The Chairman, Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders’ Association, Mr Olorogun Emadoye, speaks to GODFREY GEORGE about the residents’ agitation for the scrapping of the Lekki tollgates
What association do you represent?
I am the Chairman of the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association. We are the umbrella body of all estate associations from 1004 to Epe. We were the first association that wrote to the governor on behalf of everyone for the government to suspend the tolling. At the stakeholders’ meeting, we re-emphasised to the governor’s representative, the Commissioner for Information, what we wrote to them.
What are your demands?
Our demands are very clear. LERSA, as the umbrella body, is demanding a total scrapping of the idea of tolling the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge. First, that road does not qualify for tolling because it is an ordinary road on which people commute to and from work, market, school, etc. We also noted that, globally, roads that are tolled are either highways or highway bypasses, not roads that one passes through at every point. For example, on Monday, I drove past the Ikoyi Link Bridge and someone, who was on the other end, called me on the phone that it was important we met. I had to turn back around Osborne Street. If I am to pay a toll, it means that just passing and then turning back almost immediately would attract N1,200 for the SUV I was driving within a period of just 20 minutes. So, this shows that the road does not qualify for tolling. We also said that the total distance of that road is 1.63km whereas Third Mainland Bridge is 11.8km. Why toll the Ikoyi Link Bridge and not the Third Mainland Bridge? Lagos State has even longer bridges and longer roads like Iyana-Ipaja, Pen Cinema, Ikorodu Road, and all others. Why is it that this road is the one that must be tolled? These are our concerns.
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