Press Releases

Fashola Expresses Readiness To Renew All Barracks In Lagos

Mar 1, 2008 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Saturday expressed readiness to renew all barracks in the state and build new housing estates for policemen provided he gets the go ahead from the Federal Government.

Governor Fashola spoke after inspecting the Police barracks at Obalende near Dodan Barracks and the removal of illegal stalls and shops built on the canal by operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and security personnel.

The Governor who was accompanied on the inspection by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Abubakar added that he has already done an assessment of the number of apartments in the barracks and would integrate them into the state¢s urban renewal programme once given a go ahead by the Federal Government.

Fashola explained that Ikoyi has a cultural and historical significance which must be preserved, adding that it is a prime property location in the state which cannot be toyed with.

The Governor told newsmen that he had visited the area during his last state wide local government tour and had warned the owners and operators of the stalls to remove them, because the State would not allow the springing up of illegal structures especially on drainage channels.

He added that the presence of the Commissioner of Police on the inspection underscored the seriousness which the State Government attached to the efforts to rid the state of all structures that aid flooding, as some had alleged during the earlier trip that the stalls were owned by spouses of Policemen.

He added that many of the operators of the illegal stalls hailed from distant states like Adamawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers , but that the State officials will take complete control of the canal.

While contributing the Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Abubakar appealed to occupants of the barracks to improve their sanitary habits as they cannot live healthily in an unhealthy environment.

He said it was very disheartening that the whole canal and surroundings of the barrack was littered and wondered why the pipes conveying human waste from the individual flats could be channeled directly into the canal , wondering at the health implications.

In his contribution, one of the residents admitted that it is a display of indiscipline by the officer residents that has ensured that they do not manage the waste properly, saying the unhealthy habit has largely contributed to the flooding problem in the barracks.