Agbaje threatens to demolish Lekki/Epe toll gates

PDP gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has declared that he will demolish all toll gates on the Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos, when voted into office.

   Agbaje stated this during a peaceful protest march christened March for Freedom, organized by Freedom Group, a political pressure group  held in Lekki.

   The march, which kicked off at Lekki Toll Plaza 11 and terminated at Lekki Toll Plaza 1, attracted human rights activists and residents of Lekki, clutching placards and chanting solidarity songs.

    He said: “I am here to show solidarity with you on the issue of the toll plaza on which you are marching for today and assure you that when we get into office, these toll gates will come down; I will demolish all of them.”

   Justifying his statement, Agbaje continued: “The Public/Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement behind this project is not transparent. Look at the BRT and Lagos light rail projects, they are collapsing because the PPP arrangements they have on ground are not sustainable. The light rail, which was supposed to have been ready since 2012 is grounded and this is because of vested interests of a few people. 

“The PPP arrangements are skewed to favour only a few people so for me, I am in solidarity with you and a vote for us is a vote for freedom, a vote to bring down the toll plazas,” Agbaje said amid applause.

Speaking at the event, , the coordinator of the march, Gabriel Odu described the  march as that of  freedom, freedom from tolls, freedom from oppression and freedom from god fatherism.

“We are saying that no more tolls on this road. We want a government that will come in and free us from this in the person of Jimi Agbaje.

“This is a direct call for freedom for the good people of Lagos. 

“ The March for Freedom chose the Lekki Toll Plaza as the focal point as it is a symbol of oppressive governance. 

“The toll is nothing short of exploitation of defenseless citizens by those who simply feel they can get away with it.” He added.

According to him: “This a a peaceful way of expressing our grievances over the imposition of toll fees on Lagosians. What we are saying is that enough is enough. We are tired of being exploited. Even as we speak they are planning on erecting two more toll gates. This is unfair and oppressive and we are saying enough is enough!”