The Lagos State Government has revealed that the Lagos Blue Rail Line is the only rail line in Africa that was built across a water body.
This is in reaction to what the insinuation made by some uninformed people who were comparing the cost of the Blue Rail Line with that of Djibouti, Ethiopia Rail Line with allegations of corruption.
This was made known by the Lagos State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, during an interview on a Lagos Television programme, Morning Delight, on Wednesday, where he spoke on the cost implication of the Blue Rail Line, among other issues.
Omotosho said piling had to be done during the construction of the Lagos Blue Rail Line, noting that this was not the situation with the Djibouti Rail Line which is not on an elevated platform like Blue Rail.
He said, “So, the cost, the equipment and expertise deployed must be different.”
Declaring that it was preposterous for people to just make such a comparison and allege corruption in building the rail line. Omotoso admonished the public commentators to seek knowledge and research into matters of interest before they go to the public domain to make false statements about issues that they have little or no knowledge about.
Red Rail Line test run slated for December 2023
The Commissioner averred that with the commissioning of the Yaba and Oyingbo overpass by Mr Governor, the Red Line has become a reality, adding that the rail is expected to be ready for a test run in December, 2023.
He said, “It is bigger than the Blue Line and capable of moving over one million people per day. The travel time from Oyingbo to Alagbado which takes an average of three to four hours today will be reduced to a maximum of 35 minutes.”
Fourth Mainland Bridge project to create 5,000 engineering jobs
Omotosho disclosed that a contractor has been selected for the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge project which will take huge traffic off the first, second and third mainland bridges thereby reducing travel time for motorists.
He added that the project will also create about 5000 jobs for young engineers and train students on how such infrastructure is built while properties along the project corridor are expected to appreciate geometrically.
He also maintained that the programmes of the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu are people-focused, adding that the THEMES Plus agenda is about programmes that the people can feel, relate with, have a sense of belonging and the government is committed to their success.
He noted that in the spirit of inclusiveness, many youths are in the executive council of Lagos State and that most programmes of the administration are targeted at the youths who form 60 per cent of Lagos population.
Omotoso said, “A lot of investment has been committed to building eight stadia at the same time, a science and technology hub that has placed Lagos in the forefront of Tech hub in Africa. The State has trained more than 6000 youths in acting, script writing and editing to make films and benefit from the huge and expanding world entertainment industry. The building of the Film City in Epe is targeted at developing the potentials of the youth population.”
