Lagos Deserves Special Status -Senators

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday played host to a high profile bi-partisan delegation of Senators led by Senate Minority leader, Senator George Akume who came on a sympathy visit to the state over the recent flooding, asserting that Lagos deserves a special status.

The leader of the team Senator George Akume while speaking at the Lagos House Alausa said the bi-partisan team of Senators was in Lagos on a condolence visit over the recent flooding disaster that the state experienced, adding that the team has gone round to see things for itself.

Senator Akume explained that the team saw some channels constructed over 15 years ago and that some of the projects like roads, bridges are expected to have been handled by the Federal Government because they are Federal projects, but had not been done.

He said Lagos should have a special status whenever a thought is being given in terms of intervention in areas of critical importance, adding that the concerned Senators are looking for ways of assisting Lagos.

Senator Akume said many Senators are already signing up for the cause which is on a moral and persuasive approach to supporting the people of Lagos State particularly at this period and taking the document to Mr President.

He said the magnitude of the incident has shown that it is one which Lagos alone cannot handle and also encouraged the governor to continue to do what he is doing well for the good people of Lagos.

Governor Fashola while responding said the drainages have discharged their responsibilities clearly but are not enough to cater for the expanding frontiers of Lagos territory where new estates are springing up.

He explained that 10 drainage channels are being developed in Lekki area while in some other areas, government is lining canals that are earth channels, a process which costs a lot of money, adding that there are also human issues.

“We have given notices that there would be absolutely no tolerance for people who build very close to the drains, canals, wetlands and swampy areas which are the reservoirs where the water should drain to. Many of the devastating effect of the flood was more pronounced in areas where there should be no building. Some have built on drains,” he said.

According to the governor, the first priority is to save lives.

“We know that there are people issues here but we think that only living people can prosper and whose challenges we have to deal with. Our reaction is first to save them from themselves and therefore of course the human issue of relocation and resettlement will come up. This is not an ideal environment in which to plan that but we think we will save lives first and come and deal with properties and resettlement as a consequence.

“Another challenge is also that the terrain of Lagos makes building very vulnerable. Therefore all of those buildings at this time of rainy season when there is a lot of water and lot of seismic movement that is affecting the structures of buildings and all of the buildings that we have identified as unstable will have to be evacuated and brought down and then we would see what we can do as a government.”

The Governor added that the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development and his Environment counterpart have the marching orders of the State Government to remove all such structures.

Governor Fashola said the last four weeks has not been very favourable for governments across the world, adding that Lagos is just having its own share of the misfortune, saying: “We need help, we need funding particularly because we have plans to mitigate these problems. One cannot rule out the possibility of a recurrence and therefore requires a community of efforts at local and national level to put in strategies to mitigate them.”

The Lagos State helmsman reiterated his personal delight that such a bi-partisan delegation has put themselves forward to respond in empathy and compassion to issues that affect people.

“I am encouraged by what I see here by these distinguished Senators and that there is hope for Nigeria. I share your strong sentiments that an investment in Lagos State, the support of Lagos and the granting of a special status is not a grant for Lagos but for Nigeria.

“Any investment in Lagos is an investment in enlightened self interest of corporate Nigeria. It is an investment that protects and supports Nigeria’s capacity to earn more resources, support more businesses, expand businesses and address issues of unemployment.”

The governor added that in Lagos, the possibilities are limitless as it is a home for every Nigerian, alluding to the 2011 Spelling Bee Competition through which the One Day Governor Mr Niodu Jone Akpankpan from Akwa Ibom emerged.

The delegation from Abuja also included the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Senator (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Senator Gbenga Obadara, Senator Femi Lanlehin, Senator Jide Omoworare, Senator Femi Ojudu all of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and Senator Abu Ibrahim of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) while some members of the State Executive Council like Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello and his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr Lateef Ibirogba joined the governor in receiving the Senators.