PHOTOS: Lagos Govt Removes Lekki Inner Gates A Day After Warning

Lagos Environment Ministry's officials pulling down gates in Lekki

Eko Hot Blog reports that officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources have commenced the removal of permanently closed inner gates in the Lekki area of the state.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday.

The operation came about 24 hours after the Lagos government urged residents in Lekki Phase I, Phase II and its environs to open all street gates located in the area from the hours of 6.00 am to 11.00 pm daily during this yuletide season.

The government said the directive was necessary for the ease of movement of vehicular traffic with a view to reducing traffic congestion that may arise due to the holidays.

The state threatened sanctions if there was no strict compliance with the directive.

Lagos Environment Ministry’s officials pulling down gates in Lekki

However, by Saturday, some gates were still permanently locked, prompting action from the Lagos environment ministry.

The ministry’s spokesperson attributed the forceful removal of the gates to what the government described as “the indiscriminate mounting and multiplicity of the gates, defacing the aesthetics of the environment.”

Adeshina said the operation was in order to “rescue several residents of the state, especially in the Lekki 1 axis, who are suffering untold hardship of inaccessibility by removing permanently closed inner roads gates.”

He wrote, “The enforcement operation which was authorized by Mr Governor followed several days of traffic snarl which residents connecting Lekki were experiencing due to the inaccessibility of connecting roads.

“Roads and streets already enforced since the operation started include Sir Rufus Foluso Giwa, Theopilus Oji, Osaro Isokpan, Abike Sulaiman, Ben Okagbue MBA, Olubunmi Rotimi, Olanrewaju Ninalowo, Dele Adedeji, Abayomi Sonuga, Siji Soetan, and Rasheed Alaba Williams.”

Adeshina further stated that the Commissioner for the state’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, urged all resident associations that have such gates in their estates or communities, and always putting them under permanent lock and keys, to remove them voluntarily.

He added that the state will restore the aesthetics being defaced by the indiscriminate gates by removing them across the state.

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Philip Ibitoye

Philip Ibitoye is a journalist who boasts more than five years of experience reporting the news. He is an Editor at Eko Hot Blog.