The Ogun State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday blocked the Sango-Ota section of the popular Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in protest of the bad road condition.
The NLC members were joined by some residents who demanded the Ogun State government and the federal government must urgently fix the road.
The protest comes after the expiration of the 21-days ultimatum initially issued to the government.
It was reported that the protesters had on October 6, taken to the roads and demanded the government fixes the bad portions of the road. They threatened to lock down the road if nothing was done within 21 days.
With the road still in a state of major disrepair when the ultimatum expired, the protesters mobilized and blocked off the major highway, causing pain to the road users who got stranded.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Enough of bad governance”, “Dapo Abiodun, let us enjoy the dividends of democracy in Ogun”, “Dapo, this suffering is too much”, “Hear our cries, Ogun people are suffering”, “Dapo repair our roads, it is our right,” and many others.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the Ogun State Chairman of the NLC, Emmanuel Bankole described the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola as a liar.
He said the Minister had promised them that palliative repairs will be carried out before the 21-days ultimatum expires but he has failed in his promise.
While declaring Fashola persona non grata and the enemy of the people for his action, Bankole revealed that they will take their protests to the FERMA’s office in Abeokuta and also the Ministry of Works.
Bankole said, “21 days ago, we were here. We gave an ultimatum to the government that we are not pleased with the state of the roads; particularly the Minister of Works coming here to promise that palliative works will commence immediately and several weeks after nothing was done. That was why the 21 days ultimatum was given.
Interestingly, a few days ago, they started some works. We can see some loads of granites by the State Government. But this is not yet what we asked for. The Minister was here and he promised to commence immediate palliative, which is yet to happen.
As such, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, for coming to lie to the citizens of Ogun State, he is being declared ‘persona non grata’ in Ogun State. We are declaring him an enemy of Ogun State. We don’t want to see him in Ogun State for coming to fool and deceive us that palliative works will commence and nothing was done.
We saw what is in the ground which is the effort of the State Government. The Federal Government cannot be collecting all the money and be inflicting pain on us. That’s why we are here to make the statement loud and clear that Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Ministry of Works and also the FERMA in Ogun State are being declared persona non grata.
When we leave this place, we are going to the FERMA’s office in Abeokuta and also Ministry of Works to send message to their headquarter in Abuja that we are not pleased with what they are doing.”
