Policemen defy IGP’s order on checkpoints

                          
Commercial commuters who ply the La­gos-Badagry expressway have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the federal and the state governments over the state of the roads in the area with their devastating effect on their health and businesses. Their trouble, they say, is compounded by the decision of policemen who defy an order banning all checkpoints by the act­ing Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba.

In recent times, the Alakija/ Iyana Iba axis and the Mazamaza/Mile 2 end have been a living hell for commuters who are forced to spend hours stuck in a gridlock occasioned by bad road and police checkpoints.


While some commuters said they have resigned to fate, others expressed disappointment at the slow pace of construction work on the roads and pleaded that government should mend the potholes that dot the highway pending when the road would be put in proper shape.

A commuter, who said he had spent four hours from Okokomaiko to LASU gate, pleaded with officials of Federal Roads Main­tenance Agency (FERMA) to help members of the public by patching up the potholes.

The road is already bad and coupled with the Sallah celebration. Those selling rams and cows park their trucks indiscriminately. I spent the whole day yesterday from Okoko­maiko to Alakija. It was hell and no one can help the situation except the Federal Govern­ment.

We quite agree that the road is under construction but how long will it take them to do it? I am sorry to say this: CCECC should be given small projects to handle.

They are making a mess of everything. FERMA is not even helping matters. Fashola claims that it is his project, what does it take him to en­force the speedy construction of alternative routes while the project drags. It is a pity but commuters are stressed out and their lifespan dwindles by the day.”

Another commuter told reporters that trekking home is now a way of life for people in the area. “It has been like this for so many months and yet this is a major route through which goods are imported and exported. Ni­geria is making so much money through im­port and export duties, why should an area be so neglected?

Let the road be patched pending when the so-called construction will be completed. I guess everything will be at a standstill till 2015. Fashola is a honour­able man and I personally voted for him. I was very happy when he announced the con­struction of Lagos Badagry expressway. He should save our soul.”

Police induced traffic
Not left out in the agony are also commut­ers who are forced to sit in traffic caused by several police checkpoints under the Mile 2 bridge. The checkpoints normally become active at night, thereby flouting the recent order by the police authorities on roadblocks.

Reporter learnt that these policemen were actually detailed to rid Mile 2 of armed robbers who, in the past, had unleashed at­tacks on commuters.

It would be recalled that the acting Inspec­tor-General of Police, Suleiman Abba has said that the order banning the setting up of police roadblocks nationwide is still strictly in force. A statement by the Force spokes­man, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the police boss had sent a directive to all commands and formations of the force nationwide ask­ing them to immediately dismantle “all sem­blances of police roadblocks and permanent checkpoints reportedly re- emerging in some parts of the country, especially in the South- East, South-South and South-West geo-polit­ical zones of Nigeria.”

Commuters, who spoke with reporters, complained that the traffic bottleneck is more often than not caused by the extortion of commercial drivers by policemen who set up more than 10 checkpoints between Mazamaza bridge and Mile 2 bridge lube, a distance of not more than a kilometre.

“Everybody is aware of the gridlock caused by tankers along Apapa road but for more than a month, that has been a thing of the past. Our major challenge is that of Mile Two, which is caused by policemen at­tached to the state’s Rapid Response Squad and some from police divisions around the area. You will be shocked that after spending hours on that Mile 2 bridge, you will see no pothole or brokendown vehicle but police­men extorting money from truck drivers and other commuters.

They are not even searching them but col­lecting money. Those who refuse to pay are blocked and threatened with guns thus caus­ing traffic jam. There is a way they can still do their job without causing artificial traffic hold-up on that road. You will see more than 10 checkpoints with one or two cops doing the same thing. They do it with impunity while LASTMA officials watch helplessly. As soon as they observe that there is a secu­rity convoy approaching, they will all disap­pear,” a commuter said.