Fashola Warns FG over the planned takeover of Lagos-Badagry Expressway

Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, yesterday described the planned takeover of the construction of the Lagos- Badagry Expressway by the federal government as unimaginable, saying the apex arm of government will have the state to deal with.

Fashola who said this at an occasion to mark his 2, 700 days in office said his administration delivered numerous dividends of democracy to Lagosians in the last 100 days and was not aware of plans by the federal government to derail development process in the state.

Minister of works, Mr Mike Onolememen had said in September 2014 that the federal government planned to take over the road, adding that a new project design that involved five other ECOWAS member countries was being undertaken.

Reacting, Fashola said, “About the light rail project, I told you the red line was delayed because we have not received federal government’s approval to share their corridor. The statement credited to the minister of works, honestly, I don’t know. I have not heard about it; I have not read it.

“I think it will be wise to hear what they have to say on the matter and I think it will be very unfortunate. To even contemplate that idea, they will have us to deal with should that be the case but I don’t think that anybody who is sensible will want to stand in the way of development; what will the objective be?

“You are not providing the money and the design; we are doing this so that our state can move forward. I don’t want to believe he made that statement. I think we will leave it there.”

Not amused that the Federal Government has released a statement detailing the debt profile of the state to the tune of N160 billion Fahola called on the FG to return the sum of N51 billion that the Lagos State Government has expended on federal roads.

He noted that the debt burden of the state will be less and that the state will have less to burrow if that money is returned.

Harping on speculations that All Progressive Congress may pick him as running mate General Muhamadu Buhari to contest the 2015 Presidential election if picked by the All Progressive Congress (APC) said he is presently preoccupied with his duties as Lagos State governor.

He stressed that he was at the event because Buhari personally sent him an invitation to an APC event.

Fashola also doused speculation that governorship aspirants of the party in Lagos State are holding meetings to enable them come out with consensus candidate adding that the APC has a constitutions which prescribes primaries as prelude for emergence of candidates for elective offices.

The governor gave a pass mark to the entire APC candidate, stressing that any of them is capable of carrying out the task of governing the state since they are part of government and warned electorate against voting for people who seek to use the state for an experiment.

He said his government recorded giant strides in various sectors in the last 100 days in office including the successful containment of Ebola Deadly Disease, commissioning og Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School , Ifako Ijaye, handing over of Motor Vehicle Administration Agency , a one stop vehicle documentation center, among others.

Source: Leadership