CEM REPORT | The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said plans to move saw millers at Okobaba to the proposed site at Agbowa area of Ikorodu is at 95 percent completion.
He stated that provision for the accommodation of 160 two-bedroom flats for the millers had been completed.
The governor who revealed this while inspecting ongoing works at the proposed Timberville, Agbowa, Ikorodu added that his administration is determined to accomplish the project as he set a possible movement period of December.
‘We are happy that within our government, we activated it back and we have spent a lot of money resources to be able to bring it to a usable and convenient situation.
”Part of the facilities that are here is for the potential Okobaba Saw millers that are coming here, we have got a total of 160 2-bedroom flats that have been completed.
”We have offices that run into tens. One of the things that we need to do now is extensive clean-up, and to be able to put a police post and a small fire service here.
”So the saw millers are just waiting for us to clean up, to ensure that the place is fully habitable for them to start to move, we have all agreed, and in terms of political, we have 110 per cent political will to complete the project.”
Sanwo-Olu noted that the construction of the access road is in progress and will be completed soon while adding that the Timberville is equipped with a plant where byproducts from the mill, would be treated for reuse.
He further added that all necessary equipment to make work easier for the saw millers, would be made available by the government.
”We have told the contractor, once we have made additional funding available, we are hoping that before the end of this year, we all should sing hallelujah, and bring everybody down here.
”We will complete this project, we will relocate all of our saw millers from Okobaba to Agbowa Ikosi, purpose-built for them. This place is massive, it is the first of its kind, I dare say in the whole of West Africa because this is purpose-built for saw millers.”
The President of the Okobaba sawmillers, Alh. Ganiyu Onikeku commended the state government for the initiative.
He added that the project was started by the Babatunde Fashola’s administration, adding that when the project was conceived, many members of the association did not believe that the government was serious about it.
He expressed happiness that the project was near completion.
