Posted by By Sunday Aborisade on
A N200m project aimed at restoring Obalende‘s lost glory is in the offing. The project, planned to beautify and regenerate Obalende Roundabout, is aimed at transforming the hub of Lagos Island from its present image of a filthy arena to an exotic site.
A N200m project aimed at restoring Obalende‘s lost glory is in the offing. The project, planned to beautify and regenerate Obalende Roundabout, is aimed at transforming the hub of Lagos Island from its present image of a filthy arena to an exotic site.
The project is being jointly sponsored by the Department for International Development of the British Government and Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Agency, under the state and local government programme.
The rehabilitation will involve drainage clearing, road repairs, roundabout beautification and parking lots regeneration.
According to the project‘s plan, the proposed arrangement will give the area a facelift. The filthy environment, worsens by chaotic traffic situation, makes motorists and pedestrians to avoid the place.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the makeshift stalls under the bridges were being used as hideout by some hoodlums who attack members of the public at night.
DFID coordinator in the state, Mr. John Baker, had attributed the delay in the take-off of the project to the problems between officials of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the Lagos State Government over Highways Right-of-Way, which lasted between 2003 and 2005.
Investigations by our correspondent at the Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area on Friday revealed that the plan and model of the project were ready and were being kept in the agency‘s office.
The Chairman of the LCDA, Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, had told residents and business owners in Ikoyi at a forum last year that the British agency would reconstruct and beautify the roundabout.
Gbadebo-Smith had explained at the forum, which attracted representatives of Victoria Island and Ikoyi Residents Association and foreign envoys living in the area, that the project would commence as soon as he concluded discussions with the Federal Ministry of Works, owners of the structure at the roundabout.
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, a representative of the SLGP, Mr. Uche Kalu, said the Obalende Roundabout Area Regeneration project would take off immediately the state government had cleared the Macgregor canal.
Kalu said all the stakeholders in the area, including artisans, street traders, commercial vehicle operators, residents of Obalende and Ijeh, were being carried along in the execution of the project.
He said the consultations had yielded positive results as the various groups had expressed satisfaction with the plan to relocate the artisans to more acceptable places.
He said, "The stakeholders‘ fears of ejection were addressed at the various fora where we assured them that they would be properly relocated."
Kalu explained that seven applications had been received from firms intending to bid for the execution of the project.
He, however, said that two of them had been disqualified because they did not meet up with the specification.
He said the applications of the five successful firms had been sent to the tender‘s board for appraisal and bidding, adding that the first phase of the project would take 60 days.
At the completion of the project, the SLGP representative said, a management structure, involving the entire stakeholders would be put in place to enhance sustainability.
Street traders in the area have, however, vowed to resist any attempt to relocate them without the provision of an alternative and acceptable place that would not be too expensive to manage for them.
An auto-technician in the area, Mr. Morufu Bello, urged the government to make the site being planned for them accessible to their customers.