' 8
THISDAY, Vol. 16. No. 5769 Page 47
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
.c,
, ;'
.'
Property
.
_. . I
•
'; ~~.
LERSA Demands Toll-free RoadA
grouP • Lekki Estate Residents & Stakeholders Association (LERSA) has asked professional bodies and the public to intervene in its demand for a toll-free Lekki-Epe road. Lagos, The Lekki Toll Road Concession Agreement, between the Lagos State Government and a private firm, Lekki Concession Company (LCC) underpins the "Lagos Infrastructure Project" , It includes upgrading and creating new road infrastructure along the first 49,4krn of the Lekki-Epe Expressway (Phase I), Furthermore, additional private sector finance will be deployed towards developing the first 2Dkrn of the Coastal Road with an option to do the Southern Bypass as well (Phase 1I),oIn keeping with the already globally established Build Operate and Transfer model of infrastructure delivery, the Concessionaire (LCC) will be required to operate and maintain the road for the full 3D-year term of the Concession, and then to hand over t1ie assets to Lagos State in good condition at the end of the Concession term. 'rhe agreement is based on the 2004 Lagos State "Roads Law" that establishes the enabling framework for projects such as the Lekki Toll Road Concession, This legislation also formalises the role of the new "State Roads, Bridges and Highway Infrastructure (Public Sector Participation) Development Board lt • The IIPSP Board ll as it i~ known in its abbreviated form, is the Regulatory Authority sel up to oversee the Lekki Toll Road Concession, and other SUCII PPP infrastructure projects in " ' the leagos State Roads Sector. _Regardless, LERSA in a statement signed by Mf, ¥atlil:~ Ojugo, Head Publicity said "as negotiation is going on' w~ call on all Lagosians, including the Nigeria Bar Association; Save Nigeria Group; Nigeria Labour Congress; Nigeria Union of lournalist and the general public to join us in asking L~gos state Government why should Lekki - Eli-Osa -Epe road'be the only road to be tolled in Lagos State? In addition, why should we;' have three toll gates for a distance of every five minute~ 'dr;iv~"!~, The group had asked for cancellahon of the toll plaza,.along.: ' Lekki-Ekpe expressway "in view of the untold hardshig irwiU, ~ impose on Lagosians that will ply the 23.5 kilometers of road'~ . ::;;:t=:;;::::::::;;;::::===============:--~~~~.~~ they cannot provide road for it citizens; such a governexpansion done at the cost of N50 billion approximately;"That: ' ment has failed its people, How does the introduction of tollgate on this road alleviate the poverty level of the residence 01 is to say it cost N2.l billion to expand a kilometer of road, mak' ing it the most expensive road project in the world, We equally with the land owners before they can charge tolls," this area? If this toll-gate is allowed to stay, does that not sugknow that any responsible government takes the r<;.sponsibtUty, The. gro~p sllld go~erP.rnent both at federal and state levels gest that if A,c'N is elected at federal level they will introduce for provision of basic infrastructure for its citizen to alleviate·,,' cano"t provide.ciiizens'with basic infra-structure such as, etectoll gate all over Nigeria ?" their suffering," tricity. water, good schools and hospital among others, asking if The group said as things stand, "a Lagos worker would pay The group asked if the cost of expanding the Lekki-Epe road the roads created by past government were tolled, "We cannot N48,OOO monthly as tollgate fees, meanwhile his minimum believe that Lagos State Government has degenerated to a level wage is NI8,OOO per month, How will he survive?" was much higher than what is being spent on the expansion of roads in Sumlere, Isolo, Lawanson to Yaba bus - stop, It sought to know why LCC should collect toll on the existing two lanes having only created a lane on either side of the road, "If the Federal Government of Nigeria led by P,D,P build toll Department of the Lagos State gate along Federal Road in Lagos (for instance, Oshodi-Apapa tional negotiations to ensure that NetwOlk he need for prudent water expressway, Third Mainland Bridge) while none in other states Minisny of Rural Development water is placed on the climate The dialogue, which held at management in the face of delivered a paper on 'Water And of the federation what will be the reaction of Lagos State agenda, VIning Memorial Archbishop challenges presented by Government or Lagosians?" the group asked, Climate Change: Lagos State as a Three papers were presented Cathedral, ikeja, Lagos was effects of climate cbange case study' It claimed that "there is no alternative route which is contrary at the event with the Executive aimed at highlighting water was at the core of the first diato international best practice. Infrastructure Development According to participants, the of the Bread of Life Director resources management issues in logue on Water and Climate Charge (IDC) has been paid, so why pay toll again, Does this changing climate is likely to Development Foundation. the the context of climate change Change in Lagos , organised by not amount to double taxation? For equity, Land acquired by exacetbate water management Babatope Babalobi discussing thereby empowering Nigeria's the Bread of Life Development Lagos State originally for free use should be returned to the problems in Nigeria through its the 'Imperatives of mainstreamwater resources stakeholders to Foundation in collaboration with impact on rising sea levels in land owners so that Lee, a private organisation can renegotiate ing water issues into Climate engage in national and intern... the Water and Sanitation Media Nigeria costal regions, variable Change Discussions'; Professor rainfall and extreme events like Lekan Oyeband<:, Chair of the floods and drought particularly in TechniciU Committee" West Northern Nigeria, African Water Partnership spoke They contend that the conseon the, 'Likely Impacts Of quences of climate change are a demand for bousing, and anothigerian cities, as elsewhere Climate. Variability And Change the total population cannot By Olusegun Ariyo ~jor challenge to the managein sub-Sahara Africa , lack er serious constraint to the On Water Resources And Their afford public housing, So public ment of water resources and baradequate infrasnucture for expansion of housing is the difAvailability In Nigeria', while housing has become a housing riers to the transition from poverficulty of getting land for new housing and other social Engineer RA Ayeni, Deputy solution for the elite and not for Generally, it is considered to construction. snucture, Much of this is due to the common man, Land policy, Director. Rural Water Supply ty to prosperity by Nigerians, be an ineffective tool for guiding the absence of land planning that In addition, public housing unfof\UDlltely is, another.draw development. Even, some should anticipate the evolving has not been able to produce back, With the Land Use Nigerian writers assert that the TO lET IN enough housing to meet: the functions and responsibilities of Decree of 1978; individual onlinance constitute a draw back utban areas, demand of Nigerians, ownership waS disallowed, VICTORIA ISLAND'S to rational urlJan development Accordingly, from 1979 to Nigeria is the most urlJanized Unfortunately, 'the decree has since it restricts the planning OIPlOMATIC ENCLAVE and highly populated counny in 1983, a government housing not stopped land speculations or authorities in many ways, hoarding, ' sub-Sahara Africa and all of this policy report stated that public A renown Nigerian urbanist, population resides in a land area . Report on ltrbanhousing in housing had a goal of 200,000 Professor Akin Mabogunje Nigeria indicate that while the new housing unit but only roughly equal to California and states that the ordinance limits decree looks good on paper, Arizona combined, Utban areas 37,650 ru.using units or 19 per, tlJUS·tl planning to providing a physi3t_ - '__ _ powerful people have Il1linipurepresent less than iO percent of cent were actually built, Also in cally attractive layout with archilated the syStem; the ,state lacks the land area of the counny, yet it the report, it was stated that pubtecturally well-design houses, the will to implement it, and accommodates 28 percent of the lic housing is too expensive for but does not give planning generally the prinCiple has not total popUlation, the low income group, . authorities sufficient powers to been upbeld, ' 1bis increasing wbanisation 70 percent of Approximately implement major plans, Another requires that those saddled with case in point is the housing poliresponsibility for planning cy, should brace up to the task of The production of housing in presenting a better future, For Nigeria is primarily a function of RESlDENJ7Al & COAfAIERCIAL PROPERTiEs NATIONWIDE, instance, the 1946 ordinance that the private market, Contact: . ' constitutes the legislative hasis Approximately 90 percent of for all laws and regulations govurban homes is produced by prierning urban development polivate developers due to housing cies up to present, was just demand created by rwal-urban design to promote order in urban migration, which accounts for development by establishing 65 percent of urlJan population planning authorities which could growth, Shortage of qualified ....lillllt."....c.ini............" . . . ca. .' ... ".d..,' ... bad: control urban growth and was experience tradesmen has made , ··' ••I1""~li... ii.cim.r osunlD200t.(tllltw'l¥t modeled on the British planning it impossible for the Nigerian acL realestateafrica@gmail.QOm building industries to meet the "FOt1_"'!If ... ~ ...... __
-
Stakeholders Discuss Water, Climate Change
T
Burden of Urban Development Policies
N
.Luxury Apartment
CALPINJl~" •••accomplish, more
09 784 4444. 08123454444,0806 321 4444