*Asks Him To Complete Blue Line First
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Friday said it makes no
sense for the Lagos State government to embark on the rail ‘red
line’ project when the Blue Line started almost 10 years ago is yet
to be completed.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday inaugurated the rail
mass transit scheme, also known as the Red Line, in Ikeja. The 37km
standard gauge line, with 12 proposed stations, would share tracks
with the Lagos-Ibadan railway modernisation project.
It is divided into two phases with phase one covering Oyingbo to
Agbado with nine stations.
Speaking with Daily Independent, Sagay who said serious work was
done on the blue line project under the Babatunde Fashola
administration, added that it was completely abandoned under the
Akinwunmi Ambode administration. He also said skeletal work has
been going on under the current administration.
While arguing that Lagos state has no resources for two huge
projects, he said Governor Sanwo-Olu may end up not completing both
the blue and red line projects before leaving office and therefore
leaving Lagosians with uncompleted projects.
He said “My message to the governor is this: The Blue line
started by former Governor Babatunde Fashola from Badagry is still
not completed. When Fashola was in power, work was going on
vigorously and we saw very dramatic progress. When his successor,
Akinwunmi Ambode came in, he completely abandoned it, he didn’t
touch it at all”.
“Now since Governor Sanwo-Olu came in, there has only been a
token presence there. When you go around, you see big structures
but only one person working there. There is no visible progress
whatsoever”.
“Now, he wants to start a Red Line whilst the Blue line which
was started almost 10 years ago is far from completion. With this,
he will end up leaving us with two uncompleted projects. I don’t
think he should do a project so that they can say that it is his
legacy”.
He further advised the governor to abandon the Red Line
completely and focus his attention of completing the Blue Line
first.
“ He should abandon the Red Line completely and put all the
resources in completing the Blue Line. Lagos state doesn’t have the
resources to build the two. The whole concept of building the two
means he is going to abandon the Blue Line and it is not acceptable
to us Lagosians”.
“I want to draw his attention to what the federal government has
done very well. The Itakpe line was started by Obasanjo but the
Buhari government completed it and now it is a great glory to the
Buhari government and also it is of great use to Nigerians because
it conveys heavy metal goods from Warri to Itakpe”.
“The same thing applies to the Abuja-Kaduna line which former
President Goodluck Jonathan did not complete; Buhari completed it
and today, it is a state of the art rail line which Nigerians are
proud of”.
“So, let Sanwo-Olu just forget about the Red Line now and
complete the Blue Line first, instead of wasting resources on a Red
Line and then ending up with two uncompleted projects”.
*Asks Him To Complete Blue Line First
Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Friday said it makes no
sense for the Lagos State government to embark on the rail ‘red
line’ project when the Blue Line started almost 10 years ago is yet
to be completed.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday inaugurated the rail
mass transit scheme, also known as the Red Line, in Ikeja. The 37km
standard gauge line, with 12 proposed stations, would share tracks
with the Lagos-Ibadan railway modernisation project.
It is divided into two phases with phase one covering Oyingbo to
Agbado with nine stations.
Speaking with Daily Independent, Sagay who said serious work was
done on the blue line project under the Babatunde Fashola
administration, added that it was completely abandoned under the
Akinwunmi Ambode administration. He also said skeletal work has
been going on under the current administration.
While arguing that Lagos state has no resources for two huge
projects, he said Governor Sanwo-Olu may end up not completing both
the blue and red line projects before leaving office and therefore
leaving Lagosians with uncompleted projects.
He said “My message to the governor is this: The Blue line
started by former Governor Babatunde Fashola from Badagry is still
not completed. When Fashola was in power, work was going on
vigorously and we saw very dramatic progress. When his successor,
Akinwunmi Ambode came in, he completely abandoned it, he didn’t
touch it at all”.
“Now since Governor Sanwo-Olu came in, there has only been a
token presence there. When you go around, you see big structures
but only one person working there. There is no visible progress
whatsoever”.
“Now, he wants to start a Red Line whilst the Blue line which
was started almost 10 years ago is far from completion. With this,
he will end up leaving us with two uncompleted projects. I don’t
think he should do a project so that they can say that it is his
legacy”.
He further advised the governor to abandon the Red Line
completely and focus his attention of completing the Blue Line
first.
“ He should abandon the Red Line completely and put all the
resources in completing the Blue Line. Lagos state doesn’t have the
resources to build the two. The whole concept of building the two
means he is going to abandon the Blue Line and it is not acceptable
to us Lagosians”.
“I want to draw his attention to what the federal government has
done very well. The Itakpe line was started by Obasanjo but the
Buhari government completed it and now it is a great glory to the
Buhari government and also it is of great use to Nigerians because
it conveys heavy metal goods from Warri to Itakpe”.
“The same thing applies to the Abuja-Kaduna line which former
President Goodluck Jonathan did not complete; Buhari completed it
and today, it is a state of the art rail line which Nigerians are
proud of”.
“So, let Sanwo-Olu just forget about the Red Line now and
complete the Blue Line first, instead of wasting resources on a Red
Line and then ending up with two uncompleted projects”.