Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, officially handed over the Maidan-Aina-Agiliti network of roads and bridge in the Kosofe Local Government, stating that the successful completion of the project is a promise made and kept which is an evidence of change and good governance.
The Governor who spoke before cutting the tape to declare the road and four others including Oremerin/Ibikunle, Oniyanrin, Ajanlekoko- Oluwo and Adeyeye open added that shortly after he was sworn in, in year 2007, he came to Agiliti and the plea from the residents is that flooding has cut away the community from Kosofe for over 50 years and that they would be happy if he can construct a jetty or a culvert for them in view of their helplessness.
According to Fashola, his reply then was to assure the people that since they pay their taxes, they would not get a jetty to navigate with their canoes but would instead get a standard bridge which is the responsibility of the responsive government that they have put in place.
He described the Maidan- Aina- Agiliti roads as another evidence of slum regeneration and urban renewal, adding that whenever he listens to the candidate of the main opposition party saying the current administration has not regenerated the slums, it is a clear demonstration that he does not know Lagos at all.
“So when I hear the pretender to my office who is trapped under the umbrella, I feel so sorry for him because it is becoming more obvious that he does not know Lagos. Because if he knows a place like Maidan- Agiliti, he would not have made such statement, but as I have said his knowledge of Lagos is limited to his being driven from his home to the airport.
“I was here in 2007 and 2008 and have been here every year until we came now. It was overtaken by flood. Canoe was the only means. They asked to make them boxed culverts and to make them a jetty and somebody said the community has been separated from Kosofe for over 50 years”, he explained.
He reiterated that today, he is a happy man because the new roads and bridge have brought prosperity to all the people in the area, with the traders commuting easily with their wares and landlords also enjoying an increase in rate of properties due to the new roads.
Governor Fashola also said for him, a government must stand for something or it will fall for everything, stressing that for him, the project represents the value of democracy where voters can hold politicians responsible for the promises that they made to them.
“Our work is not finished, for the 800 metres stretch remaining that the residents want us to complete, let us make a promise here today that if you vote for all my party candidates at all levels during the general elections, I assure you that we will come and finish that road. It is social contract, you want something, I promise you that I would do it”.
He thanked the Special Adviser on Works, Engineer Ganiyu Johnson who commenced work on the project and the Commissioner for Works, Dr. Femi Hamzat who completed it, all the staff who worked on the project and the main contractors, Messrs CCCEC for a job well done.