‘How Hong Kong benefited from tunnel project Gowon’s regime frustrated in Lagos’

Ishola Oluwa, a retired judge of Lagos state high court, has spoken on how Hong Kong benefited from a project which the regime of Yakubu Gowon, former military head of state, allegedly frustrated in Lagos state.

Gowon presided over the country between 1966 and 1975.

In an interview with TheCable, Oluwa said an underground road tunnel designed to connect Agege to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos was prevented from seeing the light of the day.

He said the foreign firm which was to execute the project later constructed a tunnel in Hong Kong, an autonomous territory and former British colony in southeastern China.

Oluwa said he decided to speak on the issue at this point in time because he wants Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state, to reconsider the project.

“When General Yakubu Gowon was the head of state between 1966 and 1975, the former chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola (now late) invited me and two others for a meeting at Metropolitan Club in Lagos where we met with two white men from England who told us their company was interested in building Underground Tunnel from Agege to Race Course (Tafewa Balewa Square),” he said.

“The project was to be executed solely by the foreign company after which they would run it for some years and hand it over to the government.

“The matter was then discussed with the then head of state for permission for the commencement of the project. General Gowon said he needed time to discuss the project with members of the federal cabinet.

“After the discussion, members of the federal cabinet rejected the project and the white men left the country in annoyance. It was later discovered that the rejection was on account of ethnicity, politics and another sensitive factor which I don’t want to mention in public.

“Similar project was later to be executed by the same company in Hong Kong and they are better for it till today.”

He advised Ambode to reconsider the project, saying if executed, it would go a long way in bringing succor to the people as far as connectivity is concerned.

“I strongly think that the Lagos state government under very transformational and innovative Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode should reconsider pursuing the project,” said.

“I know that such a project, if pursued with the characteristic innovative passion of the Governor Ambode Administration, will go a long way in solving some of the connectivity issues the State is grappling with, and also provide jobs for the mass of the people.”