Press Releases

Tinubu Appeals To Fashola To Rename Avenue After Late Olowopopo
• “This is greatness”, says Fashola

Mar 29, 2010 - Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Monday in an emotion – laden voice, appealed to his successor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to rename the newly upgraded Bola Ahmed Tinubu Avenue after former Chairman of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Board, Dr. Nurudeen Ademola Olowopopo, who died in Lagos recently.

The newly upgraded 1.5 kilometre road stretches from the frontage of the State Ministry of Environment to Otunba Jobi-Fele Way Junction, adjacent to both Bola Tinubu Staff Quarters and MKO Abiola Garden.

At a handover ceremony which took place on the three-lanes dual carriageway, Asiwaju Tinubu, who was overcome with a emotion, pleaded that the road, which was earlier named after him as a birth day present, be renamed after the former chairman whom he described as a pillar of support in the execution of the blue print of the State’s healthcare delivery.

Responding to the handover speech of Governor Fashola, the former Governor, after recounting the role played by late Dr. Olowopopo and other Lagosians in the Diaspora during the democratic struggle in exile, pleaded, “I want to make a request of you, Your Excellency Babatunde Fashola, the Governor of Lagos State, the best birthday present you can give to me now is to rename this road in the memory of Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo. Please accept it from me”.

“When we won our election, we met this Lagos State technically bankrupt, no money, it was tough to pay. The Military, from one administration to the other, had looted the treasury of Lagos State. It was difficult for us to start. Some of our friends overseas said we should not fail and contributed in anyway possible. One of them is here today representing all the others.

“But one of them, who took me from childhood as a friend and a brother, Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo, stood with me and we discussed the blue print on healthcare. We took it up from scratch. He said we shall not fail. He stood with us from JIGI-Bola when we were begging, to free Medicare, to hospital beds; he was there without demanding a penny. I pressed him to come home”, Asiwaju narrated with deep emotion.

To this request, Governor Fashola responded, “Your Excellences, this is greatness. Asiwaju, it shall be done as you wish. By virtue of the powers vested in me this road will from this minute, to the glory of God, be named Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo Avenue”.

Earlier, while handing over the road to the Ikeja Central Business District, Governor Fashola said the ceremony went beyond a handover, pointing out that it was the continuation of the work that started many years ago when the decision was made to move the capital of the State to Ikeja”

“It started with the relocation of the Secretariat and a new Central Business District (CBD) in Ikeja. Many of my illustrious predecessors, who started that work, lived a dream. My immediate predecessor, whom we are honouring today, pursued that dream with a lot of vigour”, the Governor said, pointing out that it was to the credit of all the past governors that the Ikeja CBD continues to thrive today with businesses expanding and providing jobs for millions of people and putting food on many tables.

According to the Governor, “Our decision to intervene in this road is to continue the work of these great men who envisioned the dream so that it will become far more real. Today, we deliberately decided to hand over the road to my illustrious predecessor on the 29th of March which is the day of his birth. We do so in recognition of his meritorious service to the Government and people of Lagos and in keeping with the tradition of honouring past governors with streets named after them”.

Turning to Asiwaju, Governor Fashola declared, “It is doubtful whether we could have chosen a more strategic road to honour Your Excellency with. In a way that you used your life and work to link people from far and near together, your road will remain a critical link between Alausa, Agidingbi, Magodo and Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, enabling millions of people to connect and obtain goods and services”.

Thanking the Ikeja Local Government Chairman and his cabinet for their concurrence to the decision, the Governor said the road represents the first phase of the renewal of the critical road infrastructure of the Central Business District in Ikeja.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Ganiyu Johnson said the upgrading road to a three-lane dual carriageway was necessitated by fact that traffic on the road had grown tremendously since the closure of the old tollgate and creation of link roads from the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway.

According to him, the growth in traffic volume and axial loads had caused distress and depression in most sections of the road while the conduit drain parallel to the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway was blocked and rendered ineffective resulting in flooding and ponding of the road whenever it rained.

The scope of the project, according to Johnson, include Scarification of the entire asphaltic surface, demolition of inadequate drains, construction of new drains, earthwork and stone base, introduction of sidewalks, provision of street lighting, and grassing and beautification of the median, among others.

While speaking on the upgraded road, one of the owners of business concerns in the area, Mr. Biodun Omokomoro thanked the State Government for expanding and upgrading the road.

According to Omokomoro who said his company was based in Lagos Island before, the management took the decision to move their business to the area five months ago when they saw the upgrading of the road, adding that business has been very good since they moved over to the area.

Also present at the ceremony were the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, wife of the former Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele and other members of the State Executive Council, Action Congress National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Lagos State Chairman of the party, Chief Henry Ajomale, Action Congress Governorship candidates for Osun and Ekiti states in the 2007 elections, Traditional Rulers and other top government functionaries.