The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that his administration paid an extensive amount in terms of compensation to residents affected by the construction of the state’s rail mass transit Red Line project.
The governor stated this on Sunday, according to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile, during an inspection of the ongoing construction activities around the Red Line project.
Sanwo-Olu, who was joined on the tour by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the cabinet, added that the transport infrastructure being developed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority will have the capacity to transport over 500,000 passengers daily when it becomes operational in the first quarter of 2023.
He said, “The Red Line is a project conceived and started by our government, which will be delivered in the lifetime of this administration. We have given our commitment to ensure the project is completed by the end of this year as promised.
This is our fourth inspection trip on this project within the year alone and each time we come, there is significant progress that the contractor achieves along the rail corridor.
“Along the rail corridor, there is massive regeneration that is taking place and we have paid an extensive amount in terms of compensation, far more than anyone else, for those affected by the construction activities. That is why we don’t have a problem with members of the communities on this corridor. After inspecting the Agege station, we went on to check the Ikeja terminal, which happens to be the iconic station of the Red Line. Its size is almost about the size of three football fields together.
“As we have seen, all the stations inspected are at the roof level, moving into the completion stage. The civil work has been completed, it’s just the finishing job we are doing at the moment. All the activities are on schedule and we are hoping the entire project will be completed by the end of the year. There are places that were particularly challenging for the contractor to do drilling due to high vehicular density. All the challenges have been overcome; what is left is concrete in-situ and placing of precast beams.”
The governor also stopped at the Mushin terminal, to inspect the station and overpass, which stretches between Kayode and Ogunmokun streets, being developed there, before proceeding to Yaba and Oyingbo stations. Sanwo-Olu said the construction work on the overpasses was at different stages of completion but assured that all work would be done by December.