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LAGOS BLUE RAIL LINE NEARS COMPLETION, AS ENGINEERS LAUNCH FINAL TRACK BEAM

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…Sanwo-Olu witnesses historic moment, commits contractor to December completion deadline

…Two sets of light train coaches to arrive in Lagos October

The race to the completion of the 27-kilometre Lagos Blue Line Rail Mass Transit has begun, with the launch of the last track beam (T-beam) of the rail track on Wednesday.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu witnessed the historic moment and personally flagged off the engineering procedure held at the site of the iconic Marina station of the rail project.

With the laying of the final T-Beam, all difficult civil works standing in the way of the Lagos Blue Rail Line, which started in 2012, have been overcome. The contractor – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) – will now go ahead to set the rail tracks along the alignment and move the project to completion.

Sanwo-Olu, again, committed the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and the contractor to the December deadline for the Blue Line project’s completion.

Lagos Government will be delivering two rail mass transit projects within the first term of the Sanwo-Olu administration. The Blue Line, which traverses between Mile 2 and Marina, will be operated on Electric Motor Unit (EMU); the 37-kilometre Red Line, from Agbado to Ebute Metta, will operate on Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

Speaking at the launch of the last T-Beam on the Blue Line, Sanwo-Olu said the achievement signposted his administration’s commitment to bringing succour to Lagosians and give them choices in mass transportation.

The Governor said the rail projects represented the audacity of his administration’s vision to deliver a robust integrated transit system as encapsulated in the Traffic Management and Transportation pillar of his Government’s T.H.E.M.E.S. development agenda.

He said: “Today’s final T-beam launch indicates that we are gradually inching to the completion of the civil infrastructure for the first phase of the Blue Line traversing from Mile 2 to Marina. The engineering work today completes a total of 1,967 piles foundation, while we have also completed three 306 platforms, 310 piers, 267 cover beams and erection of 984 T-beams.

“We are not just making promises; people are beginning to see for themselves that all the milestones and the difficult tasks we are meant to achieve to ensure operation of the Blue Line are being achieved. The Marina Station, which is the iconic terminal for the Blue Line, will be completed within two-and-half months. I am restating here that we will formally complete this Blue Line before December 31, 2022.”

The Governor said the two sets of EMU coaches already procured for the Blue Line operations would arrive in Lagos from China before the end of October. He said the rail line would be test run immediately after completion, while passenger movement would start within the first quarter of 2023.

Sanwo-Olu said the construction of the second phase of the Blue Line project would commence after the start of operation, which would extend the rail project from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.

He said Blue Line stations would be built at Festac, Alakija, Trade Fair, Volkswagen, LASU and Okokomaiko. The Governor disclosed that talks were being held with the Ogun State Government for possible extension of the rail line to Agbara.

He said: “The second phase of the Blue Line project will be an easy infrastructure to develop because the marked alignment for stations and tracks are largely at grid level. While we are at this, the Red Line is also on the way. This is a start-and-end project for our administration, with about seven stations concurrently being built. This will redefine mass transportation in Lagos.

“To our citizens, I say the Blue Line is for real and you will ride on it in no distant future. For the Doubting Thomases and people that do not like our face, their eyes cannot disbelieve in the infrastructure we are bequeathing to the citizens of our State. They cannot disbelieve in our bold effort and commitment to improve mobility and deliver transport infrastructure that brings ease to our people.”

LAMATA Managing Director, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, said the first 13-kilometre stretch of the Blue Line construction was divided into four phases to enable the government fund the project from its internally generated revenue.

To get to the current status, she said the construction work experienced disturbances and delays in the relocation of submarine cables, submarine natural gas pipelines, and removal of underground shipwrecks.

“Just as we are laying the final T-beam for the rail tracks, we are also currently retrofitting the train stations at Mile 2, Alaba, Iganmu and National Theatre with light in readiness for passenger operation in the first quarter of 2023,” Akinajo said.

CCECC chairman, Mr. Liu Wei Min, described the event as the most significant level of the project.

He said: “We express our sincere gratitude to the present administration under the leadership of Mr. Sanwo-Olu in reaching this milestone. We will continue to work to meet the ultimate target in delivering the entire project with high standards and quality.”

The T-beam laying event was also attended by Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Mr Chu Mao ming.

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Nigerian rapper Oladips is dead

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Oladips

Nigerian rapper, Oladipupo Oladimeji, popularly known as Oladips is dead.

The news of his death was announced on his Instagram handle on Wednesday.

According to the post, he died last night (Tuesday) at 10:14 pm.

The Instagram post reads: “We are saddened to inform the general public that Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji aka OLADIPS passed away yesterday Nov 14th Tuesday evening, at exactly 10:14 pm. We are still in shock as we speak!

“For over 2 years he has kept his battles within himself, his body is now with his family.

“The family asked that we respect their privacy in this trying time. May God give us all the fortitude to bear this great loss. (amen).”

His funeral services will be announced as soon as it is concluded, the statement added.

The news of his death comes barely three months after the death of Oladimeji Aloba popularly known as Mohbad.

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Osun Workers Displease With Gov. Adeleke Over Decision Not To Increase Salary

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Workers under the banner of Osun Workers Union (OWU) have chided the state government for foreclosing the chances of paying workers palliative wage at a time Governor Adeleke had secretly obtained approval in the Supplementary Budget to spend N10billion for his office.

Recall the hope of the Osun state workers to earn special Minimum Wage to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal was dashed on Saturday when the state government sounded unequivocally that it could not embark on upward wage review in order not to repeat the half-salary regime experienced in the state during the tenure of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

In a press statement authored by the state’s commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the only support the state government could offer Osun workers at the moment is a “well-packaged transport scheme aimed at alleviating the pressure of transportation as a fall out of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.”

Alimi’s statement was a reaction to a N25,000 salary allowance news that trended over the weekend.

In the purported news, Governor Adeleke was quoted to have assured Osun workers of his government’s readiness to begin from November payment of N25,000 extra wage to the state workforce to help reduce the economic hardship.

Commenting on the development, Comrade Gabriel Adeoye bemoaned the leadership of the state government for what he termed their act of wickedness towards the state civil servants and pensioners.

Adeoye, who is the organising secretary of the Osun Workers Union, expressed the Union’s utter disappointment in Governor Adeleke, stating that unless he rescinds his decision on not to increase their salary as done by other states, the state workers would have no other option than to embark on peaceful protests. In his words, “What is the excuse of Governor Adeleke not to increase our salary at this difficult time? In the neighbouring Oyo state, civil servants and pensioners have begun to receive N25,000 and N15,000 palliative wage respectively.

Ogun has been paying palliative support of N10, 000 to its workers since August. Same in Ekiti. Same in Lagos. Only Osun is odd out of the states. Yet, the governor has approved N10b (Ten Billion Naira) for himself in the 2023 supplementary budget. The Governor is also yet to account for the N9billion palliative relief money the federal government gave the people of the state. Is this not sheer wickedness?”

The Union wanted Governor Adeleke to disclose to the people of the state the rationale behind the additional budget of N10billion for only his office.

They equally wanted him to account for the N9billion palliative fund received from the Federal Government since July.

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Hope Uzodinma wins all 27 LGAs as INEC annoucnes final result in Imo

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Hope Uzodimma

Hope Uzodinma has won all 27 LGAs as INEC has annoucned final result in Imo state.

It was reported that Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged victorious in 27 local government areas in the just-concluded election, with the collation completed at 08:30 am on Sunday.

The collation of results is currently taking place at the State Collation Centre in Owerri, the state capital.

The process commenced around 02:30 am on Sunday in Owerri, with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, serving as the state Returning Officer for INEC in the election.

The APC, represented by Uzodimma, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with Samuel Anyanwu, and the Labour Party’s Achonu Nneji, were the primary contenders among the 18 parties fielding candidates in the election.

According to INEC, a total of 2,419,922 registered voters in the state for the poll, with 2,318,919 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected.

At the culmination of the collation at 08:30 am on Sunday, Fashina announced that the center would take an hour-long break and reconvene for the announcement of the winner.

 

 

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