Lagos, FERMA officials disagree over attack on council
By Babatunde Bodurin
OFFICIALS of the Tinubu administration and a federal agency have differed over the alleged disruption of activities at the City Hall office of the Lagos Island West Local Council, with the Council Chairman, Mrs Derin Disu, physically assaulted.
Six officials of the council who were wounded in the attack by suspected thugs on Tuesday have reportedly been taken to the General Hospital, Lagos for treatment, according to Mr. Segun Ayobolu, chief press secretary to the Lagos State governor
The chairman said she was holding a meeting with supervisory councillors over internally generated revenue and the clampdown on motor parks and markets by the Federal Ministry of Works when she was attacked.
According to her, a former opposition aspirant and now Special Assistant to a minister, "burst" into her office warning her that the council must stay away from anything on which the Federal government has laid claims.
"He declared that he did not recognise me as the council chairman and will not under any circumstances do," she said.
She claimed that persons who were with him attacked her but were prevented from doing much damage by the councillors who immediately came to her aid before the police finally intervened.
The alleged leader of the team claimed that he was in the council to alert the chairman of the impending violence having received a call from Apapa where he had been.
According to him, he had honest intentions although there had been disagreements with the council that he was there in his private capacity and not as an agent of the federal authorities.
He and three others who were arrested were later taken to the Lions Building Police Station for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Special Implementation Assistant (SIA) in the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in Surulere, Adefola Adeniran Ogunsanya, has denied media reports that the officials extort money from motorists.
He said in a statement in Lagos that such publications were sponsored by detractors who "deliberately orchestrate ways of clothing in borrowed robes, distracting us from delivering our services to inhabitants of Lagos".
"Our detractors often disguise in FERMA's uniform while on extortion spree all in a bid to discredit us".
