Tanker, truck drivers defy order to vacate Apapa-Oshodi road

A day after Lagos State Government announced it would be evacuating articulated vehicles that have turned the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway to a parking lot, it is still business as usual as trucks and tankers are still parked on the expressway from the port to Cele Bus-stop as at yesterday night, occupying both the express and service lanes.

Beyond Cele Busstop inwards Mile 2 is still not accessible to motorists, forcing motorists heading towards Mile 2 to drive against traffic or take the Okota-Ago route as alternative, causing heavy traffic and untold hardship to motorists.

Many of the commercial drivers are however, unruly and reckless despite driving against traffic, competing for space on both fast and service lanes of the expressway with those who have right of way.

A commercial bus reportedly hit a woman on Wednesday night at Iyana-Itire bus stop but the driver sped off.

Following the hardship many commuters and motorists have been going through since Monday, governor Ambode said that they would evacuate the articulated vehicles that had turned the expressway to their parking lot through its ‘Operation Restore Sanity On Lagos Roads’.

The exercise, he said, would be carried out from early hours of Friday (yesterday) to Monday by 1000 policemen, 500 officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), 100 officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), 120 officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and 250 personnel of the Nigerian Military including Army, Air Force and the Navy.

A resident, Emeka Chika, said when he heard the announcement, he was happy but seeing that the trucks and tankers are still there made him feel bad, wondering why the state government is treating the tanker and truck drivers with kid gloves.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the Lagos education sector have been told to track the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board/ Universal Basic Education Commission (SUBEB/UBEC) year 2016 Action Plan put at N2.08 billion spread across four major intervention projects covering the six education districts of the state, to ensure there is value for money spent.

A breakdown of the 2016 Action Plan showed that N176.79 was allocated to provide 6,290 furniture projects; N1.79 billion allocated for 20 construction projects, while N71.71 million was allocated to provide 1,261 meters fencing for four primary schools.

However, N41.65 million was allocated for monitoring and supervision of the various UBE intervention projects across state.