₦airaland Forum

watchinglagos: As we inch pile after pile, beam of steel after beam of steel, you can be sure we will deliver the project, he says.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Sunday inspected the on-going urban regeneration residential development in Isale Gangan, Central Lagos assuring that although there would be challenges ahead, his administration was not looking back in its drive to deliver the project.


The Isale Gangan Residential Development is an 11-storey, 54-flat housing project being developed by the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency in the historic Isale Gangan area in Central Lagos. The 11-Floor development being done with the agreement of all the families who owned the small pieces of land used for it would comprise of two floors for parking, two and three bedroom flats, two lifts, staircases and escape staircases among other features.


Fielding questions from newsmen after the inspection, Governor Fashola said although there are challenges on the way to the completion , the important thing was that the project has moved from a dream to a plan and from a plan to reality adding that the structure was being built to ensure that it would stand the test of time.


“There are challenges ahead before the project is completed, no doubt, but the important thing is that it has moved from a dream to a plan and from a plan to reality. The race to the finish line is quite challenging but we are not looking back. And as we work pile after pile, track after track, beam of steel after beam of steel, you can be sure we will deliver the project”, the Governor assured.


Giving background information about the project, Governor Fashola, who said the area suffered collapse of buildings several years back, pointed out that the unfortunate incident created an opportunity for his administration to decide to renew the area and put some solid residential structures in place.


“Some of the developments here were done during the “developers’’ era” when foundations came up in the night and five years later the building collapsed”, the Governor said adding that the space for the project was created from small pieces of land whose owners merged together for the housing development which, when completed, will revert to the land owners.


“We encouraged the families who own small pieces of land in this place to merge together in one piece and we helped them form an agreement so we can create space and build this place for them with all the amenities which will enable them live the kind of life they have been used to, have parties and so on, drive in and park their cars in their homes”, the Governor further explained.


According to the Governor, “this place will be a residential home for all of the families who own small pieces of land here. Each of them now has an apartment here instead of the small piece which cannot contain a house. We have helped them merge into this very big space so their lands are now in the vertical space. We have relocated them to Ipaja so that after the completion of this project those who want to return here can do so but those who do not want to return can let theirs out. But each family that owns land here has already been resettled”.


“These are some of the resettlement schemes that we do that we do not make too much noise about; but the beneficiaries know it and they understand it”, Governor Fashola said.
Assuring that the project would be structurally stable, the Governor declared, “The more difficult work is already almost completed, piling to secure the structural stability of the house. You can see the type of construction, the type of piling, over 200 piles already here and more to come. There are piles that have gone as deep as 27 metres here and you can see the width and diameter, so you can see this is a building that cannot collapse”.


The 11-floor residential building, being constructed by Anatolia International Limited, consists of nine residential floors with a total of 54 flats made up of 36 2-bedroom flats and 18 3-bedroom flats. Each floor contains six flats made up of four 2-bedroom flats and two 3-bedroom flats while the ground and first floors are for parking lots.


Governor Fashola, who was conducted round the project by the Managing Director of the construction company, Mr. Chahid Raffoul, was accompanied on the tour by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Olufemi Hamzat among other top government officials as well as community leaders and residents who turned out to welcome the Governor.

http://www.watchinglagos.com/2013/02/fashola-inspects-11-floor-54-flat-isale.html

naptu2: Isale-Gangan (1950s)
https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/73075_488646267789_6662908_n.jpg

naptu2: Isale-Gangan (2009)
https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/71944_488646687789_2122206_n.jpg

pro01: Lagos State government and its governor are the most elitist in Nigerian history. Everything they do is done with the super rich "Island" people in mind. From useless hotel projects to toll inner-city roads and bridges.

Unfortunately, if the so-called House of Assembly is purportedly "faulting" the tolling of this bridge, then it is only because the insatiable THIEF that prides himself as the Emperor of Bourdillon isn't happy with the figures/percentage of revenues allocated to him from tbe toll. In other words, the House of Assembly's stance is NOT public-spirited - neither is it motivated by the interests of common Lagosians.

The daft ACN slaves here - especially the robotic Eko whatever fools, would try their poor best to argue otherwise. But no sensible free-born would bother to argue with single-minded slaves on any matter at all

naptu2: 1) So, do you now accept that the settlement is illegal and an environmental hazard?

2) The fact still remains that many people (though not all) take up these causes for ethnic or political reasons.

3) I will score the government highly when it comes to poverty alleviation. Out of all the governments we've had in Lagos, this government and Jakande's government have been the best with regards to poverty alleviation and taking care of the poor (the worst and worst government inn the history of Lagos was Oyinlola's government a.k.a. "No bitumen" ).

The problem is that the media prefer to report grand and spectacular projects, rather than projects that will improve the lives of the poor. They would rather report about Eko Atlantic City, than report about Lagos HOMS, they would rather report about the cable stayed bridge than report about Tekunle. These things exist. The fact that you don't hear noise about them does not mean that they do not exist.

In fact, the government is doing exactly what I thought would be necessary to turn Lagos around after the madness that was military rule. That is, the carrot and stick approach. Give them the carrot, but those who refuse to take the carrot will be beaten by the stick. The act of beating with the stick is more controversial, so it will take up more column inches in newspapers, but there's an alternative. . .there's the carrot.

naptu2: Now I'm going to give you links, stories, pictures, etc (if the anti-spam bot doesn't ban me), but before that I'm going to give you some background.

I believe that Fashola came to complete what Jakande started. Many of Fashola's policies are not really new, but he is returning Lagos to what it was in the 1950s and also completing or improving what Jakande started in the 1980s (I also have to admit that some of the projects were started during Tinubu's administration). (I'm smiling right now because I remember that my family were staunchly opposed to Jakande's education policies).

Lagos HOMS: Jakande (well, Lagos State Development and Property Corporation [LSDPC) built the famous Jakande low cost houses and offered them for sale to Lagosians. The key to the success of this scheme was mortgages. You pay a small initial deposit and pay the rest over the next twenty or thirty years. This made it affordable to the average Lagosian. However, there was a flaw in that model and Fashola has thought of a way to address that flaw. Multi-millionaires bought a lot of the flats and resold them at higher rates. I know one such man who still has several flats in several low cost estates in Lagos.

With Lagos HOMS you must swear an affidavit that you do not own any other house in Lagos and you are not allowed to let out the flat (that is, you must be the one occupying the flat) for the 20 or so years it will take you to pay off the mortgage.

There are also several other programmes and policies that I will post here tonight (if sleep doesn't take me away), including the skills acquisition centres, the Lagos Micro-Finance Institution, Kaiyero and other markets, Isale-Gangan urban renewal (I'll even show you pics of Isale-Gangan in the 1950s and 90s), the Destitute's Home, etc.

DobleO7: Let the Emirate Chief propose his own solution...Simple

such things had never happened in Daura Emirate because the emirate council had a comprehensive data of all the people residing in the domain.

Obiagelli: Very sensible Sir, I am surprised at the way some people are supporting this decision, so even went as far as referring to a father- son relationship.

Daniel Elisha: That's what they usualy do; They criticise them publicly and encourage them secretly.

pro01: You're (conveniently) missing the point. The one who is power drunk is the one who, as the wise Igbo proverb goes, having had a heavy meal of pounded yam, challenges his chi to a fight for no.good reason. It is interesting you alluded to imprudent characters such as Sylva and Amaechi. The question that naturally arises is: What did they do to deserve it? Of all the governors in Nigeria and in the PDP specifically, why them?

Why is it so difficult for a governor to stay in his lane and allow the president stay in his own lane in peace? Does Jonathan strike you as a bully (e.g Obasanjo) who would pick on a random governor minding his own business just for the perverse thrill of it? If an over-ambitious governor decides to challenge the president, knowing the risk involved in such an undertaking, why should other sensible governors feel threatened? These are the real issues.

Every sensible governor, especially those in the president's party, knows that he is safe in his position as long as he faces the important matter of governing his state and avoids needless battles. When you begin fancying yourself as more important and powerful than you really are, and foolishly challenge your 'innocent' chi to a fight, then you have no reason to feel victimised when you meet your inevitable doom.

Jimmy Boy: I don't get it, what is the problem with door to door search, even in US that rule of law is respected the most, door to door searches were conducted at the aftermath of Boston bombings.The emir should park well jor.

take dat: Just because of One man's unbridled lust for power! Nigeria isn't ready yet for democracy!

texaco1: you dont understand the game,ameachi now is even useless to tinubu and co.he is only uselful if he is a gov .now he is no longer the immunity of pdp or Mr President.it is just a matter of time .now all other govs will sit tight and obey Mr President

Kairoseki77: What happened?

Uyi Iredia: When will this thread die ?

Mustay: Thank you @naptu2. Remember, I told you I salute your 'archiving' skills

I've said it in other threads too, since BH began their attacks during UMYA days (circa 2009), muslim clerics in the north who criticized their activities were always targetted. If the Sultan, the spiritual leader of Muslims condemns them, who else do you want?

Crime is crime - if there's justice in this world, media won't have to be telling us a christian thief or buddhist robber. Let them face justice instead of trying to paint one person's misdeeds as representation of others.

Who told you Muslims don't pray against BH? Even on radio shows, you hear them discuss this issue over and over again, even after that, non-muslims call in to tell the presenters to discuss BH endlessly.

Methinks we all need to purge the hate out of our stomach. The last time I checked, BH never represented Muslim concerns like MURIC, AUD and similar organisations do/did, so why would/should anyone promote them to be 'leaders'


Lastly, this thing about break up, unless we want to be like UAE who built the Palm Island on water, I don't think the so-called South wants to build another coutry on the Atlantic Ocean. If we separate, those you hate this much would still remain your neighbors and just ask Turkey whether they can today turn a blind eye to Syria's war!

To destroy is easy, to build nko It's never easy. There are better things we can use our intellect to do rather than allowing bigotry and its allies waste the 'brain's resources'.

[size=14pt]Will Smith's 'Fresh Prince' Rap Returns, Star Joined By Alfonso Ribeiro, Jaden Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff[/size]

May 25, 2013 15:42:18

https://static02.mediaite.com/gossipcop/uploads/2013/05/Screen-Shot-2013-05-25-at-11.11.48-AM-400x292.png

The audience at BBC's "Graham Norton Show" was in for a treat this week when Will Smith performed the theme to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" with some special guests -- take a look in the video above.

Smith was on the show with his 14-year-old son Jaden Smith when they got to talking about their individual music careers. Norton asked the father-and-son duo to perform, prompting Will to beatbox while his son rapped. The Smith men then launched into a rendition of the "Fresh Prince" theme, complete with DJ Jazzy Jeff on the turntables, and a surprise appearance by Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on the beloved television show.

If the mini-reunion wasn't good enough, the performance also included gratuitous shots of Bradley Cooper adorably grinning along and Heather Graham doing some serious hairography to the performance, as the actors were also on the "Graham Norton Show" that day.