Fashola, Aigbogun Lambast FG for Neglecting Apapa After Making Trillions

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Publisher of BusinessDay Newspapers, Mr, Frank Aigbogun on Tuesday berated the Federal Government for not caring to invest in the state after making trillions of Naira from the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) situated in Apapa, Lagos.

They spoke at the inauguration of the state-of-the-arts office of Business Day in Apapa, Lagos. Fashola attributed the decayed infrastructure in the area to neglect by the Federal Government for decades,

“Apapa continues to spill forth revenues to the national government, not only in millions, but in hundreds of billions and sometimes trillions. The question simply to ask is what kind of manager makes that kind of money in a place and refused to put something back there”, the governor said.

“When we came to assess what the problems was here because we have started the regeneration of Apapa in accordance with the Apapa city plan. What we saw at the time we came here is better left said because human beings were living on the major highways in Nigeria’s first industrial estate with all the natural issues that human beings deal with right there.

“But, I am lucky to lead a team which does not give up, we started the cleanup. As soon as we started, the federal government team came here within 48 hours and they said they were ready to join us. We held meeting with them and after that, in spite of two letters to follow up, they have not comeback till today. I was later told that they are angry because we have taken the media credit for doing the work.”

Fashola added that after the roads were cleared and the environment cleaned, tankers who hitherto parked at port moved outside into residential areas, posing dangers to themselves and the people who live in the district.

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Earlier in his welcome address, Publisher of BusinessDay Newspaper, Mr. Frank Aigbogun had praise Fashola for his achievement in Lagos State, saying the people’s aspirations for good governance has come to fulfillment.

“Your approach to running the state has been business-like with full recognition of the pivotal role of business in Lagos and Nigeria at large. With an infrastructure spend of N250 billion a year, Lagos State under your watch is paying due attention to central business districts such as Ikeja, Victoria Island, Ikeja and increasingly Apapa.

“We are aware of how the gross abuse of statutory powers by federal authorities has brought Apapa to its knees, crushed on every side by oil tankers and container bearing trailers who simply have become lords of Apapa. But to you, your Excellency we must appeal again for some respite and as we have done in the past, we will count on your focused resolution of the situation,” he said.
The new structure has a gymnasium, a canteen and other facilities required of a modern newspaper.