Mr Ovi Kuponu, an Action Democratic Party (ADP) House of Assembly candidate in Badagry, has promised to open up the city’s water transportation sector to boost its economy, if elected.
Kuponu, contesting for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly in Badagry Constituency 1, made the promise in an interview on Wednesday in Badagry.
The ADP candidate, who is also a journalist and publisher of The Voice Newspaper, in Badagry, said that he had visited over 126 communities in the coastal city.
“We have discovered that our people go through hell while plying Badagry-Mile 2 Expressway daily; so we want to encourage them to make such journey through the waterways.
“If voted into the LAHA, I will encourage youths in Badagry to ply the boat.
“More people are ready to patronise the flying boat, but the boats are not many.
“Instead of spending four hours on the road, it is just one hour 20 minutes from Badagry Waterside in Marina to Liverpool in Apapa.
“The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) stipulates that the boat must not take more than 22 passengers for a trip and they are charging N1,000 per passenger.
“If a particular boat does a round trip twice a day that will amount to N88,000. I don’t know a business in this place that can yield N88,000 in a day.
“If our youths are empowered with that kind of boat, it will reduce poverty in the city and people will be able to help others,’’ he said.
Kuponu said that Badagry has enviable history and marketable cultural heritage that connected different races to the city.
“So, when you are talking of turning around the fortunes of Badagry, we are not going to Lagos to beg for anything, Badagry has everything to prosper.
“I believe we can stay in Badagry and succeed here together,’’ he added.
The ADP candidate said that his manifesto was entitled: “Beyond Law-Making for Badagry, in the Process.’’ (NAN)
