‘12,000 jobs lost, 200 houses vacant due to Apapa gridlock’

Ambode says articulated vehicles to be moved to Ijora truck park
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday disclosed that 12,000 jobs have been lost, and 200 houses vacant due to the traffic gridlock on Apapa road.

He made the disclosure at the second quarter of 2018 town hall meeting at Apapa.

The governor said he was committed to ensuring that sanity returns to Apapa and its environs with residents, commuters and motorists accessing the axis easily.

He also said that the Apapa-Ijora axis would be the next destination for his urban renewal effort.

The governor said all the trucks responsible for the nuisance around the Apapa axis would be moved to the Ijora Park, which is being renovated and upgraded to accommodate 3000 trucks.

Ambode expressed confidence in the opportunity offered by the town hall meeting to interact with the people and hear from them directly.

He added that some of the projects conceived and executed were fallout of issues raised at some of the town hall meetings.

Some residents of the state who were given the opportunity to speak highlighted the challenges within their domain.

They urged the state government to intervene in the deplorable roads and poor drainage system in the state.

They pleaded for action so that the area could contribute maximally to the economic development of the state.

Ambode also urged residents to vote massively in the next general elections to validate the huge population of Lagos.

He enjoined the people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote massively in the 2019 general elections, adding that its huge population does not always count during elections.

According to him, the next election is a different one, because it must be used to validate where the huge population really lies.

He further said if the people refused to mobilise to participate in the election, the long result is that the state would be shortchanged in the distribution of resources.

The governor implored community leaders to mobilise people within their vicinity to get their voters’ cards.

He added that the Orile-Trade Fair section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway would be opened for use within the next six months.

The governor disclosed that he was shopping for an investor through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, to construct the Okokomaiko-Seme section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

He disclosed that a network of 25 roads is presently being constructed around the Ojokoro axis of the state.