The beautification of Lagos: Matter Arising

If a government in Nigeria has ever been totally, observably and convincingly committed to a project or a set goal, that government is that of Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State. Lagos has a dream of becoming one of the mega cities of the world by the year 2015 and the Fashola administration has in the past two years left no one in doubt that it is no retreat and no surrender in its march towards realizing that dream.
The mega city project has seen massive environmental transformation and infrastructural development in the state. Once again, we have a beautiful Marina– a head-turning spot for tourism and relaxation on the Island.
Road rehabilitation in almost all parts of the state is either completed or on-going. Beautification of the city is a project on its own and this has also created a paradise of sorts in some areas particularly the high-brow areas of Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Surulere, Ikeja etc. Street lights, ornamental trees and flowers adorn these areas such that a drive or a walk, day or night, through Bourdillon, Alexander and Gerard Roads in Ikoyi, for instance, convinces one that truly we can if the will is there.
It has however, been observed that in some parts of the state where there are also attempts at beautification, there is a worrisome disconnect between the attempt and such areas. Flowers have been planted on roads where gutters are overflowing with filth and, in some cases, on roads with ditches, craters and no drainages at all.
This has raised concerns in some quarters, hence our questions: Who decides where these flowers should be planted? Again, who advises whoever takes such decisions?

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We see it as a case of misplaced priority for flowers to be planted on roads that are crying for rehabilitation or one that its drainages are overflowing with dirt and filth. We are, nonetheless, not unaware of the effort of the state government at clearing the drainages to guard against flooding this rainy season, but we consider it anomalous to plant flowers and later come to clear the dirt or not do it at all.
It is even worse if flowers are planted on roads that have craters on them as in the case of Isolo Ejigbo road where flowers were planted on a very narrow stretch of road that witnesses high volume of traffic of well over 5,000 vehicles daily. Those flowers could not survive because what the road needs is either rehabilitation/expansion or an outright alternative. Not beautification with flowers!
We note with pain that most times, some of these decisions are taken with a view to finding job for the boys’ in which case the administration’s good intentions are not just compromised, but also sabotaged by those acting from the sidelines.
We advise that in order not to derail from the good and laudable work it has started and seems determine to continue and accomplish, government should not go for easy options and therefore, has to do first thing first.
A poorly maintained road with bad drainage system should first be rehabilitated or its drainage cleared of silt and dirt before they are beautified.
Our attention has also been attracted by the slight error in the beautification of the outer Marina. The gridlock that is now a permanent feature of the junction that receives vehicles coming from CMS axis, inner Marina, and the road leading to Muson Centre is enough reason for the expansion of that road by one lane that should stretch up to the bridge leading to Ikoyi through Awolowo Road.
We believe that an additional lane on that road from CMS Bus Stop would have made a great difference and would also have further enhanced the beauty of the outer Marina. In our view, that gridlock rubs off on whatever purpose the government wants to achieve with the heavy investment it has made on that area and we advise further that NOW is the time to correct what should be corrected.
While we share in the popular view that the present Lagos State Government is committed to transforming Lagos to a decent city space, we however advise that attention must be given to grey issues that arise in the course of achieving this set goal.