Commissioner explains problems in managing Lagos roads
By Kamal Tayo Oropo
UNLESS there is an immediate end to the feud between Lagos State government and the Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe, motorists and residents may be the victims of the political war.
In the words of the Transport Commissioner, Mr. Muiz Banire, sponsored attacks by some agents of the Federal Government on Lagos officials would soon bring the state to the era of avoidable and controllable traffic chaos.
Banire told The Guardian that the operations of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) were by the Federal Government, which agents have allegedly inflicted injuries on 15 road officials of the state government.
He said: "You will be able to observe that in most places, we were able to normalise traffic, we now have a lot of traffic jam. People are parking and driving anyhow, even with the persistent attacks on officers and men of LASTMA and KAI, in their offices, matcheting and maiming them. We have recorded more than 15 causalities already and this has been reported to the Police. Of course, this has greatly affected our programmes. We have a lot of programmes that are loveable which will be beneficial to the people of the state, which the minister is currently forestalling".
Banire said he would not accuse the Police of not doing much in bringing the attackers to book "but they have not done anything tangible. In some cases, they say they are investigating the incident while they have taken some to court for prosecution".
On the Ikotun-Igando Road, the commissioner said: "He had been informed by his works counterpart that the process had been finished while the contractor was finalising the details. So, I am positive that before the end of the year, they will start work".
On the perceived lull in the activities of Tinubu's administration, especially during the second tenure, Banire disagreed. "No! I don't agree that there is a lull. What happened is that there is a major shift of priorities. For example, you will discover that we are just letting housing projects that we started during the first tenure. A lot of them are now being completed and commissioned and in my ministry, we have been doing a lot of things, though the constant attacks on our officials have put some things on hold".
He said that the reason why it appeared that attention was being given to some highways officials was because of their greater impact on the people. "We have some corrections that we want to carry out on some roads like the Kingsway Road, but it is on hold now because our people are being chased from these roads", he added.
The commissioner advised the residents to resist intruders and miscreants that harass and extort money from them.
According to him, the controversy over which body manages federal highways in the state was a direct confrontation on the government and people of Lagos.
His words: "I will like to correct the impression that there is a rift between Governor Tinubu and the minister of works. The truth is that it is the minister of works against the government and people of Lagos State, that is the crisis that is going on here. The minister is fighting against the people of Lagos State generally and that is why you can see him saying that everything in Lagos should belong to the Federal Government and not the people of Lagos State".
He advised the minister as a true Lagosian, to "remember that he was born in Lagos and in his interest and that of his children and generation yet unborn, to retrace his steps and stop tormenting the state. What he is doing is not affecting Tinubu as a person and in any case, he (Tinubu) just has three more years to spend as governor of Lagos State. Are you going to say that all the things you are acquiring for the Federal Government now will not be so if another person comes into governance after Tinubu
- He should think very well".
