Against the May 30 Executive Order issued by the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on zero tolerance for environmental and traffic nuisances across Lagos, operatives of the state task force, as well as officials from the ministry of transportation and others, have begun demolition of shanties and illegal structures on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The state government is planning to kick-start full-scale rehabilitation of the international road, which links Lagos (Nigeria) with other countries within the West African sub region. The demolition exercise, therefore, is partly to allow the contractors engaged by the government unhindered access to the road.
Apart from the Lagos-Badgary road, the demolition will also be extended to the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and other parts of the state.
The inter-ministerial committee constituted by the governor in the wake of the executive order, had during a news conference last week, given owners of such structures and operators of illegal motor parks on major roads in the state, up till Monday, July 22, to remove them or face the wrath of the law.
The exercise, which began from the Eric Moore end of the Lagos-Badagry expressway in the early hours of Tuesday, saw to the arrest of 26 persons, who may be charged to court in accordance with the environmental and traffic laws of the state.
Taiwo Salaam, permanent secretary, ministry of transportation and Olayinka Egbeyemi, chairman of the state task force on environmental offences, who led the demolition exercise, explained that the government had earlier issued a ‘Removal Order’ to all owners of illegal structures which include; shanties, Kiosks and makeshift shops along Okokomaiko to Badagry and Iba-LASU road on the need to relocate from the road.
“The governor was touched by the discomfort being experienced on daily basis along the axis as a result of these bad roads and vowed to ameliorate the sufferings of residents and commuters plying the Badagry Express-way by rehabilitating the road.
“Therefore, we have to embark on general demolition exercise of all the shanties, kiosks and makeshift shops within these areas starting from today, (Tuesday).”
Also, Egbeyemi lamented that criminals seized opportunity to hide in some of the kiosks and shanties to carry out nefarious acts, especially at night, hence, the need to clear the structures with immediate effect.
He said there were several complaints and reports of armed banditry along the axis where motorists and commuters were being attacked and dispossessed of their valuables, as well as maimed in the process.
The taskforce arrived the area at about 11am, and started the demolition while traders and owners of the structures watched helplessly as cranes and forklifts brought down their shops and abodes.
Some of the displaced traders and shop owners were seen struggling to salvage their property, as the cranes brought them down.
Salaam said that the governor was worried over the overgrown weeds; health risk and traffic gridlock the structures and activities posed to the lives of residents.
According to him, the cleaning exercise has no time frame, adding that it would be a continuous exercise until the area has been cleared of all illegal structures.
JOSHUA BASSEY
