LAGOS — GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, has said his government is a builder, not a demolisher, even as he undertook an extensive tour of ongoing projects across the state.

This came as the governor disclosed that the first phase of the State’s Light Rail Project, from Iganmu to Marina in Central Lagos, would be completed in June this year, clarifying earlier report that the first phase of 10-lane Lagos-Badagry road would also be ready by then.

A statement by Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Media, assured, however, that work on the all important Lagos-Badagry road was continuing.

According to the statement, projects inspected by the Governor during the tour on Tuesday that lasted the entire day, include the Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2 Light Rail Stations, on-going projects at the Lagos State University (LASU), Maternal and Child- care Centre, FESTAC, Okota-Ago Palace Road, Ejigbo-Ajao Link Bridge, Network of roads around Jimoh Ajao Street,  Igando HOMS and Resettlement Relief Camp, Igando

Other on-going projects are at Alimosho General Hospital (School of Nursing and Hostel, and Samuel Jinadu Street in Markaz area of Orile Agege, among others.

Speaking at the Iganmu Light Rail Station where he also inspected the tracks already laid for the rail and the coach engine  as well as flagging-off the Track Laying, Governor Fashola said while the first phase of the project would be ready in June, work on the rail would continue to Okokomaiko, even as the expansion of the Lagos Badagry Expressway continues.

He said: “We have the two projects linked together, the road expansion and the light rail simultaneously. And now we are trying to see how we can take the rail from the National Theatre to Marina.”

Hopefully, when that is done, we can heave a sigh of relief. Though there is still work to be done, but so far so good. This is what we do with the money which we borrow; we do not borrow money to pay salaries, we don’t borrow money to run our overhead. We are investing it in infrastructure. This is the type of transportation that I dream for this country; this is the type of transportation that I dream for this State and not mass transportation by motorcycles.”

He recalled his visit to Ajah Ferry Station recently saying the station links with the Ferry Terminal in Ikorodu as well as the one in Mile 2 adding, “This is what we have been talking about. It may be taking sometime but this is the dream we have, it is manifesting itself more clearly”.