Stakeholders commend FG for handing over Marina presidential lodge to Lagos

Stakeholders in the real estate industry have continued to shower praises on the federal government for what they described as the most patriotic move to save the Presidential Lodge, Marina, Lagos.

Speaking on the gesture, former President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Bern Omo-Akhigbe, stated that the move, if extended to other abandoned projects in many states such would be saved from dilapidation, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to take action over other infrastructures such as the Old Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi and a host of others.

According to Omo-Akhigbe, some of these buildings can be sold to private investors instead of allowing them to continue lying fallow.

“We commend the gesture by the federal government to hand over some buildings and infrastructures to the states, especially, the old Marina Presidential Lodge. It will be gratifying if a similar gesture is extended to other infrastructures that are lying fallow across the country”, said the former NIA president.

In the same vein, Dr Patrick Esemor, a property consultant, based in Lagos, while also commending the move by the federal government, urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to ensure that the building is utilised for the general good.

“The building in question is of historical significance. Therefore, it behoves of Lagos government to ensure that it’s converted into a more pronounced use that would reflect it’s original purpose, both in significance and concept”, he said.

Justifying the handing over of the building to the  Lagos State government, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, noted that the formal handing over of the edifice was akin to what happened to Bodo-Bonny Bridge, Mambilla Hydro Power Project, among others.

According to Fashola, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, in furtherance of his promise to ensure even distribution of the nation’s amenities and the desire to sustain them. Informed the gesture.

“Today, the Federal government signed and exchanged the documents that finally vest the ownership of the historic Presidential Lodge on the Marina in Central Lagos to the Lagos State Government almost two decades after the process began.

“This event was taking place in fulfilment of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari at the inception of his administration that the formal handover had brought to an end a journey that had lasted almost two decades”.

Reiterating that successive governments of Lagos State had made strong representations to the Federal government for the handover of the asset and others like it to the State, Fashola added, “This is a long journey that has come to an end. It is a journey that has taken almost two decades during which the Lagos State government has asked that the ownership of this property be vested in it”, he stated.

Fashola, who noted that events in the past had made it seem as if the handover would not happen, declared, “But the President of Change, the Promise Keeper, has made it possible”, adding that while the Lagos State Government has already taken possession, the event of the day was to formally sign and hand over documents that would establish the rights of the State Government to the ownership of the property.

The Minister gave example of similar gesture made by the federal government to include the Bodo-Bonny Bridge, that waited for over 20 years and the Mambilla Hydro Power Project, stressed that Bodo and Bonny which has brought hope to the people of Bonny and the Mambilla Power Project to the people of Taraba, were now joined by the Lagos State as a beneficiary of *a promise kept”.

Responding, Governor Ambode acknowledged the spirited efforts made by the Minister, who was his immediate predecessor, on how to get the ownership of the property back to Lagos.

He stated that government’s intention was to turn the asset into a National Monument as National Centre for Leadership and also a Tourist Centre.

The Governor also expressed appreciation to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari as well as everyone that played a role towards the realisation of the handover.

“We have been trying to get this particular asset back to Lagos, just like the Minister had said, for the last 20 years”, the Governor said, describing it as both delightful and significant that “on this particular day, it is my Predecessor, and now the Minister of Power Works and Housing, who is now actually doing the final handing over of the property for which he, as Governor, fought hard to get back to Lagos State”.

Also present at the event were the Minister of State, Hon Mustapha Baba Shehuri, the Permanent Secretary Works and Housing, represented by the Director Finance and Accounts, Mr Ibrahim Tumsah, the Director Highways (Planning and Development), Engineer Uzo Chukwunwike , Director, Human Resources, Mrs Motunrayo Alimi, Director, Legal Services, Mrs Justina Shuwa, other Directors, Special advisers and other top functionaries in the Ministry as well as members of the Lagos State Executive Council such as the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, among others.