By LUKMAN OLABIYI and BRAIDE DAMIETE
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared his readiness to fight the cabal behind Apapa gridlock to standstill and expose them if, they refuse to turn over a new leaf.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration is committed in its efforts to rid Apapa axis of traffic gridlock, affirmed that it will not stop to ensure that a greater Lagos is achieved.
The governor disclosed this on Wednesday, at the unveiling of the reconfigured Abraham Adesanya second and first roundabout on the Lekki-Epe Express Way
Sanwo-Olu at the occasion read riot act to the cabal who are bent on causing traffic gridlock on Apapa road, noted that the electronic -call up system of trucks introduced by the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), last weekend had reduced traffic drastically at Apapa port.
According to the governor, his administration would not spare anyone be whoever who flout the electronic -call up system into the port, called on private companies operating within Apapa to collaborate with the state government to ensure free flow of traffic on that axis.
Sanwo-olu commended the management of NPA and its managing director, Hadiza Usman for her resilience in ensuring sanity returns to Apapa port.
“The current situation in Apapa is what we promise our citizens, we promise to strive to do everything possible to solve gridlock problem of Apapa.
” Yes, you can say it takes us a year, but we have to do many things behind the scene besides, there was a Federal Government Taskforce, we have to unbundle it to takeover, beyond that we have to collaborate with stakeholders around that corridor, NPA is the number one stakeholder working with us, Federal Ministry of Transportation, all the maritime operators, the unions that are in that corridor. What you have seen is the lasting solution to Apapa gridlock. What we are doing now, is taking away some scrupulous people who are benefiting from the gridlock;, whatever they are earning; whatever they taking;, whatever they are gaining , we are taking it away from them. We know they will fight back but am saying it clearly that we are ready for them. Anybody that try to bring us back to the past experience in Apapa, we will not stop at anything to fight them; we will name and shame them. We will reel out their name be it; a corporate organization, be it a company; individual, be it police officers, be it Lagos State Government officials, whoever it’s, be it a union that say that the solution we have brought will not work, they will go and answer to the citizens of Nigeria, citizens of Lagos, we will bring them to the public court, to let them know that we are serious. We will no longer condone the reckless and impunity that our citizens have experience “, he said.
Speaking on the new project at Lekki – Epe Expressway, the governor said that with the gesture, the state government had been able to find permanent solution to the perenial flooding in the axis.
Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that his administration is fixing and widening the Ogombo road as well as planning to rehabilitate Eleko road.
He said the junction improvement was part of the traffic management agenda of the state government while urging residents to take ownership of the projects.
The Commissioner For Transportation, Fredric Oladeinde, said with the initiative the state government had been able to expand the junction from three to five lanes to create more capacity for people navigating the road in order to avoid traffic gridlock.
Present at the event were members of the State Executive Council, a member of All Progressives Congress, Governor’s Advisory Council in the area, Tajudeen Olusi, the State House of Assembly’s Lawmakers, political leaders, Stakeholders, among others. (Daily Sun)
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