Residents of Apapa, Lagos State will soon heave a sigh of relief as Governor Babatunde Fashola has promised to relocate all tank farms in the area to Lekki.
He made the promise on Friday during the state campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Apapa.
To the governor, the relocation would make Apapa become the commercial, residential and industrial hub it used to be.
Underscoring his campaign for change in the centre and continuity in the state while addressing the huge gathering of party chieftains and supporters from across the state, at the Open Roundabout by Post Office, Apapa, Fashola said with a well planned industrial and petro-chemical plant which has already been designed by his administration all the tank farms now in Apapa would be moved out to the Lekki Free Zone thereby ensuring safety and traffic sanity.
Blaming the Federal Government for the continued traffic snarl that have been a source of great stress to residents and workers in Apapa, the Governor promised that when elected, the incoming governor, Akin Ambode, would continue with the work “so that life can return here and Apapa can become the commercial, industrial and residential hub that it used to be”.
He appealed for patience among the people of Apapa saying all of the problems that they have in hours of traffic, “caused by a government that prefers to import instead of produce fuel, will soon stop when Buhari is elected into office by you”, adding that the transfer of the tank farms would change a situation where thousands of tankers currently cause the traffic holdup in Apapa while trying to load fuel.
Advancing reasons why the people must vote for the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, Fashola recalled that when he was Head of State of Nigeria, the refineries were built and they were working, adding that then, there was no need for 3,000 tankers to come into Apapa everyday to come and move fuel to supply to other parts of the country.
The governor told the people, “But because of all that they get from importation, they have turned your residential estate into a petroleum tank farm. They don’t care about your life. They are the ones issuing all those approvals for tank farms”.
He, however, assured them that when the refineries start working, fuel would be supplied to the North from Kaduna Refinery, to the South-South and South East from Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries and to the South West from the Lagos Refinery on which work has already started.
Fashola recalled that four years ago, his administration promised the people of Apapa to work on some inner city roads like Aerodrome Road, Warehouse Road, Calcutta Crescent, Abraham Adesanya, Douala, Kofo Abayomi, Moshalashi, Sari Iganmu, Itapeju adding, “Now how do they look?” .
“Those are the promises we made to you. Jonathan came four years ago; he promised to build Murtala Mohammed Airport road, has he done it? No. He promised you steady light, that you would no longer buy generators, has he fulfilled it? Presently work is on going on Marine Road, Bombay Crescent, Ibikunle Akintoye Street and several others. The ones that I can finish I will finish and the ones that I cannot finish, Ambode will conclude it”, Governor Fashola said.
According to the Governor, “Apart from building roads, I used to come here as a child, may be they don’t know this place; cinemas were here, hotels were here; but they destroyed all that. But be patient, help is on the way, APC is bringing help, Buhari is bringing help, Ambode will continue the work”.
He also told the people, “We have already built your own Shoprite Mall in Apapa, Surulere now has its own, Lekki has its own, Ikeja has its own, FESTAC is on the way, Isolo is on the way and Ikorodu is on the way; I can tell you also Amuwo Odofin, I have signed the agreement to build the Amuwo Odofin Mall”.
Expressing dismay that the PDP Governorship Candidate was quoted as saying he would cancel the Lekki toll contract, Governor Fashola wondered why an aspiring leader who had promised to create jobs would want to cancel direct foreign investment contract meant to create jobs for the unemployed.
“I think it was yesterday that I also heard that he said he would cancel the Lekki toll. Yes, and they say they want to create jobs. Just this morning, it was reported that investors were withdrawing close to N1.8 trillion from our economy because of the mismanagement. How can you get jobs if investors are leaving Nigeria because of insecurity?” the governor asked.
He also reiterated his warning that Lagosians should not entrust the fate of the state in the hands of an inexperienced person saying the PDP candidate was already exhibiting inexperience as he was also quoted as saying that if President Jonathan did not win the coming election, the South South would leave Nigeria.
Condemning the statement as divisive, Fashola declared, “Those who aspire to lead do not make such divisive statements. The reason Lagos is safe is because the different tribes and religion in this country have lived here in peaceful coexistence and harmony. Everybody, North, East, West, South, this is your home. Ambode will not make such a divisive statement”.
“I told you in Ikeja that you should vote for continuity. You see, the PDP candidate is already beginning to show his inexperience. He was quoted as saying that if Jonathan does not win the election the South South would leave Nigeria. The PDP candidate is beginning to show inexperience and I have told you not to experiment with Lagos. You need leaders who build cohesion not those who promote division”, the governor said.
He recalled that the PDP candidate said he wanted to cancel a direct foreign investment contract into Nigeria wondering whether such act could bring jobs or take away jobs. “When you have a leader who is cancelling contracts, is that promoting prosperity or poverty? That is why they are Poverty Development Party”, the Governor said.
Thanking the people for staying with and trusting in his administration, Governor Fashola declared, “We do not take your support lightly; we do not take your vote for granted. Vote for continuity in Lagos; don’t experiment with Lagos, it is too big to dabble with. It is too strategic to Nigeria; it is too strategic to Africa and indeed the world”.
“All the important dignitaries around the world who come to Nigeria, their first port of call is not Abuja, their first port of call is Lagos. That is how strategic we are; and the growth, the chart of development that my predecessors set us on since 1999 is the one that we have stayed on adding value as we progress”, he said adding, “This is where they come to learn how to govern; this is where they come to learn how to do it. Don’t put Lagos in inexperienced hands”.
The governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, thanked the people of Apapa for their immense support saying that the perennial traffic gridlock in the area, which he blamed on the Federal Government, would become a thing of the past as soon as APC took over control of leadership both at the national and state levels.
