By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
The NIgeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed displeasure with the bad state of federal roads in Lagos State, especially Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ijora-Apapa Expressway and Oshodi-Mile 2-Apapa Expressway.
A communique issued at the end of the council’s congress held on Saturday July 16, 2022 at the temporary office of the council in LTV 8 open ground, Lagos, arrived that the bad state of the Lagos-Abeokuta road at Ahmadiyah area to Toll Gate, Sango, is an eyesore and is impeding easy movement and has led to increase in transport fares.
Although the road is under rehabilitation, the union, however, called on the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government to speed up the rehabilitation.
The union also implored the state government and the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Ijora section of the Apapa-Ijora Expressway to the port.
The union noted that the bad section of the road is now a haven for criminals to attack motorists and passengers.
On the traffic gridlock at the Mile 2 section of Oshodi-Mile 2 -Apapa Expressway, the union advised the government to speed up the rehabilitation to ease off the traffic.
The members called on the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to educate officials of LASTMA against indiscriminate arrest of motorists in the state, while neglecting their core duty of traffic control.
The union noted that a lot of vehicles impounded for unreasonable reasons are becoming dilapidated in the LASTMA yards across the state.
They also urged the ministry to caution VIO officers against arresting vehicles recklessly for their poor condition, knowing that many roads in the state are not motorable.
The union maintained that VIO asking motorists to bring their vehicles for inspection is not the best way to ensure that vehicles are in good shape.
Members of the union decried the damage to property and loss of lives caused by the flood that accompanied the heavy rainfall in the state recently.
The union, however, called on the Lagos State Government to intervene and get rid of perennial flood in the state by freeing all the water channels and construct new ones.
The union also advised the state government to come to the aid of the flood victims.
The state government was advised to look into safety and security of motor parks across the state as most of these parks harbour illicit acts, violence and dangerous drugs.
According to the union, the state must sanitise all the parks and further strengthen security outfits, Police and others to beef up security around the parks.
The union called on the Federal Government to stop frequent fuel shortage in the country.
