Lekki Inner Street Gates Removal In Best Interest – Commissioner

The Lagos Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said the decision to remove the inner street gates in Lekki Phase 1 was taken in the larger interest of the residents.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Kunle Adeshina, Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources,in Lagos.

Wahab spoke at a stakeholders meeting convened by his transport counterpart, Mr Oluwaseun Oshiyemi, at Alausa.

He said it was a very painful decision which had to be taken because the state government had the responsibility to regulate operations at Lekki Phase 1, which is a government scheme.

Wahab who described the action as regrettable, said all the removed gates were intact and would be returned to the various zones of the resident’s association immediately after an amicable agreement.

He said part of the agreement must include a provision that the gates cannot be shut before midnight and must have personnel manning them to ensure seamless entry and exit for all residents.

Wahab explained that part of what informed the decision to remove all the gates was to avoid a situation where the state would be accused of cherry-picking streets that had their gates pulled down.

He said part of the larger picture was that many people, areas and institutions got away with infractions because they worked in silos and there was no synergy.

The commissioner corrected the notion that only the Ministry of Transportation could deal with removal of street gates, saying all ministries represent subunits of one whole system which could be directed by Mr Governor because they were all linked and interrelated.

Adeshina quoted the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Oshiyemi, as saying that the meeting was not to apportion blames but to ensure that if the streets were to be gated, all laid down rules and regulations must be abided with.

Oshiyemi said while the state government was not keen to put personal security of the Lekki Phase 1 residents in jeopardy.

He noted that it would also not jeopardize the free movement of people without let or hindrance as enshrined in the constitution.

The Chairman of the Lekki Residents Association, Mr Yomi Idowu, appealed to the state government to reconsider the decision to remove all the inner gates.

Idowu explained that following the directives of the Ministry of Transportation to the Lekki Residents Association to keep all the inner gates open, the association complied but had to contend with some recalcitrant streets residents that refused to open theirs.

He recalled that he experienced the issue of non-admittance to some streets in Lekki Phase 1 where he was asked to provide access codes which was totally unwarranted and condemnable.

He attributed the indiscriminate erection of street gates to the experience residents of Lekki Phase 1 had during the EndSARS which brought about a quest to protect themselves against intrusion.

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi