.Says Apapa is a disgrace
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi, has mapped out strategies to tackle issues of transportation in Lagos if voted into office in the 2019 elections.
Gbadamosi, popularly called BOG by admirers spoke over the weekend at the “All Nigeria Maritime Journalists Retreat.”
He said that plans were afoot to purchase state -of-the-art craft to ferry passengers from Badagry to Apapa, CMS, Lekki and Epe if elected governor, stressing that water transportation must be fully utilised.
The event, which was attended by maritime stakeholders and politicians, was organised by Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Badagry at the weekend.
According to him, the major challenge confronting the maritime sector in Nigeria was lack of effective multiple transport model.
Gbadamosi argued that the maritime sector had been neglected by the federal government for so long and the effect has negatively impacted on several businesses in the state.
“For the businesses in the maritime sector to grow we need to develop the rail, water, air and land transport system.
“Apapa is a disgrace. Within 18 months if I am voted into power, I will provide electrical train powered by its own terminal, stable electricity in eight local governments and build high sped power bus and rail services. All these I have practicaised as an estate developer.
“There is need to build the jetties and have huge canoes that can transport two thousand people from different locations in Lagos from Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe, Abule-Egba, Apapa and other areas.”
“The Apapa port was built by the government o the Western Region. Since 1966 when the Federal Government through the military fiat took over very thing has gone from bad to worse. The best approach is to handover the port back to Lagos for effective operation” the ADP candidate said.
He expressed worries that the tax payers in Lagos were at the receiving end of continued delay regarding completion of the state’s rail project tagged ‘blue line’ since 2008.
Addressing the audience on the strategies to improve intermodal transport on Saturday, the Lagos State governorship hopeful described the delay as deliberate rip-off on the tax payers.
The Lagos rail project is an open secret on the internet concerning the comparison I have drawn. People should go and search for information because what is happening is so said Ethiopia constructed 792 kilometers of rail for $4.5 per kilometer between 2011 and 2016.
“ Prudent management and accountability is the way to go, the Lagos ports built by the Western region government are now in total mess and absolute shambles.