Posted by By UCHE USIM on
Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has emphasized the state's determination to eject occupants of the bar beach area of Lagos to pave way for the extension of the sea defence work, stressing that the government will have to move them forcefully if they refused to leave voluntarily as they pledged.
Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has emphasized the state's determination to eject occupants of the bar beach area of Lagos to pave way for the extension of the sea defence work, stressing that the government will have to move them forcefully if they refused to leave voluntarily as they pledged.
Fielding questions from aviation correspondents t the Presidential lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, the governor said the safety and security of millions of Lagosians was paramount to him than the welfare of the occupants of the beach, whose activities, he noted, negate the efforts of the state in ensuring that the sea does not swallow homes and offices on the island.
Fashola who said he did not give the occupants an ultimatum explained that they (bar beach occupants) chose to vacate the place within a week, even though they have failed to do as they said.
'We need to move them out of that place so that the remedial construction works can continue to extend the sea defence wall.
When I went there, I explained to them that what they were doing, was not complementary to what we were doing. And I gave them a choice, that we'll either come to move them or they'll move on their own. They agreed to move. They said they'll move in a week. The contract for the extension has been awarded. The contractor is mobilizing to site. Whether they move voluntarily or not, as a matter of necessity, I must protect the lives of millions of Lagosians who are being threatened by the sea if it ever overruns, and so I'll have to do what I've to do.
Once the contractors are ready to move into site, I'll be behind them to ensure we deliver the place together," the governor stated.
In checking floods that appear to be threatening major parts of the state, Governor Fashola warned Lagosians and Nigerians in general to live responsible lives by thrashing their refuse properly.
He added that the careless disposal of refusal contributes to flooding as gutters and canals get
blocked forcing water to flow into major streets and people's homes.
'This is the season of rains and we must prepare for it just as we prepare for seasonal things. For too long, we've neglected to prepare to receive the rains. If you look at Europe now, as we go into the next few weeks, they'll start preparing for winter. In the same manner, we must prepare for the rains. We can't just assume that things will take their natural cause.
So, what we're doing now is provide relief across the state I ways we can, clear the canals so that the primary drains from the streams can flow into the canals and back into the sea. Of course, it's an interlocking connection. If there is hurricane, if there's global melt down in the artic region, there is a larger body of water coming into the play and since we drain into the sea, if the sea level is higher, we expect flood," he said.
On the status of the state's independent power project, Fashola said plans are on to get it in full steam once the Federal Government is through with the, unbundling of NEPA and PHCN.
'Bids are in various stages and it's sensible at this stage to see how all of that will unfold and see who is holding what or who is the stakeholder where in order to know which way to go. The system as you know, there is transmission, there is distribution and of course the final end of it, which is the retail end of the business like the metering and all of that. Of course, there's going to only one transmission company, which everybody will rely on. They're unbundling the major distribution companies. Lagos State has two, Ikeja and Eko distribution zones. Bids have been made. Our state has expressed interest in them and we'll see how all of these evolve," he said.