Lekki residents protest illegal access code, street gates
Urge Sanwo- Olu’s intervention
RESIDENTS and landlords in Lekki Phase One, who are piqued by the mounting of street gates and compulsion of use of Access Code on residents by North- East Lekki Neighbourhood Association ( NELNA) have called for governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu’s intervention.
The aggrieved property owners, led by Prince Ayoola Ojeikere, protested against blockage of Admiralty Road and demand for Access Code to ply them.
Describing the actions as infringement of their rights to movement on public roads, Ojeikere, the spokesperson for the residents, called on Sanwo- Olu to stop erection of gates on government roads and issuance of Access Codes to ply them.
According to him, some group of people, in the name of residents associations had been taking laws into their hands for selfish interest in the area, thereby making life difficult for others. Ojeikere, whose property is on Fatai Arobieke Street, said that the issuance of access code to road users, had multiplied hardship and stress of both the motoring residents and pedestrians, in accessing their homes and business outfits located within the area.
He explained that residents were subjected to harrowing experience of trekking a distance from the gate to their homes, because commercial vehicles were barred from accessing the gates.
He said that the development had not only driven prospective tenants and business owners away from the area, but also brought mental disturbance to visitors and friends of residents.
Ojeikere urged the governor to enforce the law and abolish the unlawful act that had made businesses unattractive to people. He said that such urgent action would avert a possible confrontation with residents, which might result in the breach of public peace.
He hinted that the aggrieved group had forwarded protest letters to the state’s Ministry of Transportation, Environment, the Lagos State Building Control Agency ( LASBCA), Eti- Osa Local Council and had held several meetings with relevant state agents, especially at the Ministry of Transportation.
Corroborating, another aggrieved resident on Posun Adekoya Street, Mr Afolabi Oke, added that the gate closure during day time had made life difficult for workers, who needed to trek long distance on alternative routes to access markets, that could have been accessed easily if the nearby gate had been left opened.