Posted by By Sheriff Balogun on
Lagos State chapter of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has urged the Federal Government to call Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and his men to order, over violence unleashed on men of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and Kick Against In discipline Brigade (KAI) by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Lagos State chapter of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has urged the Federal Government to call Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and his men to order, over violence unleashed on men of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and Kick Against In discipline Brigade (KAI) by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
In a statement signed by it Director of Organisation (AD) Mr. Kunle Odufuwa, the party said it was more disturbing that FERMA officials could be threatening the Transport Commissioner Mr. Muiz Banire, over his committment to free flow of traffic in the state.
He said LASTMA and KAI were created after relevant laws were passed by the House of Assembly, adding that its birth had extensively eased traffic congestion.
"The party is convinced that FERMA was purposely created for political consideration, to cause chaos on Lagos roads instead of facing its duties of maintaining federal roads for which it was created."
He said while FERMA could not proffer solution to the traffic problems in Abuja and other major cities, it was only in Lagos that FERMA had a traffic control unit.
According to him, the advent of FERMA had witnessed the reckless and unnecessary brutalisation of innocent Lagosians and operatives of the state government.
"A situation whereby party mercenaries are clothed in borrowed garbs and titles to unleash terror on the people, is nothing but an invitation to chaos and a complete breakdown of law and order."
He said thes state had been peaceful despite proactive actions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled Federal Government, adding that FERMA should not be used as a camouflage to import violence into the state.
He said, "AD would like to point out that other eminent Nigerians had occupied the seat of Works Minister before Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and they used the office effectively with successive Lagos governments to advance progress of the state."
He noted that Alhaji Lateef Okunnu as Works Minister when Lagos was created in 1967, cooperated with the then Major Mobolaji Johnson to lay a solid foundation for the smooth take off of the state.
He added that apart from cooperating with the state government in constructing the first express way in the country (the Badagry Expressway), saying that he also laid the foundation for the execution of the inner Lagos ring road project, construction of Eko Bridge among others.
He said when General Obasanjo was the Minister of Works, he was responsible for the dualization of Western Avenue road amongst others without engaging the Lagos state government.
He added that Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande did his best to bring succor to Lagosians as Works Minister without any due display of so called federal might.
"Even under Anenih an Ex-Police Officer no ugly incident was recorded between the Federal and state government with regard to traffic control", he said.