Posted by The PM News on
The Lagos state government has explained that the need to ensure the safety of Lagosians, particularly residents and commuters at Oshodi, and ensuring the free flow of traffic, necessitated the removal of illegal structures and shanties in the area, last Sunday.
The Lagos state government has explained that the need to ensure the safety of Lagosians, particularly residents and commuters at Oshodi, and ensuring the free flow of traffic, necessitated the removal of illegal structures and shanties in the area, last Sunday.
Speaking with newsmen after an inspection of the new-look Oshodi area, the Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the state government has received several complaints from residents about activities of undesirable elements in Oshodi and areas like Iyana-Ipaja and Mushin.
He added that as a responsible government, measures have to be put in place to ensure that criminals do not continue to have a leeway in attacking innocent citizens and making away with their belongings.
Mr. Opeifa explained that the removal exercise would ensure the free flow of traffic from Abule Egba to Ojuelegba in such a way that motorists can drive from Eko Bridge through Agege Motor Road to Sango Otta, unhindered.
He added that the exercise would help reduce congestion from Ikorodu Road, Maryland and Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way, which is presently taking more than a fair share of traffic due to the inaccessibility of the Agege Motor Road.
Mr. Opeifa said there would be no going back on the exercise, as the state government would restore Oshodi to what it was 20 or 30 years ago. He said all security agencies would be on a 24-hour surveillance in the area to monitor and maintain security and prevent any of the owners of the removed illegal structures from reconstructing them.
He said Oshodi would be made more people-friendly by arranging the motor parks to operate without interference from the markets. Mr. Opeifa said market people would be permitted to carry out their businesses in legally permitted areas outside the rail lines, stating that many markets would also be made available to the people.
Also speaking, a Special Adviser in the governor's office, Mr. Sunny Ajose, said the present tempo will be sustained as the state would not allow anybody to display goods or wares on the rail line.
Mr. Ajose said most of the destroyed stalls are appendages to the setback of the rail lines which are meant to save lives, adding that the state would not allow them mushroom again, as every life means a lot to it.
Mr. Opeifa also said the state had sounded a note of warning over eight months ago, about its intention to clear Oshodi of all illegal structures by publishing the law and order pages in newspapers, on a regular basis.
Special Adviser to the governor on the Environment, Mr. Sesan Olanrewaju, who was also part of the inspection team, informed that the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI ) officials have been fully mobilized to the area to ensure full compliance with the exercise.
In his comment, the chairman of the State Environmental and Special Offences taskforce and enforcement unit, Superintendent Bayo Suleiman, who co-ordinated the operation, said Oshodi has been fully secured and that the exercise will continue in other identified areas where there are illegal structures.