SIR: The plan by the Lagos State government to turn the Ijora underbridge into a recreation centre can be viewed as a welcome development in many quarters, especially by fun lovers who are bound to fall in love with the idea just at the mention of it. But if the pros and cons of such a plan are weighed thoughtfully, it will be discovered that it is bound to boomerang with time thereby defeating the very aims and objective for which it is established.
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Only recently, the government took a bold step in dislodging the criminals and hoodlums who for years made the place their abode and hideout. That was after several years of calls by well-meaning citizens that something be done about the menace the place posed to the general environment owing to the nefarious activities of criminals who made the place their hot spot.

Turning the area into a recreational centre as the government is planning to do will only signal the return of hoodlums to their former base. This will happen eventually if and when there is lack of patronage by the public. It is doubtful if anyone would embrace the idea of visiting such a deadly place for any type of entertainment, not even at this time that Nigeria is facing a serious security problem.

It should be recalled that during the Fashola-led regime, he had tried to turn the outer Oshodi into a recreation centre but after the government had invested a lot of funds towards making the plan work, it became obvious that nobody was interested in visiting such danger zone and so the place was rendered useless until it was later dislodged and replaced by the Oshodi Traffic Interchange Project of the Ambode-led regime.

The Lagos government should therefore not dissipate any energy trying to make another mistake of planning to turn a volatile spot as the Ijora underbridge into an entertainment centre because it will never serve the supposed purpose for which it is being proposed.
Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International, Nigeria.
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