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•LASG Task Force on extortion jamboree
•Truckers, members of Lagos Park and Garages clash over extortion; four truckers declared missing
•As COMTUA blames tanker drivers for gridlock
By Evelyn Usman, Olasunkanmi Akani & Godwin Oritse
There seems to be no end in sight to the perennial gridlock on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway in Lagos and adjourning link roads, as motorists still go through harrowing experiences, each day, in a bid to navigate their way to their respective workplaces.
Residents and motorists along the expressway by Second Rainbow bus stop, Mile-2, have continued to groan under the excruciating condition, as men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, abandoned duties without any presence of the officers in the area.
The situation has led to the total collapse of smooth movement in variance to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s claims of restoring sanity in Apapa and its environs.
Some of the motorists, who spoke to Vanguard, on Tuesday, blamed the state government for the development, lamenting that they were subjected to untold hardships daily, without any respite in sight.
One of them, Mr. Dele Oloyede, a worker in the area, said: “We have been going through hardship in this area, despite Governor Sanwo-Olu’s claim that the area is free of gridlock.
“He should take a trip to the Oshodi-Apapa expressway to see what motorists, commuters and residents go through every day. The transport fare has shut up, due to impassable roads.
“This is the height of insensitivity by the government to the plights of residents who cast their trust in their administration by electing them into office.”
Also, a motorist, Andrew Uchai, wondered why traffic managers would have to abandon their duty posts and allow miscreants to control traffic.
According to Uchai: “Government has completely abandoned this Oshodi-Apapa Expressway to miscreants. No single LASTMA, Police and other traffic managers on the road.
“They have left the job to miscreants and men of the Lagos Parks and Gardens. Government should be alive to their responsibilities by providing succour to residents.”
Alternative route
For five months now, motorists have resorted to plying Mobil road to access the expressway. But they ended up spending between four to seven hours on a spot, as truck drivers have overtaken the entire stretch.
More worrisome is the lackadaisical attitude with which members of the Task Force instituted by the Lagos State Government to ensure a free flow of traffic on this corridor, go about it.
Members of the Task Force drawn from the Police, Federal Road Safety Corp, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, truck drivers, truck owners and officials of the Ministry of Transport, concentrate on toll collection from truck drivers, instead of controlling traffic.
Truck drivers, Parks and Garage boys clash
Aside from the extortion from members of the Task Force, truck drivers are also harassed by members of the Lagos State Park and Garage Management Committee, daily, for the toll.
Just yesterday, the Mile – 2 branch of the Park and Garage Management Committee launched an attack on members of the Council for Maritime Transport Unions and Associations COMTUA, for resisting an attempt to be extorted by the former.
President of COMTUA, Yinka Aroyewun, disclosed that the attack occurred in the presence of policemen posted to the area.
The union in a petition to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Zone 2, Onikan, also copied the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Abiodun Alabi and the Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Mr Shola Giwa.
The petition read, “It is with sadness and a high level of disappointment that I write this letter to you on the above recurring subject.
“Today, December 13 2022, while members of our association- COMTUA were monitoring the activities and passage of trucks belonging to our members on the road as well as ensuring members’ compliance to regulations stipulated to ease traffic on the Mile 2 axis, they were met with stiff oppositions from hoodlums suspected to be ECOMOG boys, led by one Micheal Adewale popularly known as “HOTWATER.”
“These hoodlums wielding illegal arms such as firearms, cutlasses, charms and all sorts of illegal ammunition attacked members of our association, injuring some of our members beyond recognition.
Till the time of this letter, about four of our members are still missing.
“It is worthy of note that policemen at the Area ‘E’ command, Festac, accompanied our members to Mile 2 before this unfortunate incident. These hoodlums belittled the Nigeria Police, and the Nigeria legal system and also reiterated that no one would stop them from continuing in their illegal activities cum criminalities.”
“As we speak, there is a breakdown of law and order as well as a series of injuries and harm done to persons and properties.
“We hereby implore your office to take swift action within the confines of your duty to come to our aid and restore law and order.”
Protests indiscriminate parking
COMTUA, also protested what it described as indiscriminate parking by members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers PTD, at the Ijora Dockyard road and Mile-two, Kirikiri axis, a development it attributed to the worsening traffic situation in and around the Apapa port access roads.
In the petition to the Special Assistant to the Lagos State Government on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa and signed by the COMTUA’s National Secretary, Mr Augustine Irhabour, the association lamented that the indiscriminate parking had left other road users with no choice but to circumvent traffic rules.
Part of the letter reads: “We have noticed with grave concern the activities of the members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers around the roads leading to the ports and terminals.
“Tankers park indiscriminately on the roads without giving any consideration to other road users as they are now in the habit of using the roads as parking space, thereby causing gridlock on the road.
“They have refused to obey the gentleman’s agreement reached between our union and theirs- using the roads to the port during the day while we work at night on the Mile-2 Tin-Can axis.
“Members of the PTD’s disobedience to the timing belt we all agreed to, is capable of breaching the peace around the roads leading to the ports. The traffic monitoring team and Task Force members of the PTD are taking laws into their hands by extorting and harassing our members while carrying out their law businesses.
“Activities of members of PTD are becoming unbearable to our members, we plead with you to use your good office to address our concerns in the interest of peace in the state.”
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