Stakeholders back LASG’s relocation of saw-millers

A coalition of Lagos Sawmillers have thrown their weight behind the relocation plans of the Lagos State government from Ebute-Metta and Makoko axis to Agbowa in Ikorodu, saying it was high time all stakeholders supported the initiative of the government.

Speaking at a press conference, held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Lagos last weekend, the President of Lagos Island Sawmillers Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Onikeku denounced the alleged aggrieved group and dissociated his members from the reported ongoing litigation instituted against the Lagos State government by the agitated group.

According to him, “this matter first came up during the era of Alhaji Lateef Jakande as Governor of Lagos in 1979. So, this is not an entirely new matter at all. The relocation would have happened during his time as governor but he was unable to achieve it before his administration was toppled.

“The relocation matter resurfaced again during the administration of former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who came up to facilitate the job and gave us the choice of finding a place suitable for us to relocate to.

“We were about to relocate to Ejirin axis to commence business but the location was not suitable for our business at that time. One of the reasons was that the water in that axis was too deep for our business. After several discussions, we, the stakeholders and Tinubu decided to search for another location in the state” Onikeku stated.