EKO WATER BUSES

[Twistaz]

Exciting news for Lagos, Nigeria

This is a private consortium for water transportation similar to that of EKO RAIL (train services) but unlike thier counterparts they are acquiring brand new Ferries from Australia.

Just prior to the official opening of the state of the art Jetties (Ferry terminals) such as Ikorodu and Ikoyi osbourne Jetties.

LASG are fulfilling thier promise with a PPP model, I don't know why much wasn't known about this before now.

It is here NOW!!! and moving at a fast pace

Website not available yet.....

[Twistaz]

Courtsey of THENATION

History was made in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia on Thursday as Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), pushed ahead with another electoral promise of accelerating inter-modal transportation through the extensive use of the state’s waterways, when he witnessed the signing of the Ferry Manufacturing Agreement for the state between Aluminium Boats Company of Brisbane, Australia, and a consortium of water transportation practitioners, Eko Water Buses Limited.





The agreement signing event, which was preceded by an inspection and a ride on one of the prototype ferries, being manufactured for the state, by Fashola and his entourage, is for the initial batch of 60 ferries each, with a 200 passenger capacity to be deployed on various routes.

These ferries are like the water buses because of their passenger carrying capacity.

The inspection and agreement signing followed a recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Lagos State Government, represented by the Private Public Partnerships Office and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and the consortium, Eko Water Buses Limited, which aims to deploy one ferry for a pilot scheme by July this year. According to the agreement and production schedule, five more of the purpose built and fully fitted high capacity ferries will be deployed by December this year, making a total of six.

A release signed by Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser to the governor on media, about 50 Nigerians will benefit from a comprehensive training programme in marine operations, boat services and repairs in the expansive boat building facility of Aluminium Boats Company in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia as a prelude to the full commencement of the ferry services operations in December.

Fashola and his entourage were received in Brisbane by a representative of the Premier of Queensland, the Treasurer and Minister for Trade, Mr. Tim Nicholls, the top management of Aluminium Boats Company of Australia, including its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Stuart Pascoe and General Manager, Mr. Tommy Ericson as well as representatives of the consortium, Eko Water Buses Limited, led by its Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Omololu and their technical partners including Mr. John Waterhouse and Captain Elgin Mckilop.

Also on hand to meet with the Governor and his entourage which included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Private Partnerships, Mr Ayo Gbeleyi and Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority ( LASWA),Mr Yinka Marinho were representatives of international financial institutions backing the landmark project, including Westpac institutional Bank of Brisbane, Commercial Banking of Australia and the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation ( EFIC).




Apart from a test ride on the prototype of the ferry demonstrating its versatility, durability and safety features, the Governor and his entourage also undertook an extensive tour of the company’s boat yard during which he inspected one of the boats being built for the Lagos operations.

[Daverytimes]

Originally Posted by Twistaz

Exciting news for Lagos, Nigeria

This is a private consortium for water transportation similar to that of EKO RAIL (train services) but unlike thier counterparts they are acquiring brand new Ferries from Australia.

Just prior to the official opening of the state of the art Jetties (Ferry terminals) such as Ikorodu and Ikoyi osbourne Jetties.

LASG are fulfilling thier promise with a PPP model, I don't know why much wasn't known about this before now.

It is here NOW!!! and moving at a fast pace

Website not available yet.....

Can Fashola run for Presidency? because this guy needs to run our country.

[GAR3TH]

Originally Posted by Daverytimes

Can Fashola run for Presidency? because this guy needs to run our country.

Fashola has the most credentials and the best resume of any nigerian politician.

If he doesn't win in 2015 then i question the sanity of Nigerians.

[Naija Attitude]

No. Lagos has to Secede from the Federation and become an Independent City State.

[Daverytimes]

Originally Posted by Naija Attitude

No. Lagos has to Secede from the Federation and become an Independent City State.

Actually that's not a bad idea, it will join the ranks of Hong Kong, Singapore e.t.c. But as that is not going to happen Fashola needs to start preparations to run in 2015, the guy will put our country on the map.

[adebayoa]

Akwa Ibom State too has a very good governor. I am not sure that Fashola can win the Presidency of Nigeria. He will need to convince Sates like Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Kwara, which are swing States. Traditionally, these States have always voted for a Nominal Christian, which Fashola is not.

[Daverytimes]

Originally Posted by adebayoa

Akwa Ibom State too has a very good governor. I am not sure that Fashola can win the Presidency of Nigeria. He will need to convince Sates like Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Kwara, which are swing States. Traditionally, these States have always voted for a Nominal Christian, which Fashola is not.

It's high-time we started voting based on Merits and not religious/ethnicity, like someone already said, If fashola doesn't win Presidency (when he runs) then their is really something wrong with our country.

[adebayoa]

Originally Posted by Daverytimes

It's high-time we started voting based on Merits and not religious/ethnicity, like someone already said, If fashola doesn't win Presidency (when he runs) then their is really something wrong with our country.

I share your view, but thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria by Muslims in different parts of the North. For many, safety of life comes before developement. That is a fact.

[naija247]

Fashola is a good governor, but there are other good governors out there; Govs. Oshiomole, Akpabio, Okorochas, Amaeche. Fashola is the most popular because of the metropolitan nature of Lagos. I actually think Oshiomole is best fit to rule as president of Nigeria out of all these Governors because of his background(a former student of policy and strategic studies and vast knowledge of economics, president of labor, no God-father figure, his oratory reminds me of president Obama), however he doesnt get the media hype as Fashola as he presides over a relatively smaler state. If any one of these five can come together to rule Nigeria at some point, Nigeria will be a better nation as a result.But in any case I would prefer either Fashola or Oshiomole at the top. If either one of those two becomes president, the other should wait his turn, they shouldnt rule together as president and vice president, it would be a waste of human resources

[JoblessBeggar]

Originally Posted by naija247

Fashola is a good governor, but there are other good governors out there; Govs. Oshiomole, Akpabio, Okorochas, Amaeche. Fashola is the most popular because of the metropolitan nature of Lagos. I actually think Oshiomole is best fit to rule as president of Nigeria out of all these Governors because of his background(a former student of policy and strategic studies and vast knowledge of economics, president of labor, no God-father figure, his oratory reminds me of president Obama), however he doesnt get the media hype as Fashola as he presides over a relatively smaler state. If any one of these five can come together to rule Nigeria at some point, Nigeria will be a better nation as a result.But in any case I would prefer either Fashola or Oshiomole at the top. If either one of those two becomes president, the other should wait his turn, they shouldnt rule together as president and vice president, it would be a waste of human resources

You're right. Fashola's popularity is primarily media hype...

[acexx]

Originally Posted by JoblessBeggar

You're right. Fashola's popularity is primarily media hype...

Media hype did not produce everything the man has done and what people love him for. His sense of great leadership and loads of achievements produced the media hype.

The media can not hype what's not there to hype, they hype what's on the ground and what other Lgaosias are experiencing everyday.

Until the same other governors are saddled with 20 million diverse Nigerians in the smallest Nigerian states and still able to perform so excellently with so many completed infrastructures and many ongoing, with safety and security with better economic outlook than even Nigeria as a country, with better institution building and so on, it's very unfair to discount and discredit the man's credible achievements by labeling it media hype.

The other governors have less than 1/4 of Lagos state's population to deal with so with basic calculation/money and population adjustments, these other states are financially better than Lagos state.

They don't have to deal with decades of neglected and crumbling state and federal infrastructures, they don't have to deal with 20 million people stressing the system, they don't have to deal with things like managing tons of wastes generated by 20 million people daily, they don't have to deal with health and education system for millions of people. It's easy to go on and on. Basically, they are not walking in Fashola's shoe and they are yet to show the same vision and zeal like Fashola.

If you really want to equate any governor in Nigeria with Fashola, try by lining up their responsibilities and achievements side by side instead of the simplistic and unfair media hype slogan.

[Joebond]

well said acexx

[JoblessBeggar]

Originally Posted by Joebond

well said acexx

Obviously, you and acexx do not understand sarcasm...

[naija247]

@acex, with all due respect, pls read the whole paragraph before criticizing my statement... @Joblessberger, I take umbrage at your sarcastic response that has caused this literary escapade. I will now address Mr. acexx:

I did not simply claim that Fashola's popularity was a result of media hype, I said he is a good governor, but there are other good governors around the country, however because of the size and power of Lagos-as an economic power house- he is better known than the rest.
YOur assertion that other parts of the country has not experienced rot and decrepitude in infracstructure is one of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and an illogical sequitur to your preceding statements, probably as aresult of being a Lagos resident. I have lived in several parts of Nigeria and several public structures in all states with the rapacious mlitary regime in our recent past have encountered ruine, disprepair and dilapidation......But our current crop of elected civilian governors,some more deserving of this title than others, have been trying to rehabilitate these wrongs and the most notable ones I listed above, Fashola included;if you want a list of each project carried out by each governor I listed above, pls kindly visit their respective regional areas in this forum.

And obviously Lagos as the most populous state and a much more powerful economic giant, is easily imbibed by the media and people when a rehabilitation, upgrade, or emendations of edifices, takes place. My personal opinion is that Oshiomole is equally deserving a many laurels as Fashola, and politically I feel he would be better suited at the top, not based on any prima facie or armchair politics rhetoric, but on ideologic consideration and national and international realpolitik.

PLs be cognizant of the fact that I have repeatedly emphasized that this is my opinion, which means I do not expect you to agree with me and I am not discounting Fashola’s achievements as mere media hype.

[acexx]

Originally Posted by naija247

@acex, with all due respect, pls read the whole paragraph before criticizing my statement... @Joblessberger, I take umbrage at your sarcastic response that has caused this literary escapade. I will now address Mr. acexx:

Didn't look like sacarsm to me, but I'll stand down if indded it was sarcasm.

I did not simply claim that Fashola's popularity was a result of media hype, I said he is a good governor, but there are other good governors around the country, however because of the size and power of Lagos-as an economic power house- he is better known than the rest.

Again, porpularity without nothing on the ground to show for it means nothing. He's porpuler because of his actions, not because of economic power house.

The project we are talking about in this thread is a good example, we are talking about it because his actions and policies made it possible just like many other projects with discusion threads right here on SC.

Economic power house is noting but words without good and credible leadership to make something good out of it.

YOur assertion that other parts of the country has not experienced rot and decrepitude in infracstructure is one of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and an illogical sequitur to your preceding statements, probably as aresult of being a Lagos resident. I have lived in several parts of Nigeria and several public structures in all states with the rapacious mlitary regime in our recent past have encountered ruine, disprepair and dilapidation.

.....

Again, without project to commission or initiatives on the table, there is nothing for any news media to report, he is getting the attention because he has something to show and commission. Do you ting the media just camp out at his door to talk about him just because he is handsome and good looking?

Please get real.

My personal opinion is that Oshiomole is equally deserving a many laurels as Fashola, and politically I feel he would be better suited at the top, not based on any prima facie or armchair politics rhetoric, but on ideologic consideration and national and international realpolitik.

It is your personal opinion, but it's still a flawed. Maybe the person ypu are talking about is equally deserving, but instead of just talking and trying to have us see your angle, why not just do the most rational thing by showing us what the man has dome, his policies and and vision?

It's one thing to say Mr A is doing this and that, but it's another to actually show us what Mr A is doing. What I'm saying is, you are just talking just for the heck of it, there is no substance or anything to back up your assertions.

I'm not even saying the man is not doing anything, all I'm saying is, support your points with something tangible.

PLs be cognizant of the fact that I have repeatedly emphasized that this is my opinion, which means I do not expect you to agree with me and I am not discounting Fashola’s achievements as mere media hype.

Yes you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion sucks. With you using the word ignorant, it's no longer an opinion, you are stating facts even though they are irrational and pointless facts.

The only rational and sensible way to judge and quantify achievements is by listing the so called achievements and capabilities side by side and let people judge.

You can talk about Okorocha and all the other people you mentioned as much as you want, but until you show us what they have done and listing them against what's going on in Lagos state, you are just blowing hot air. Okorocha is not governing, he's still busy talking and dishing out empty platitudes.

Amechi's state is the richest in Nigeria and his budget competes with Lagos state's, but his population is only 5 million or 1/4 of Lagos state's, it means his state is 4 times richer than Lagos state so where is all that money? He has nothing to show for all that money and Lagos is still way ahead with more and better infrastructures completed and under construction.

[JoblessBeggar]

Can we all just get along?

Yes, I was sarcastically mocking naija247, but his point that there are other deserving governors is well noted. However, FASHOLA SET THE PACE and for that he deserves all of the accolades heaped upon him. Before Fashola's tenure, there was hardly any state governor worth the paper on which they swore the oath of office (with the arguable exception of Duke, albeit the verdict is still out on his bold Tinapa venture). Once Fashola got going (in a difficult-to-govern and over-populated tiny city state with no windfall revenue), it engendered the competitive juices of several others. Of course, many still remain comatose.

[naija247]

"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead." Thomas Pain.

Therefore, I shall remain incommunicado henceforth on this subject.

[JoblessBeggar]

[HerachioBlo]

incredible!