BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA TELLS NIGERIANS: ‘YOU WON’T SEE US COMING TO CUT ANY TAPE’ BECAUSE ROADS ARE ALREADY BEING COMPLETED
Published by Borderless Media
L-R: Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN; Chairman, Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Euzebio Babajide Damazio and a member of Yoruba Tennis Club at the Annual Lecture.
In response to the worries and concerns of many Nigerians about the construction of federal highways that seem to be proceeding perpetually in various parts of the country, the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN has proclaimed that the roads are already being completed and nobody should expect a special tape-cutting ceremony signifying the completion of the developmental projects.
He made this known at the Landmark Public Lecture of the Yoruba Tennis Club Tagged: “What Can The President Do For Me?” which held at the Club’s event center in Lagos.
In his words, ‘Every time we finish 5 to 10km of road, we open it. That side has been completed. This is the way we do federal highways. It is not a street road where you can divert traffic and close it down. And then come and cut tape.’
Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Zoning-in on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Honorable Minister informed: ‘Between Lagos to Ogun to Oyo is 127km, the way we build our roads is that we close a section in order to build a part. We are reconstructing the road meaning that we are excavating from the surface and rebuilding. We are excavating up to 2metres inch-by-inch over 3 lanes for 127km. So everyday, we have to be out. And you will see the work going on. We are on schedule and on target for 2022.’
‘The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is a work in progress. We will see that between 2016 and now, the condition of the road is improving, journey time is reducing, driving experience is getting better, and we are close to completion. We have done almost 90km. We will finish next year 2022. Those who use the road frequently will know that work is now approaching the old Toll Gate end of Ibadan and the place called Lotto on the Lagos end is where we are trying to construct an interchange. I was there 4 weeks ago seeking the assistance of Ogun state government because land belongs to the state government. The Governor has promised to assist’, he noted.
L-R: Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN with the Chairman, Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Euzebio Babajide Damazio during the Yoruba Tennis Club Annual Lecture.
On some other federal highways under construction, the former Governor of Lagos state shared: ‘Between Kano to Maiduguri, we are building 2 lanes each for over 560km crossing 5 states. Between Abuja to Kano, we are building 2 lanes over 375km from Abuja to Zaria to Nigeria to Kano. This is true of many parts in Nigeria. So you won’t see us coming to cut any tape. Once we finish, traffic must move.’
Praising the idea of the public lecture organized by the social club founded in 1926, the erudite Minister wants Yoruba Tennis Club and other social clubs in Lagos to put policy conversations on the front-burner. He said: ‘I think it is important to reinvigorate these important platforms. As a young man in Lagos, it was these clubs where government policies are discussed and debated. Federal commissioners and state commissioners attend their programmes.’
Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (right) delivery his keynote speech at the Yoruba Tennis Club’s Annual Lecture Tagged: “What Can The President Do For Me?”
‘These social clubs are potent vehicles for reaching the people. Back then, when we wanted to explain the rationale for restricting motorchyles and certain vehicles in Lagos, it was to these clubs that we took the debate – from Ikeja Country Club to Eko Club to Island Club to Yoruba Tennis Club – once the people understand what we are about doing, they owned it and evangelized it. We can do the same thing for other programmes.’
In his remarks to the Minister, a board of trustees member of the Club, Dr. Oluyomi Finnih said: ‘He is such a clever person. He will deliver his lecture in a way that you cannot fault anything. The lecture is very technical.’
‘We still expect that at a point in time, the citizens have roles to play. So what can you and I do to get the best out of what we have. If we don’t have everything then we must make do with what we have. I want to say this lecture is well-attended and I am very glad and happy.’
