Below is the full text of the letter a community development activist Oloye Salami Oluwaseun wrote to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu towards addressing challenges faced by the people of ikorodu division, most importantly the menace of street trading around Ikorodu garage and its environs, which unfortunately continues to wreak havoc on the road users daily.
Your Excellency Sir,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits.
I write to appreciate the good works you and your team are doing and the relentlessly concerted efforts in your quest to effectively surmount all the challenges being faced in Lagos state in the area of economic improvement and infrastructural development.
Your Excellency, I intend to bring to your attention the prevailing concerns and challenges faced by the people of ikorodu division, most importantly the menace of street trading around Ikorodu garage and its environ, which unfortunately continues to wreak havoc on the road users daily.
Despite the efforts of your administration in the recent time to bring succour to the people of ikorodu with the award of the contract of junction improvements and road expansion around the ikorodu garage as part of your urban regeneration drive, it is sad and worrisome that street trading and other nefarious activities have taken over the popular Lagos road right of way from the UBA bank-Benson bus stop Inwards the roundabout and make it difficult for motorists and pedestrians to have a free access on the road anytime from noon.
It is unfortunate that regardless of the huge taxpayers money expended on the road to ameliorate the suffering of the citizens and pave way for free flow of traffic on the corridor, the road medians which ought to serve the pedestrian has been turned to shops and stalls for display of goods by the traders with the help of market leaders and the local chiefs who allocate the space to the traders to generate funds into individuals pockets.
It is also reported that officials of ikorodu local government sell tickets to the traders on a daily basis to legalize dastard act of illegal street trading on this every busy road.
Ironically, officials of KAI posted to the axis who are supposed to enforce the environmental law are also partakers of the corrupt practice, looking the other way while citizens continue to languish and groan in pain daily.
The citizens are losing their valuable items to the traffic robbers daily due to the chaotic traffic gridlock caused by these street trading and inter-state bus activities on the carriageway.
It is disheartening that Ikorodu with over 1 million inhabitants and currently the 12th largest city in Nigeria and growing at a rate of 5.26% annually (It is projected to reach 2.4millions inhabitants in the next few years), and the second largest local government in Lagos state has seemingly been neglected in infrastructure development.
In spite of the total support your administration received from the division during the election process and beyond, the community has unfortunately been overlooked in various aspects of governance most importantly infrastructure and environmental development.
Furthermore, I’m deeply concerned about the daily chaotic traffic gridlock on ikorodu garage and the environmental nuisance caused by the activity of these traders and inter-state bus drivers which has significantly posing serious safety risks to residents and hindering free movement of traffic the major road.
I implore Your Excellency to prioritize safety and the well-being of the citizens in this area by giving the appropriate agencies the much-needed directives to enforce all the environmental law and ban road trading around ikorodu roundabout and artillery streets for the prosperity of ikorodu community.
As a leader known for actions and attentiveness, I trust your commitment to immediately address the challenges facing the residents and commuters in the ikorodu garage.
Hence,your drastic action and swift intervention to arrest this ugly situation would not only alleviate the daily hardships faced by the citizens but also foster greater trust and cooperation between the government and the citizens.
Thank you for considering my concerns, Your Excellency. I eagerly await your prompt action and remain hopeful for positive intervention that will benefit the road users in ikorodu and its residents.
*Igbega Eko,*Ajumose wa ni*
Yours faithfully,
Oloye Salami Oluwaseun
Community Developer
Cc: Honourable Commissioner
Ministry of environment and Water Resources
Cc: Chairman
Lagos State Environmental and special offence Taskforce