Apongbon fire: We’ll swoop on all Lagos bridges occupants — Govt

Taskforce to embark on forcefully eviction March 31

AS the Federal Government gave all traders and other illegal occupants under over 20 bridges in Lagos final ultimatum to vacate before March 31, or face forceful eviction, traders have lamented.

The Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Mr Oluropo Oyetade, gave the ultimatum during an emergency meeting between Federal Ministry of Works delegation and Lagos State Government officials to review the Apongbon Bridge fire on Wednesday.

Oyetade who was said to be carrying directives from the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said: “All the occupants under our bridges particularly in Lagos, we are giving them seven days to pack away. Seven days counting from today. By 31st of March, the task force will swing into action and we will impound all recalcitrant elements that we find under the bridges.

“They shall be forcefully evicted. Not only that, they will be made to pay for any items we have to remove.

“Let me repeat and make myself clear, all occupants under our bridges, we have over 20 bridges in Lagos, should move before 31st of March,” he said.

He warned that a task force would embark on enforcement of recovery of the Right of Way (RoW) on all the 20 bridges in Lagos as from March 31.

Oyetade said that a contract was already on for the rehabilitation of the Apongbon Bridge, which repairs had not been concluded only for the same bridge to be gutted by fire.

He described the damage to Apongbon Bridge as an avoidable incident.

According to him, the government cannot continue to build and allow the irresponsible attitude of Nigerians to damage such infrastructure built with huge resources.

The director said that all Federal Controllers of Works had been directed to clear encroachers on all bridges nationwide, while lamenting similar fire incidents to bridges in Ajaokuta and Kano State recently. (Saturday Vanguard)