Aresident Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, threw a jab at the Nigeria Labour Congress over the unions’ strikes, saying calling for four industrial actions against an administration that is barely nine months old is unacceptable.
Tinubu, who stated this at the unveiling of Phase One of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Red Line at the Ikeja Station, declared that the NLC was not “the voice of Nigerians” and should contest in the 2027 general elections if it was interested in joining the electoral process.
He said, “The labour union has gone on strike four times within my nine months in government. That’s a record. Calling for a strike in just nine months of an administration is unacceptable. The NLC is not the voice of Nigerians. It should wait till 2027 if it is interested in joining the electoral process.”
The President added that he was aware of the complaints being made over the economic challenges in the country, urging Nigerians to persevere, pledging that the nation would soon be out of the economic problems.
“I am assuring that Nigeria will be out of economic problems, we just need to persevere, work hard and be assured,” he said.
He identified corruption as one of the major reasons the country was facing economic challenges but promised not to look back in the fight against it.
“No going back on reforms revolution. Smugglers will fight back, corruption will fight back, but we will fight and win. Corruption will go away. The fight against corruption is on, we will not look back, we will fight it to ruins,” he added.
Speaking on the Red Line rail, Tinubu said the unveiling was a validation of democracy of the people, for the people and by the people.
“Today is evidence that it’s good to dream and it is a serious validation of democracy by the people for the people, when you people at the centre are focused, have vision and planning, you will realise the value of democracy.
“Twenty-five years ago, I was elected to lead Nigeria’s most populous state, the smallest in land mass, when all that existed here was suppressed and aborted potential and when the dream began, my team and I toiled day and night to draft and implement a developmental vision that would transform Lagos into the economic powerhouse of Africa and a respected mega city on a global state. We are realising that dream.
“I am pleased to declare to you that the momentum of greatness we kick-started a quarter of a century ago has since become unstoppable. It’s not a crime to dream and dream big, just stay focused, precisely make development a central focus,” the President said.
Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his speech appreciated the two former governors of the state, Mr Babatunde Fashola for starting the construction of the Blue Line rail, and Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, for “his significant and indelible contributions to the further development of the Blue Line rail.”
The governor also appreciated former President Goodluck Jonathan for signing off on the track-sharing agreement, and the Nigerian Railway Corporation for providing the necessary cooperation and support.
“Mr President, this is not the end of the story, but merely the beginning. As I said earlier, we are on a long and exciting journey. Much has been accomplished, and there is still much ahead to be done. There will be a total of six Lines on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit System when fully developed. We have already started preliminary work on the next two: the Green and Purple Lines.
“The Green Line is a 71.49-kilometre route from Marina to the Lekki Free Zone, one of the fastest-growing industrial areas on the continent today, and also where we will be siting the new Lagos International Airport.
“The Purple Line is a 54.35-kilometre line from the Redemption Camp to Ojo, near the Lagos State University. The final two lines will be the Orange and the Yellow Lines,” Sanwo-Olu added.
Speaking further on his administration’s developmental strides, the governor said, “In the area of roads, major ongoing and completed projects include the Old Ojo Road in Amuwo-Odofin, the Abiola Onigemo Road in Ifako-Ijaiye, the Ishefun to Camp Davies road in Alimosho; the Agric Isawo – Arepo Road in Ikorodu; the 10-lane Badagry Expressway; the Ojota – Opebi Link Bridge and Approach Roads, and the rebuilding and upgrading of Lekki-Epe Expressway with reinforced concrete, from T-junction, Epe to Abraham Adesanya.
“In the grand tapestry of our development agenda, we are advancing a series of visionary legacy initiatives that span the vital sectors of healthcare, education, tourism, housing, and transportation.
“These include the second phases of our Blue and Red Lines, the pioneering Omu Creek Project, the state-of-the-art Lekki-Epe International Airport, the robust Lagos Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Park, and the transformative Fourth Mainland Bridge.
“We are currently negotiating and completing the financing arrangements for all these projects, and I am pleased to announce that we will break ground on the Fourth Mainland Bridge in April 2024.
“All of these major projects I have outlined are in addition to the multitudes of inner roads, bridges, and junction improvements that we have completed and are completing and are making a huge difference in the daily lives and commutes of millions of residents of Lagos State.
“Each project is a cornerstone in our unwavering commitment to forging a prosperous future for Lagos State and its esteemed citizens.”
The Lagos Red Line rail is a 37-kilometre rail line which stretches from Agbado in Ogun State to the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.
“The segment we inaugurate today spans an impressive 27 kilometres from Agbado to Oyingbo, featuring state-of-the-art stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo,” Sanwo-Olu added.
