Lagos gives four- day relocation ultimatum to squatters, illegal motor parks in Obalende

LAGOS State government, yesterday, gave a four- day relocation notice to all squatters under the Obalende bridge as well as illegal motor park operators and buses who have moved to the main road.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and his Transportation counterpart, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the ultimatum is in furtherance of the quest for a sustainable environment.

The commissioners were accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Kunle Rotimi- Akodu; Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa; Chairman of the Special Task Force on Restoration of Blue Line Corridor, ACP Bayo Sulaiman; Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mahmood Adegbite; and other heads of agencies.

They inspected Apongbon Underbridge, Obalende, Ijora Underbridge and Surulere, opposite National Stadium.

Speaking with newsmen after the inspection, Wahab said all shanties, their dwellers, traders, squatters, cattle rearers and abandoned vehicles, currently under Obalende bridge, must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon, as enforcement would commence in the early hours of Friday morning.

He said all commercial vehicle operators who have turned the main roads in Obalende into parking lots should relocate to various parks provided for them. He said the government has had enough of defacement of the aesthetics of Obalende. He said there is going back on the marching order to squatters and motorists in Obalende.

The commissioner, who also inspected the level of work on the cleanup of Apongbon Underbridge, visited Ebute Ero and others areas, asking state officials monitoring the project to ensure full compliance with the governor’s directive, that there should be no form of trading or habitation under the bridge and in adjoining areas.

He said: “I am happy with the level of compliance at Ijora, Apongbon and Ebute Ero Underbridge, where the cleanup exercise commenced two weeks ago. The government will sustain a clean and safe environment.”