09022021 - Afenifere, ACF, MBF, PANDEF back Soyinka

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4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES:
TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK—Standstill from Second Rainbow to Berger Cement, a journey of three minutes,
turned five hours, on Oshodi-Apapa expressway, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.
Sanwo-Olu, IGP: Is Apapa traffic mayhem
beyond solution? •We’re helpless, Police, FRSC, LASTMA lament
L AGOS—COMMUTERS
were trapped for hours in the
perennial gridlock along the
Oshodi/Apapa Expressway,
yesterday, as the Policemen, the
Federal Road Safety Corps,
FRSC, and officials of the Lagos
State Traffic Management
Authority, LASTMA, could not control
the chaotic traffic situation on the axis.
From Jakande bus-stop, inward Apapa
to Otto-Wharf, a journey that ought to
take three minutes, took close to six
hours.
Vanguard observed that the
newly created exit point at Freedom busstop,
in front of the Ports and Terminal
Multi-purpose, was blocked, a situation
that rendered policemen, FRSC
personnel, and LASTMA officials
helpless.
A motorist, who simply gave his name
as Chima, blamed both the Federal and
Lagos State governments for failing to
nip the chaotic traffic situation in the
bud.
Chima said: “Why is it difficult to find a
lasting solution to this problem? The Vice-
President visited this axis twice, former
governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi
Ambode, visited here. The current
Governor of the state, Mr. Babajide
Sanwo-Olu also visited this area
recently; yet, nothing has been done to
alleviate the sufferings of people here.
“Various task forces, including
members of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers, NURTW, were set up
to control the situation, yet, there has
been no immediate solution.
“Almost every day, trucks fall in front of
Berger Yard and at Mile-Two Oke,
outward Apapa, because of the
deplorable road. Is the government
waiting for people to die on the road before
they do something about it?”
A LASTMA official, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, told
Vanguard that the situation had
overwhelmed them.
We're helpless,
Police, FRSC,
LASTMA lament
He said: “The Police, LASTMA and
FRSC officials are helpless. The situation
has overwhelmed us. The problem we
are facing at the moment is from vehicles
making a U-turn from the newly created
exit point in front of the Ports and Terminal
Multipurpose Nigeria Limited, PTML.
Those coming from the Apapa end and
those from the service lane from Sunrise,
struggle to access the road. At the same
time, vehicles from the PTML also
struggle to have access to the only
alternative route.”
Another LASTMA official suggested
that Military personnel should be
deployed to the area to control the
chaotic traffic situation.
He said: “Truck drivers and motorists
do not obey Policemen, LASTMA and
FRSC officials. We suggest that Military
personnel should be brought here. They
are the only ones that can instill discipline
in road users along this axis.”
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP
Mohammed Adamu, who visited Lagos,
two weeks ago, ordered the Area
Commander, ‘B’ Apapa, to oversee the
traffic situation from Otto Wharf to Apapa,
which falls under his jurisdiction.
With this directive, all other policemen
initially deployed by the Command boss,
CP Hakeem Odumosu, have left the
axis.
It was also observed that some officers
of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS,
stationed at Otto Wharf, outward Apapa,
also contribute to the traffic situation, as
they carry out stop-and-search of trucks
coming out of the Ports.
Sometimes, when these checks are
ongoing, hoodlums hijacked the situation
to attack defenseless commuters trapped
in the resultant traffic, outward Apapa.
A clearing and forwarding agency,
Ugochukwu Chigozie, who was attacked
yesterday, said: “We appeal to Customs
authorities to order their personnel to
leave Otto Wharf. The clearing should
be done before trucks leave the ports.”
Lagos govt keeps
mum
Governor Sanwo-Olu had set up a
Special Traffic Management and
Enforcement Compliance Team to
resolve the traffic gridlock in and
around Apapa, headed by his
Special Adviser on
Transportation, Mr. Toyin
Fayinka.
Efforts to reach Fayinka on his mobile
line proved abortive, while an SMS sent
was yet to be responded to, as at press
time.
Waterfronts master plan: Lagos evicts illegal
occupants of Banana Island, Ibeju Lekki
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—LAGOS
State
Government, yesterday,
embarked on demolition of illegal
structures and eviction of occupants
in Banana Island in highbrow Ikoyi,
Eleko and Ibeju Lekki area of the state,
without compliance to the state building
laws and regulations, aimed at restoring
its shorelines.
The state government enforcement
team, led by the Commissioner for
Physical Planning and Urban
Development, Dr. Idris Salako, during
the exercise, demolished buildings,
including a two-storey buildings under
construction, for lack of approval that
encroached on the state shoreline.
Salako noted, with dismay, the flagrant
disobedience of building regulations in
the state, hence, the government’s
decision to go ahead with the
enforcement of structures in
contravention of the law.
He said: “The state government will
not condone flagrant abuse of the state
building laws and shoreline because it
has noticed many residents are building
properties without due recourse to state
agencies for approval.
“The gradual takeover of the
waterways is a problem. In our master
plan, the regional highway ought to pass
through this route but there is gradual
encroachment on the way.
“In terms of climate change, gradual
reduction in the capacity of the lagoon
to flow freely and the consequence the
state would be made to grapple with in
the future. If there is a heavy downpour
today, residents in Parkview Estate, on
the other side of the lagoon, would be in
crisis because their community would be
flooded. This is because people built
beyond what was approved.
“The enforcement became necessary
because the state government felt there
is the need to do something to halt the
illegality.
“The governor was here on Sunday
with the strong instruction that land
reclaimed beyond what was approved
should be demolished. We would
continue to monitor to ensure that
building laws and regulations are
complied with and it should even be
voluntary compliance.”
Explaining the rationale behind the
demolition of the two-storey buildings,
Salako said: “The buildings were pulled
down because the owner and developer
could not provide approval and clearance
to reclaim land before the metres he got
from the state Land Bureau and Ministry
of Waterfront.
Hmm, Iyawo, change 'gear' fast!
Then you're disqualified from living among
the living!
Perfect example of when your village
people are hunting your glory!
C