.
We need to drastically improve maritime security. I'm happy that NNS Jubilee is in the area, but we need to do more to ensure that shipping lines will happily agree to sail to the port.
It's very important that the drainages are cleared so that the rainwater does not damage the new road.
I remember reading two articles about the activities of the traders on that axis. One article was about a policeman who injured people and was eventually killed when he was deployed to clear traders from the road.
In the other article, the Governor said that something will be done about the traders when the road is completed. He said that they are being tolerated at the moment because he believes that the road construction work might be negatively affecting their business.
I propose that they should set up a Kai base in that area.
When I first saw the headline I immediately suspected that it was because of the land use charge. They've been pasting those default notices across Lekki for about a month or thereabouts.
[size=14pt]Fashola Blames Litigations, Technical Issues For Late Delivery Of Roads[/size]
Posted by: Channels Television Posted date: May 19, 2013 In: Local
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the weekend threw more light on the reasons behind seeming delays in some road projects across the State saying they are much more complex, sophisticated and with people issues involved.
Fielding questions from journalists at an interactive session at the Lagos House, Marina, in Central Lagos, Governor Fashola said some of the roads being built in the Mainland areas of the State needed piling and other underground work before surfacing while others were facing problems of lack of urban planning, community resistance and court actions.
Governor Fashola explained that what is going on with the Lagos-Badagry Expressway Expansion project was that the road was awarded to two contractors, Messrs Julius Berger, which is doing the 10 lane road and Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) which is handling the Light Rail section of the road adding that because of the piling work which CCECC has to complete before the road is filled, Julius Berger had to step aside until the piling is finished.
The Governor told the journalists, “Remember we have two major contractors on the road, Julius Berger, doing the road surfacing while China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is handling the rail. We asked Julius Berger to stop meanwhile for CCECC to complete the piling on the road before they come to surface it”.
“Julius Berger cannot handover the road because any time they finish a project, they sign off and they have not in this case. Besides, there are going to be 11 pedestrian crossings between Alaba, Orile and National Theatre and they have to drive in piles along the road. The project as it is now is like a building you have finished but you cannot paint until all the external works are finished then you paint”, the Governor said.
According to the Governor, “That is why in order to avoid those problems, we have now awarded Phase 2 from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko . The reason we have two contractors there in the first instance was that we wanted Julius Berger to build the roads. There were a lot of things under that road which the other contractors who bid for the road did not see. Julius Berger found it”.
“The most difficult part of the road is from Eric Moore to Mile 2 and we thought they should do it. The CCECC is doing the rails on the same road so they were getting in each other’s way. That in itself was a nightmare”, the Governor further explained adding that the current Phase of the road being done, Eric Moore to Mile 2, consists of seven kilometres of 10 lanes totaling 70 kilometres with two contractors in one place.
On the other inner city roads in various parts of the State, Governor Fashola said some of the delays came from the owners of land on which the roads pass, some of who went to court to stop Government from acquiring their land while others protested and fought contractors on site.
“The work we are doing now is much more people issue because we are now engaged in holding a lot of meetings with communities and people and explaining to them to allow us build the roads. The alternative is that all our projects can hang up in courts and I will be the last person to defy court injunction”, the Governor said.
Governor Fashola also explained that lack of urban planning and people building without permit have caused delays in the execution of inner city road projects adding that in some places, people just build anywhere, including drainage channels so that it becomes difficult to construct roads without damaging many properties and incurring cost of compensations.
“The projects are getting much more complex, much more sophisticated involving densely populated areas where people have built without a plan. It was easy to build many places in the city because there was a plan there and the setbacks were already in place. But in these inner roads, there are no plans; people just build anywhere, joining building here and there and later they say they have no roads”, the Governor said.
Citing Ago Palace Road as example, Governor Fashola declared, “Everybody just started building and that is why they are having problems. If there was right of way, it would have been just to follow it and start building the road. That was why Surulere was easy, that was why Yaba was easy. So when we are insisting on urban planning, getting building permit, these are the consequences in the future. If there is a plan, it is easy to work with”.
On Ikorodu Road, Governor Fashola explained that there are eight bridges to be built on the road and the contractors, Messrs CCECC, are at the moment engaged in doing the bridge section of the project before embarking on the surfacing of the road adding that as soon as the bridge section is finished the rest would be easy.
“What you see today is that the contractors are doing the bridge sections. The moment they are finished the road is easy. All they need to do is pour sand”, the Governor said adding, however, that there are also community issues that are related to the road with owners of land not ready to let go of their land.
According to the Governor, “Communities, Baales and other stakeholders don’t want to give up their land but they want road. So these are some of the issues. You can pass through Apongbon today. Some people gave up land so that we can have Eko Bridge. The resident community there I remember how they relocated, they fought, they rioted they fought. I have the video recording”.
“So that is how we go about it. My lawyer’s instinct, I have to lay aside if this work must be done because if I follow it we won’t get out of the courts. I will simply tell you that we are in court and I can’t disobey court processes and injunctions”, the Governor said.
I made an error earlier. There's an article that I wanted to post to correct that error, but I kept forgetting. I hope I'll be able to find the article now.
In Nigeria, I always try my best to stay in areas where churches and mosques are not in the vicinity. And this sort of areas are usually exclusive which means you have to pay heavily or rely on some breadwinner to provide. It is really crazy. Churches have vigils on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays causing unimaginable discomfort to people. One wonders how their members muster enough energy/strength for their endless services.
Mosques, on their part, are in the habit of blasting AHUJA calling out their followers as if these followers live in some Middle-eastern desert/cave where watches with alarm or phones with alarm have not been invented. I mean it costs peanuts to obtain one of these phones why then do they have to disturb our eardrums every f**king day (early in the morning for that matter)? Who, in this modern day, needs to be reminded it's 5AM for God's sake? And to think those being reminded of the time of their early prayer sessions are grown a*se adults who should ideally be in the know.
It is horrendous and it is also hard to discus this issue without dissing these religions, trust me.
There needs to be an end to this madness.
You should report those churches and mosques (and any nightclub, music store, factory, etc that's involved in noise pollution) to Lasepa. They'll make sure they stop the noise, otherwise the church or mosque will be shut down.
[size=14pt]Oprah 'sorry' for Switzerland's flap[/size]
Associated Press - 2 hrs ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oprah Winfrey says she's "sorry" about the media coverage that emerged after she said she experienced racism during a trip to Switzerland.
"I think that incident in Switzerland was just an incident in Switzerland. I'm really sorry that it got blown up. I purposefully did not mention the name of the store. I'm sorry that I said it was Switzerland," Winfrey said Monday night at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lee Daniels: The Butler."
"I was just referencing it as an example of being in a place where people don't expect that you would be able to be there," she continued.
In a recent interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Winfrey recalled a clerk at an upscale Zurich boutique refusing to show her a handbag. Winfrey said she was told she could not afford the $38,000 purse.
"I'm in a store, and the person doesn't obviously know that I carry the black card, and so they make an assessment based upon the way I look and who I am," said Winfrey, who earned $77 million in the year ending in June, according to Forbes magazine.
"I didn't have anything that said, 'I have money.' I wasn't wearing a diamond stud. I didn't have a pocketbook. I didn't wear Louboutin shoes. I didn't have anything," said Winfrey on the red carpet. "You should be able to go in a store looking like whatever you look like and say, 'I'd like to see this.' That didn't happen."
Swiss tourism officials and the boutique owner apologized for the incident last week, but Winfrey insists there's no need.
"It's not an indictment against the country or even that store," she continued. "It was just one person who didn't want to offer me the opportunity to see the bag. So no apologies necessary from the country of Switzerland. If somebody makes a mistake in the United States do we apologize in front of the whole country? No!"
"The Butler," which opens Friday, documents the civil rights movement through the story of a butler who served in the White House for seven presidents.
Ola one: Thanks. Naptu, this is another long-term measure to curb it.
Let them travel miles, close the entrance.
Something similar was implemented in my neighbourhood and believe me it was a huge relief. The access way to The Palms Mall was right by the Lekki Expressway and it caused massive traffic jams. That entrance was closed off when the road was expanded and a longer access way was created. It solved the problem.
[size=14pt]RCCG moves to control traffic on Lagos-Ibadan road[/size]
on December 14, 2012 at 12:40 am in News
By SAM EYOBOKA & YINKA LATONA
ORGANISERS of the 15th annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, are making arrangement to contain the surging traffic expected today at the Redemption Camp, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, as the church hosts the flagship of the event, the Holy Ghost Service with millions of persons expected from all over the world.
On a daily basis since the Congress started on Monday, the crowd has been building up but today, the church in collaboration with detachments of security personnel drawn from various formations including men of the Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and several traffic control officers from Lagos and Ogun states would be on duty to control the unprecedented crowd expected today.
The traffic and security committee has sent to all parishes of the church the outline on movement within the camp ground, to make worshipers stay comfortable and ensure free-flow of traffic in and out of the camp ground during the programme.
Feelers from the church last night indicate that the authorities had fully prepared to control the traffic as it has put modalities on ground to ensure free flow of traffic during the programme but, another source within the church told our reporter that a lot would depend on the attitude of the motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
According to the source, the attitude of motorists has actually been responsible for chaotic traffic situation often experienced on the road, saying therefore that motorists should obey instructions from the security agents on the road and there will be free-flow of traffic.
“There might be a little delay because of the huge number of motorists but at the end of the day it would every motorist to exercise some patient and obey instructions of the traffic controllers,” the official stated, adding that thousands of volunteers of the church would be joining forces with the FRSC officials on duty.
In addition, the church has instituted strict security checks to forestall any form of security breach during the today’s programme. Except for special guests who are expected to carry dully accepted car stickers, nobody will be expected to drive near the Arena. Other dignitaries without official car stickers are expected to park their cars in the designated car parks and walk to the Holy Ghost Arena.
A source close to the church said last night that accredited journalists who are coming in to the camp, are expected to park their cars at reasonable distance and board the church’s official vehicle to the Arena.
In his welcome address, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the church, noted that the programme which was tagged: “Signs and Wonders” was specially put together by God for divine surprises, noting that nothing is too difficult for God.
He said, “as expected, there will be so many people at this congress but God can reach you personally. Your miracles are around the corner. Just trust the Lord and diligently wait upon Him. There will be a time to teach from the word of God, a time to preach, a time to pray and a time for personal ministrations during the morning and evening sessions.
“There will also be teachings on marriage, home management, business, career and related issues of day-to-day living by experts in various fields during the afternoon sessions.”
Since its debut in 1998, every edition of the congress has had its unique offerings.
The Federal Government plans to build a high speed rail link between Lagos and Abuja. I think we also need at least two more high speed rail lines: Lagos-Onitsha and Lagos-Calabar.
The Lagos-Ibadan Express to be rebuilt by construction giants Julius Berger and RCC will solve the perennial traffic difficulties experienced at the Redemption Camp portion of the road, the Presidency has assured.
Commuters often report having a harrowing experienced at that stretch of the road, especially during events organised by the owners of the Camp, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). RCCG events held at the Camp usually draw large crowds of both king and commoner, including President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seen in the accompanying photo kneeling for blessings from RCCG leader, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, when he visited the Camp prior to the 2011 Nigerian presidential ballot.
Speaking this afternoon in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to President Jonathan, said the sad traffic tales at the Redemption camp would soon end.
His words: “The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was awarded yesterday at a total cost of 160.7 billion naira. The multi-lane road project which will be handled by Julius Berger Construction Company and the RCC will consist of 3 lanes on either side up to Sagamu junction and 2 lanes up to Ibadan as well as a fly over and inter-change at the Redemption Camp to solve the perennial traffic grid lock on that portion of the road.”
So, long term and short term measures coming up. (I have a feeling that a solution would have been imposed on the churches if they were in Lagos, kind of like the noise pollution issue).
Politics › Re: Lagos Awards 69 Capital Projects At N50 Billion by naptu2: 1:36pm On Aug 15, 2013
Seun's word censor!
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