₦airaland Forum

Sloan: Even Achebe called it ibo, why pander to misguided children all born in 1990s? It is ibo and it is really annoying when people complain about it just for the sake of it!

[size=14pt]Fashola, Sanders inspect Igborosun farm.[/size]

By Mansur Oladunjoye

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State during the week accompanied by the former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Robin Sanders inspected the Agric -Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric YES) Songhai model farm in Igborosun, Badagry where he declared that the State government intends to make it the industrial park for agriculture.

The Governor who spoke in an interview after an extensive inspection of the 250-Hectares farm and its facilities was optimistic that “when it becomes an industrial park for agriculture, people will come there to learn and take specimen and species of the best bred cattle, fish and so on for redistribution towards owning their own farms.

“So really, this is the turning point as it nears completion. So, it is not just agriculture but agriculture and knowledge and you would see for example that there won’t be a need to weed again because they are using technology to eliminate weeds. It saves a lot of time and brings the farmers very quickly to production”, he stated.

He also explained that the farm is using deep irrigation and ensuring an integration of everything in such a way that the livestock depends on the vegetable and the vegetable also depends on the livestock, bringing about a lot of green activity. Governor Fashola said at the end of the chain which would be in a few months time, one would observe some form of industrialization including packaging and processing with some of the outputs like biscuits, Shea-butter, palm oil, orange, pineapple juice and soap already on display at the farm.

He explained that what the government is trying to do in the farm is to embrace technology which is essentially about doing a lot more with less and about ensuring that nothing wastes. The Governor said it is also about sustainability as the farm is modeled after the Songhai model which is famous
in Cotonou, Benin Republic and will be engaging in the rearing of snails, fish, poultry chicken and cultivation of banana, yam, vegetable and every type of crop.

Governor Fashola who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal and other members of the Executive Council, was conducted round the farm by the Director, Shoghai Farms, Reverend Father Godfrey Nzamujo.

dabossman: So because some greedy landlord did not put what is at best a basic amenity in his house the environment should suffer. Okay then let all those whose houses dont have a simple pit laterines start dumping theis sh*t on the street too. And if your apartment is too small to take all your stuff, please feel free to keep some out in the open, maybe on parked cars on the street. I wonder how much space one needs to spread clothes anyway? A football field? You dont have to be 'privileged' to be neat. Poverty does not equate to being dirty or untidy.

pro01: I'm not sure you read the post you quoted. Like I explicitly mentioned, many houses in Lagos are simply too cramped, and have far too limited space relative to the number of inhabitants, to provide sufficient clothes lines or racks, if any!!!!! Not everyone lives in the kind of nice little town-house with a garden and car garage that you do!!!!! Why are some of you so detached from reality?

Have you been to the average mass-housing 'project' in Lagos? Some of you should quit the internet and get back to reality.

pro01: And what about landlords who do not and cannot provide clothes lines at the back of the house due to limited space and whatnot? What should the tenants do?

Have you not seen some houses in Lagos where there isn't even enough space to park a motorcycle, let alone space for clothes lines; some of these houses have over a hundred inhabitants with little extra space for anything.

You think someone living in a big enough compound, with designated clothes lines in the backyard would prefer to hang their clothes on the fence? That is the problem with some of us: we are so self-centred and smug that we do not take time to empathise with other people's situations. Reminds me of the Okada ban imbroglio. Because some of us are privileged to have private cars, we think the millions others that do not have that privilege - who would suffer the hardships associated with that policy - should go to hell, even when there are clearly no alternatives.

I assume that many of the "educated" people condemning this senseless policy here do have clothes lines in thier houses, and do use them. However, they are fair-minded and sensible enough to know that the majority of Lagos residents live in houses where there are no clothes lines, or where the available ones are not sufficient to serve all the residents because of limited space. What should they do? Spread their clothes in their living rooms?

In a poor and underdeveloped country such as ours with limited options, why should a serious government waste valuable time and resources on enforcing this, of all the more pressing problems facing the populace?

Odunharry: i dy laff for ds 1 o...let dm go to d barracks and tell dem..



Abeg if u dy work lawma no try go barrack o,except u work don taya u..

Chinwem: Not every house has its own compound or space for a washing line
And not every house has a drying machine if NEPA will allow you to operate it sef
He's just making things hard for people, he has to realise that this law/ order or whatever is just premature
Lagos is not ready to be London yet

amacastel: . Well wot u ar saying is good spraying cloth on the highway and bridges in very bad and an eye soar bt for the decelopment of a state Road help a lot in changing the face of a town cos I belive wen the road and every oda basic amenities are in place things wil normalise on it's own sha lagos is among the state that have the worst road network in the country yet fashola neglect it in problem solving approach need are prioritize that's y u count 1_ 10 not 10_ 1.let fashola fix lagos road even in the Island the road exterior are good u need to enter inside u will be highly disappointed.

Ishilove: I just can't get over 'large asses'

Bigcake: Misplaced priorities. How will dat put food on d table for the common man?

Yazmin: I thought you were at T.B joshua's revival last week...perhaps you didn't stay that long to witness the casting out of ....?

CFCfan: YES! Congrats to our darling Super Eagles on their maiden CHAN qualification.
What a historic feat.

adrainuche: na who u be self were u for dey watch the match !!! Abeg no use heart attack kill person !!

Ishilove: Fashola's Large arsse?

[size=14pt]Rail system upgrading scheme on course, says minister.[/size]

Thursday, 18 July 2013 00:00 By Taiwo Hassan Business Services - Business News

THE Federal Government may have achieved some milestones in its efforts to turn around the nation’s transport sector, going by a 61-page document presented recently to the Federal Executive Council.

The development is expected to be further facilitated by a major part of the $1.1 billion (N160 billion) low interest loan recently secured by the government from China.

Specifically, the rail sector in particular and inter-modal transport scheme would be given priority under the programme.

 The 61-page document stated that the rehabilitation of over 90 per cent of the entire existing narrow gauge lines throughout the country is ongoing and at various stages of completion. 

  The rehabilitation, according to it, is the first segment of the 25-year railway strategic vision.

 [b] The document revealed that the contract for the rehabilitation of Apapa port railway network and signal works, made up of double track of 1.5 kilometre each, was executed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) with a sum of N860.7 million and completed last November. 

   Also, the main Western line of Lagos-Kano, comprising 1,124 kilometres, is now completed, while the 1,657 Eastern line, that is Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

 The rehabilitation of mainline from Ebute Metta junction to Apapa local station by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is now completed, while the sidings are in the process of being rehabilitated.

 Other rehabilitation/upgrading works that are either completed or ongoing include 488-kilometre Lagos-Jebba gauge line awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Limited at a sum of N12.3 billion, which is now 100 per cent completed; 636-kilometre Jebba-Kano, awarded to Costain West Africa Limited for N12.2 billion (98 per cent); 1,657-kilometre Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, awarded at N5.6 billion to Ansaldo A3 and O Limited (25 per cent); 463-kilometre Port Harcourt-Makurdi, awarded to Eser Contracting West Africa at N19.9 (42 per cent) and 554-kilometre Makurdi-Kaduna, awarded at N24.5 billion to CGGC (32 per cent).

 Others include 640-kilometre Kuru-Maiduguri track lines, awarded to Lingo at N23.7  (15 per cent); 221-kilometre Zaria-Kaura Namoda, awarded to Duluidas at N3.2 (41 per cent) and supervision of all the 3,002 railway track rehabilitation projects awarded to Roughton International at N1.5 billion (63 per cent).

  Within the period under review, the administration procured 25 new locomotives from General Electric and refurbished 366 coaches and wagons. 

   Twenty oil tank wagons were procured January last year; five railroad emergency vehicles in March, and 60 tons overhead workshop cranes in November.

  Three rail inspection vehicles were expected last March, whereas four new locomotives are expected to be delivered next month; two sets of diesel multiple unit capacity of 540 passengers each by December and six modern air-conditioned coaches with capacity of 68 seaters each, also in December.

  The scheme also saw an investment incentive memorandum of understanding signed between General Electric and the Federal Government for upgrading and development of a multi-modal locomotives assembly facility in the country to handle an initial target assembly of 200 locomotives, over 10 years, under a special country to company relationship.

   Jonathan, as part of the sector revamp programme, granted approval for the remodeling and redevelopment of major railway stations to incorporate modern commercial outlets under public private partnership arrangement. 

   The stations to benefit from the remodeling programme are Iddo terminal station, Ebute Metta junction station, Ilorin station, Kaduna junction station, Kano station, Port Harcourt station, Enugu station, Jos station and Gombe station.

  Under modernisation programme, 274-kilometre Itakpe-Ajaokuta – Warri, awarded at a sum of N33.1 billion to Julius Berger Plc and TEAM Nig Ltd as consultant, is 77 per cent completed with track work done. 

 A sum of N23.7 billion has already been paid for the product. Also, the 1,342.50-kilometre Lagos – Kano original contract awarded to CCECC Nigeria Limited with TEAM Nigeria Limited as consultant at $8.3 billion is segmented.

  Under the segmentation, 187-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna is ongoing and 65 per cent completed. It was awarded at a sum of $874 million including consultancy fee of $24.6 million. The 180-kilometre Lagos -Ibadan was awarded at $1.530 billion.

 However, the 200-kilometre Ibadan-Ilorin, 270-kilometre Ilorin-Minna, 145-kilometre Minna to Abuja and 360-kilometre Minna-Kano standard gauge lines are yet to be awarded.

  But, the Jonathan-led administration has commissioned consultants to conduct feasibility studies in respect of new standard gauge rail lines. 

  The reports of the studies, which will consist of outline business case, are to be made available to potential investors for consideration.

  The lines for which the feasibility studies are to be undertaken are 300-kilometre Lagos-Benin rail line, high speed 615-kilometre Lagos-Abuja, 533 kilometre Ajaokuta to Otukpo, 520-kilometre Zaria-Benin Koni, 500-kilometre Benin-Aba, 280-kilometre Eganyi-Abuja and 673-kilometre Benin-Obudu cattle ranch.

  Studies for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, Ikom-Maiduguri, Kano-Ngala, Kano-Jibya and Illela-Makera are to commence this year[/b].