Govt urges Lagos- Ibadan highway traders, beggars to vacate

In its quest to save lives, the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Mr Umar Bakare, has ordered the highway traders and beggars under bridges and along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to immediately vacate the highway.

Bakare, gave the charge during the grand finale of a two-day mass sensitisation exercise against road abuse and encroachment.

Federal Controller of Works who led a delegation of engineers and the Federal Controllers of Works in Lagos and Oyo States expressed concern over danger to lives of business owners, traders and advised those carrying out commercial activities on road medians and setbacks between Ojota in Lagos to Ojoo in Ibadan to vacate the spot to escape avoidable accidents.

He wondered how the violators would be selling or moving wares in the middle of a highway or very close to the road with trailers running on the expressway.

“Government said we should sensitise and beg you. Please stop risking your lives. We are constructing this road for you and some people are risking their own lives selling here.

“God forbid that a trailer veers off the road or falls from this bridge, what do you think would happen to all of you here considering your huge number?’’ Bakare said.

Bakare also advised the youth traders who are using unemployment as excuse to approach their various local governments in order to secure safe zones for commercial activities instead of the highways.

On his part, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, represented by Mr Adewale Adebote, noted that the enormous abuse of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and beneath the bridges was worrisome.

Popoola applauded the positive responses from those encroaching on the highway, stressing that it would change the tide because some of them were unaware that their activities had negative impact on the road.

According to him, “We are currently at Iwo Road Interchange where you have motor parks and other services; this is a major terminal in Ibadan and you can see how dangerous it is for people to trade here on the road.’’

He disclosed that the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola called for the awareness campaign on the dangers of road abuses, adding that the highway laws would be implemented thereafter.

The Federal Controller of Works in Oyo State, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, who led a sensitisation campaign in his area, said that the government was serious now about recovery of its Right of Way, (RoW).

Ibrahim said “We are here to sensitise the general public particularly those who are occupying the RoW of our roads illegally to desist from it. We are sensitising them so that they can move from there.’’

He hinted that the exercise was to make residents realize the dangers to both themselves and the highway as well as to extract willing compliance from them because the government did not want to use force.

He announced that the collaboration of the three states would ensure better result during the sensitisation through the various stages to return sanity to the road.