Victor EzejaFollowing days of heavy traffic jam on the Lekki-Ajah expressway, the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has begun removing illegally mounted gates that are permanently closed which cause traffic issues in the Lekki phase 1 axis.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, posted on X, said the affected gates include: Sir Rufus Foluso Giwa Road, Theophilus Oji Road, Osaro Isokpan Road, Abike Sulaiman Road, Ben Okagbue MBA Road, Olubunmi Rotimi Road, Olanrewaju Ninalowo Road, Dele Adedeji road, Abayomi Sonuga road, Siji Soetan and Rasheed Alaba Williams roads.
“I, therefore, urge all resident associations across the state that have such gates in their estates or communities and always put them under permanent lock and keys to remove them voluntarily or face sanctions.”
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Reacting to news of the exercise, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser, Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, urged the Lagos State government to extend the enforcement to other areas that have such gates which deny commuters access to alternative roads in the Lekki-Ajah expressway.
“This exercise must be extended to estates in the Chevron area and others. Gated communities are denying commuters access to possible alternative roads to Lekki-Ajah expressway,” Onanuga stated.
Some residents of the state who reacted to the development via X, hailed the government for the exercise.
An X user @Estoba wrote: “Thank you. This lawlessness must stop. Every street now wants to block the road to create a gated estate that never was there when they planned and built their houses. Lekki is turning into a madhouse now.”
Some said some communities with such gates have turned them into a money-making machine by taxing motorists who pass through.
“Sir when you’re done with the Island kindly look into the mainland, some of these estates have turned the government link road into an income generating avenue by asking people to buy stickers in order to use the link road that serves several places including linking to expressway,” @Tenacious wrote.
However, others criticised the action saying those gates were mounted for security reasons, adding that removing them would expose estate residents to risks.
An X user with the name Deji Oakland wrote: “When the government fails in its duties to protect and provide for its citizens, this is what you get. Insecurity everywhere in a country. Politicians have taken the country back to 66- D Politicians seem wise to have opened the honeypot to the ‘’MEN’ who could have us all..”
Another X user, Lucky Ogiebo, wrote: “Secure the state so that people would have no need for gates!”
“Solve the problem! No one enjoys building gates, it is the absence of state security that necessitated the idea of gates,” he added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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