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One Lagos Fiesta

One Lagos Fiesta

Tuesday 4 October 2016

Lagos disappearing Island


Sometimes, the vision of people who work with the chief visioneer in an organized setting, be it public service or private sector, may be the only stumbling block to the reason growth and development is poor or truncated. Some few years back I approached the Lagos State government about developing this island, and turning it into a tourist attraction of some sort, for fun seekers who were not interested in driving all the way to Eleko, Bar Beach, Alpha Beach,... To get their taste of sunlight and fresh breeze. Then Elegushi was not even in the radar. Did my research and test and approached the authoritie... Some people thought it was not necessary. By the way, the first reason to keep an island like that is that it adds to the beauty of a state called a state of aquatic splendor. Then you talk of the economic activities that would have followed, not to mention the jobs it would create. Beside the fact that you would be preserving the last of the 3 historic islands that were on the right side of the 3rd Mainland bridge on your way to Oworoshoki. The other two had disappeared because the clay on the island was being mined. If you look at the picture, you would see clay that had been heaped for transportation to meet the demands of people who make clay pots and artifacts. In fact when the miners saw our boats coming, they took off... They had faster boats by the way. Bureaucratic delays and personal interest killed the project. Fast forward to today, I look at the waters now and wonder what could have been. And it suddenly hits me. Countries like DUBAI are spending money to create what we have have, and we here in Nigeria, are letting our own rot, and in this case, disappear. I went to the place again last week... And one of the men there said he just did not want to tell me, that he knew they will not allow me develop the Island because they can not see how they will make money at once. Guess he was right. The island is gone, but the ideas are alive. But wait ooo, what do I know SEF? Shebi I am just a comedian?

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