By Agency Reports
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged the Lagos electorate to consider him for a second term in office for them not to miss out on his vision to further develop the state.
“I believe we are doing a very good job. I will let the people decide. The citizens know what they will be missing if they don’t allow us wrap up what we’re doing,” said Mr Sanwo-Olu on Friday regarding his reelection bid during an interview on Channels TV.
The governor, who is on a publicity blitz to promote his rail and other transportation projects in Lagos noted that his government planned to reduce gridlock in Lagos, create more employment and investment opportunities.
“That is the plan, that is the vision and how you need to be looking at it strategically is how efficient are people on the road, how much of journey times can we reduce,” noted the governor.
He added, “The vision is to reduce traffic time, reduce gridlock on the road and be able to do what we call a better journey planning where you can predict pretty much that this journey is going to take you 25 minutes it is going to take you 30 minutes, it is not the one you get stuck on the roads that we have right now and you are there for two/three hours.”
A few days ago, Mr Sanwo-Olu announced that his government secured two unused high-speed rail trains from Wisconsin in the United States for its train system.
The trains originally to connect railroads between Madison and Milwaukee were announced to have been purchased on January 18, when Mr Sanwo-Olu visited Milwaukee.
The Talgo’s Series 8 trains have been purchased for Lagos’ red line system, as noted in the statement released by Mr Sanwo-Olu. The red line, a 37-km track with 11 stations, will be the first operational metro system in West Africa.
Acting Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson welcomed Mr Sanwo-Olu at an event at the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer Talgo.
“I’m sending my congratulations to the governor in Lagos State in Nigeria, but also a little disappointed that we missed out on the opportunity to have those trainsets operating here in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin,” Mr Johnson said.
The trains were intended for use since 2009 when Wisconsin’s then-Governor Jim Doyle announced a deal with Talgo for two new trains to be built and used for a high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and Madison. The plans fell through when Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin.
In 2012, Talgo terminated the contract and sued the state leading to a court dispute that lasted almost three years but ended in a settlement where the state paid the company $50 million, and the trains remained under the company’s ownership.
Mr Sanwo-Olu’s intent to have the Lagos blue and red lines rail system up and running by the fourth quarter of this year followed the failure of previous administrations to improve public transportation.