Jakande gate environmental menace persists after one-week ultimatum

The environmental and traffic menace at Jakande Gate bus-stop, entrance to the Jakande Low Cost Housing Estate in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) persisted yesterday despite the expiration of a one-week ultimatum issued by the council chairman, Monsuru Bello, to roadside traders and commercial transporters consisting of Okada riders, tricycle operators and Danfo drivers.

Oloyede had during a stakeholder’s forum held last week to address traffic congestion and environmental menace warned roadside traders and transporters to steer clear of the axis. The chairman also noted that it was time to put an end to commercial dealings conducted in illegal places, saying that this would restore sanity to the environment and make life easier for residents and commuters.

On her part, Ejigbo Divisional Police Officer, CSP Okuwobi Olabisi, harped on the need to totally remove the pressure on Jakande Gate as the congestion of people and vehicles had made it easy for crimes to thrive in the area.

As a result, there was a lot of sensitization among stakeholders, community leaders, stakeholders and residents on complying with the order to avoid being caught on the wrong end of the law. On community social media platforms, churches, mosques and CDA meetings, the ‘executive order’ was reiterated to warn offenders from possible arrests.

However, when The Guardian visited the area yesterday at the expiration of the one week ultimatum, it was business as usual with partial compliance. The roadside traders still displayed their wares on the pedestrian setback, while okada riders and tricycle operators carried out their activities without interruption. In fact, bus drivers parked their vehicles at the middle of the road calling for passengers after tipping officials of the local council and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

At the forum, it was discussed that an agreement had been reached with the NURTW leaders and that a database of motorcycles, tricycles and mini-van operators would be generated. It was also discussed that each operator would be given a personalised identification number, with an emblem. The emblem would be in colours specific to their route to make identification easier.

But when our reporter visited the place, none of the transport operators wore any identification card or emblem to specify their route. Though a truck belonging to the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps was sighted, no arrest was however made.