Lekki residents, under the auspices of Lekki Peninsula Phase 1 Residents Association, have written the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to shelve the planned resumption of toll collection at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
In an open letter to the governor signed by the Chairman of the association, Yomi Idowu, on Tuesday, the residents raised socio-economic reasons amidst other critical issues that were yet to be addressed which has made the decision
to recommence tolling unjust, oppressive, and illegal.
“According to the Central Bank of Nigeria / National Bureau of Statistics, unemployment is at 33% while youth unemployment is at a staggering 42.5%; and when you add youth under-employment, you have 63.5% of youth either unemployed or underemployed. Also, Consumer Price inflation is currently at 15.70% resulting in increasing cost of food compounded by increased cost of electricity, fuel, and diesel prices. In addition to all of this, the Academic Staff Union of
Universities is on strike, meaning students are at home, with other unions threatening to go on strike.
“We view with deep concern and trepidation the less than transparent attempt at recommencing tolling activities at the
Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, even as matters relating to the #EndSARS protest, which led to the termination of tolling
activities in the first place, remain largely unresolved. The issue is compounded by the myriad of issues bedeviling
the rationale to toll at this location.
“It is against this backdrop that the Lekki Phase 1 Residents Association (LERA) implores the Lagos State Government (LASG) to apply wisdom and shelve its plans to resume toll collection on the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge,” the letter read in part.
LERA further argued that there were issues of pending court matter; ownership questions and lack of transparency;
underdevelopment of the Lekki-Epe corridor; and justice for #ENDSARS victims, that were yet to be addressed by
the government, making the recommencing of the toll illegal.
On the pending court matter, LERA argued that “the Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) and LASG have continued
to use the instrumentality of the law courts to foist hardship on our community. We recall that the Federal High Court
in Lagos had in the recent past effectively declared the tolling of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge as illegal and
unconstitutional. LASG characteristically secured an order of stay of execution on the ground that it had appealed
the court’s decision but has so far failed to prosecute the subject appeal.
“With this Sword of Damocles hanging over our community, one expected LASG to pursue the best interest of
its citizenry rather than use the machinery of the state against law-abiding citizens.
On justice for #ENDSARS victims, the residents said that the the report of the panel had been submitted, and a White Paper was produced, adding that, however, the Lagos government had not engaged Lagosians on the recommendations nor made concrete plans to deal with the underlying factors that led to the protests.
“Rather than work to seek peace, the State is actively working through LCC to inflict more suffering and hardship on its
citizens. It is within this context that we understand that protests are being planned under the banner #NoJusticeNoToll.
If the protests happen, the residents and businesses in Lekki will be the most affected, LERA said.
The letter concluded by urging the governor to act in exercising maximum restraints and to immediately suspend the planned resumption of tolling at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.
