12th April, 2016
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode says the new Mile 12 Market will be ready in six months time. The governor said this on a tour of Imota and Agbowa area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Speaking at the site of the proposed Mile 12 Market in Imota, Ambode told traditional rulers and stakeholders in the area that Mile 12 Market would be relocated to the site and that officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development would commence work on the project within seven days.
“We are all aware that we had a little crisis at Mile 12 Market in Ketu recently and right here is the new site that we are relocating Mile 12 Market to. So, our new commodity market would take off from here and so I like to give the Ministry of Physical Planning the directive to commence activities here within the next one week.
“We believe that if we start within the next seven days, within the next six months, Mile 12 Market Ketu will be a thing of the past. We are committed to doing this. We know it is in the interest of all Lagosians that we relocate Mile 12 Market here. The marketers themselves have agreed; the onus is now on us to ensure that we deliver this new market within the next six months,” he said.
The governor appealed to people in Imota to cooperate with the contractors as major investors were coming to the area to accelerate development.
“We are also thinking about this road network here and very soon you will hear from us concerning the road between Ikorodu and Epe,” he added.
The governor also visited Agbowa where the Oko-Baba Sawmillers in Ebute Meta would be relocated and assured that by September this year, the project would be completed.
Commending the progress of works on the project, Ambode said “We all can see that the work is going on steadily. Our intention is to clean up the whole of Oko- Baba and relocate the entire sawmill to this place.
“By extension, meaning that you would not see any logging being done on our water along Ebute meta axis in the area again, because all the logging in the axis has to stop and be done here and by so doing, we would have cleaned up that axis up to Third Mainland Bridge. I am assured that before the end of September, we would have commenced operation in this place,” he said.
Also, Ambode, who visited the Imota Rice Processing Mill was displeased with what he saw as the facility rots without being put to good use.
He therefore ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to upgrade the rice mill to 10 metric tons per hour to meet up with high volume demand.
“The truth is that beyond the fact that the factory is not meeting up with the state expectation on rice production, our first action will be to overhaul and upgrade it to the standard to where we can sustain 10 metric tons per hour. In addition to that, we will also invite private investors that can also complement the state government’s efforts with an additional 10 metric ton per hour.
“That is the only way we can truly say that we have intervened. That is the only way we can also allow the inflow of paddy’s from other state. You will all recall that we just signed an MOU with Kebbi State; and the intention is to have a consistent flow of the raw materials into the state. Through this, we can stop the importation of rice into the country, especially Lagos.
“To achieve stop in importation of rice, the state government needs to intervene first, and later allow the private sector to drive the initiative. We are ready to expand this facility immediately and allow the private investors to invest 10 metric ton per hour. With this, we will be able to cover the entire rice feeds in the state and adjourning states. We will be able to get the regular supply from Kebbi State. Our intention was not to rely on Kebbi State alone, we are interested in inviting other states that have the paddy rice. The consumers are majorly in Lagos and the intention is to expand the Eko rice in order to have a brand in Lagos that will be consumed by all,” he explained.
“The Ministry has to do this within the next three to six months to upgrade it.
Government is expected to regulate while the private sector do the business activities.
We will structure it in order to attract the best experts to manage the facility. We cannot allow the facility to rot away,” he added.