Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on
Thursday said that his administration would consolidate on its infrastructural
renewal drive with the construction of 181 local government roads in the
current fiscal year, saying the process for the award of the contract would
commence next week.
Governor Ambode, who spoke at the first Quarterly
Town Hall Meeting for 2017, the sixth in the series, held at the Ajelogo
Housing Scheme, Ajelogo Market Road, Akanimodo, Mile 12, said the 181 roads, is
an improvement on the 114 roads, two in each local government, which his
administration promised to embark upon every year.
Acknowledging that most of the requests made by
residents during the interactive session at the Town Hall Meeting were majorly
on roads owing to the success of the 114 roads delivered in September 2016, the
Governor said his administration thought it wise to ensure that the roads
captured for 2017 are key roads that would have economic impact on the people
living in that axis, hence the increase to 181 roads.
“I want to pronounce here that you should watch
out next week in the newspapers, we are advertising 181 roads which would be
done in all our local governments.
“What we have found out is that if we decided to
continue with two, some of those roads are not linking each other to the main
road, so most likely you would see that if we are supposed to do some road in
some local governments, it would only make economic sense if there is a
linkage. So you would see in the advert that some local governments would have
like three, some would have four roads, but the average is that 181 if you
divide it by 57 that would be a minimum of three roads from each local
governments,” Governor Ambode said.
The Governor said that the choice of the roads to
be constructed had been made by the local governments in conjunction with the
engineers, assuring that before the end of the year when the road would be
delivered, the people would be better for it.
Giving his account of stewardship in the last
quarter, Governor Ambode said the choice of Akanimodo, Mile 12 as venue for the
meeting was to show that the axis has not been left behind in the developmental
progress ongoing in the State, saying he had come to listen to the needs of the
people and where government intervention was in dire need.
He said in the last quarter, his administration
kicked off its “Rent-To-Own and Rental Housing Policy” aimed at providing
affordable units across the three Senatorial Districts, disclosing that there
are 4,355 housing units available with over 500 applicants prequalified so far,
while allocation would commence next week.
On the agricultural sector, the Governor said his
administration was already looking to build on the first fruits of its
partnership with Kebbi State Government with the launch of LAKE RICE in
December 2016, adding that in the current quarter the government would embark
on the rehabilitation of the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex, Agege in
line with the promise to increase meat production output, develop the red meat
value chain and restructure the complex for improved operations.
Governor Ambode also said that the Neighbourhood
Safety Corps would become operational in the current quarter with the
recruitment of 5700 personnel, while 100 would be deployed to each of the local
government to complement the efforts of other security agencies in policing the
State.
Expressing optimism that 2017 holds great
expectations for Lagos, especially as the State gets set to mark its landmark
Golden Jubilee on May 27, his administration would continue with its urban
regeneration initiatives, building new infrastructure and maintaining existing
ones.
He listed some of the key projects to be done to
include Agric-Isawo-Arepo Road in Ikorodu, Ajelogo–Akanimodo Road
Rehabilitation, Oshodi to Murtala Mohammed Airport Road, Ketu-Alapere Inner
Roads Phase II, Oke Oso–Araga–Poka in Epe, Topo Garage to VIP Chalet in
Badagry, Ladipo Market Road and Multilayer Car Park , Mushin and establishment
of Bus Terminals and depots in Yaba, Ikeja, Oyingbo, Anthony, Ketu and Toll
Gate, while more beneficiaries will receive funding from the N25bn Employment
Trust Fund in January.
Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, in his remarks
urged the Governor to give priority to the construction of Adeniji-Adele Road
and ensure the construction of other roads that deserve utmost attention in the
area.
He also urged the Governor to improve the standard
of markets in the area to enviable standards, while urging total reconstruction
of non-approved and unauthorised buildings already built within major markets
in Lagos Island.
Akiolu further urged Lagosians to continue to
cooperate and support the present administration as well as desist from any
form of clandestine meetings that may undermine the progress of Governor Ambode’s
administration.
Responding to questions that bordered on security,
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni said with the continued
support of the State Government, the Command increased the number of personnel
in Ketu-Epe Police Post from two to seventy to effectively combat kidnapping
and other crimes in Agbowa, Itoikin and environs, as well as transformed the
hitherto abandoned Iyun Police Post to anti-kidnapping unit, while two gun
boats were moved to Ejirin.
Owoseni, however, urged traditional rulers and
community elders to caution their subjects especially the youths on the need to
be law abiding, shun all forms of criminal activities, and only be engaged in
lawful means of livelihood.
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Politics