LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State government has assured residents of the state that very soon 70 million gallons of pipe borne water shall be made available to them per day.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Gbenga Omotosho at a program tagged “citizen engagement forum” organised by the State ministry information and strategy held on Friday, at Alausa, Ikeja.
He said despite the challenges the state government is facing in making the pipe borne water available to the people of the state, it is being face headlong.
He explained that the state government has signed an agreement with Ogun State government, who owned the water reservoir in Adiyan, where Lagos State is expecting to get the water supply, adding that the sum of N600 million has been paid to Ogun State government for the supply of the 70 million gallons of water per day.
Speaking on the health sector, the commissioner said a new general hospital located in Ojo, Ojo local government area of the state shall be commissioned which will be an additional to the existing general hospitals in the state, which were built decades ago.
He explained that the hospital will be one of the best in the state in terms of facilities, while an additional 500 bed health center is to be built at Ikosi Ejinrin, just as he said the Massey Hospital, Lagos Island, currently under construction will be the best in Sub Saharan when completed, because all facilities that will aid easy delivery of pregnant mothers shall be provided.
He said that the General Hospital in Ojo “is one of the very best that the health sector can showcase around this time. This is the first general hospital Lagos State government is building in a decade.”
Omotoso said: “Apart from that, around Epe, we are building Mental Health Centre. People go to hospitals to treat malaria and not many of us talk about mental health. All over the world because of economic situation, because of social factors, so many other things that affect mental health. This is a formidable attempt.
“In health, we are also building the Massey Street Children’s Hospital, which will be the best in sub-Saharan Africa. It is all about bringing down infant mortality.
“This is aimed at addressing infant mortality and improving healthcare. Our women will no longer have to worry about the inadequacies they face while giving birth. We are also tackling child birth syndrome, which has affected the health sector.”
Speaking of the achievement recorded by the state government in easing transportation in the state, Omotosho said the government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to easing movement of the people, that is why it invested generously in improving the three means of transportation, which are water, railway line, and improving on the road transportation by building more road networks and repair the existing roads.
“The year 2024 was a very challenging year,the coming on board of the red line is an interesting and exciting thing to me. People felt it took us long time to complete the blue rail line.
“We are not relenting in transportation,apart from what you see in ferry launching,ten additional ferry shall be commissioned soon to make it 25.We are bringing up all the three forms of transportation, 16 jetties are ready for commissioning soon in areas like Ibeshe, Ilashe, Liverpool and others.
The commissioner added that the state government is also planning to have an international airport, so as to reduce the pressure on the Muritala international Airport in Ikeja.
Omotosho explained everything needed for the take off of the Airport which shall be build in Lekki has been put in place.He maintained that the agreement to set up the international Airport in Lekki has been signed.
Speaking on provision of street lights across the state, he said initially when Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration came on board it was spending N600 million per month to power generators that supply the street lights, he maintained that it is no longer economical to power the street lights with generator, so the state resorted to usage of solar, and the state government government has erected 2000 solar light.
