[img]http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/toll-crisis-traffic-snarl-as-tolling-begins/[/img]

TWENTY-FOUR hours after tens of them were molested and brutalised by policemen and some thugs suspected to have been hired by the Lagos State Government, residents of Lekki yesterday vowed to resist the imposition of toll fees on them by Governor Babatunde Fashola and former Governor Bola Tinubu.

To them, Fashola and Tinubu were determined to exploit them through the tolling system, “when we can not feel the impact of government in our area”.

They said it was unfortunate that on a project that N50 billion was allegedly spent, Tinubu and Fashola are targetting N506 billion.
A resident, Alhaji Femi Onitiri, said: “'With their own calculation, Lagosians will give Tinubu, Fashola and their government N253 billion for the 30 years they have concessioned the road. That is one-way trip. There is no way you will go through the toll gate and you will not return. That is N253 billion times two. That gives them N506 billion for a project they claimed to have spent N50 billion on. Don't forget that every two to three years, they will also increase the fee. So, there is no way Lagosians will not pay more than N6 trillion on that road into the pockets of a few.

“Of course, we all know that this Lekki axis is a growing place. It is currently at one quarter of its development capacity. New schemes are still coming up. And between this toll gate and Epe, there will be two other toll gates. Also, between the toll gate and Epe, there are about 70 housing units. So, Lagosians are yet to understand the devious and selfish plans of these people. What they are doing is like selling all of us into slavery. They don't need to work again. They will just be making billions of naira every year. Where do you have this type of arrangement anywhere in the world?”

Popular Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, said it was unfortunate that Fashola could describe himself as a democrat.

She said: “What is happening is really unfortunate. Despite the taxes we pay, they still want to add to the hardship of the people living in this axis. We provide our own water, our security, our electricity, fix our roads. Despite the fact that they don't provide anything for us, they are still telling us to pay toll when they have not provided an alternative. This is callousness and we will not accept it”.

The Chairman of Lagos Collectives, Professor Tejumade Akitoye Rhodes, in a statement entitled “Lagos is now under slavery”, said: “We will resist every attempt by Bola Tinubu to enslave all of us. We are the real Lagosians. They are strangers and we will not allow them to kill us through their dictatorial taxes.

“This mysterious character from Iragbiji let loose terror on journalists, photographers and residents of Lekki Peninsula on Saturday, the 17th of December in a brazen display of autocratic perversion.

“Bola Tinubu is now challenging all of us. Lagosians should wake up! Are we all going to remain slaves in our own land? This madness must be resisted with all vehemence, with all passionate fury we can muster.

“Tinubu cannot, and must not, subject the good people of the Lekki Peninsula to some arbitrary tolling extortion. Without the provision of an alternative road, without the least complimentary enhancement to road users, Tinubu, who now acts as the sole proprietor of Lagos, wants all of us to bend down and crawl and accept the madness on the ground.

“In his callous insistence to milk us all dry, Tinubu unleashed his savage thugs on peaceful protesters maiming, shooting and wounding students, the elderly and the young without discrimination.

“In a macabre complicity with the police, Tinubu's agents beat up PDP leaders and pushed them into Black Maria. Honourable Tolani Animashaun is one of our leaders who is unjustly detained by the Commissioner of Police on behalf of Tinubu. Are we going to continue to live like this? Why is it that no one is speaking out? Lagos is now an orphan. People are being killed and maimed by the Gestapo agents of Tinubu and nothing is being done about it. Truly Lagos has gone to the dogs! If Tinubu get away with the illegal toll gate, then we are all in trouble”.

Speaking on behalf of the Lekki Peninsula Residents Association (LPRA), Mr. Benson Uwatse said: “We members of the Lekki Peninsula Residents Association, Phase 1 decided to join in the peaceful protest because we are aware we applied to the police authority and the letter was acknowledged. We were so orderly. Nobody took more than placards and I don't know who will be crazy enough to assault policemen with AK 47. Nobody was disorderly. I was not feeling too well because until a few months ago, I was walking with clutches.

“I am a professional businessman who lives here and my office is at the Mercedez Centre. Because of my health, I sat on the floor and before you know it, CSP Akeem Odumosu ordered his men to arrest me. They punched me in the face, broke my glasses and throughout the day, my right eyes were swollen before they threw me into the Black Maria.

“Although it was a special opportunity for me to know how a Black Maria looks like.

They drove us to Panti and returned us back. When we got to Falomo Bridge, they got a counter order to return us to Panti again. We were there until the Special Adviser to the governor came and asked them to release me. I said I was not interested in a release but the CP said that he has an order to release me and that as such, I should go. They released me at exactly 9.30 p.m.

“I was very surprised when I heard that the protest was politically motivated. Apart from the fact that we secured a permit, I am too comfortable to join a political protest even if there was any. What we are saying is that there is no alternative route. The Oniru Road cannot service anyone beyond those in the First Gate. We are not against tolling but it should be on the basis of consensus agreement between us and the government. It is insulting to ascribe my involvement to politics. Everyone of them are my friends. Was I politically motivated before I voted for Fashola? It is not all about me, it is about the people.

“I have over 100 employees who will suffer from this unfriendly policy of Fashola. Would they not expect me to add to their salaries? Do I need any political motivation to speak against this kind of issue?

“Please tell the Commissioner Of Police to watch his utterances. I take offence in the statement that it was political. In the contract agreement, they were supposed to provide a coastal highway. Where is the coastal highway? In their anxiety to collect toll, they claimed Oniru should be an alternative route. Go and check the so-called alternative. It is jam packed on a Sunday. What will happen tomorrow which is a working day? Mind you, students are on holidays”.

Another resident, Emmanuel Omot, said: “What we organised was a peaceful protest and the next thing we saw was that Tinubu released his thugs on us. Today is Sunday, tomorrow will be worse and students are on holiday. Just to go and campaign against a bad policy that enslaves the people, Fashola almost killed us all”.

Abioye Akerele, a lawyer, said the residents would not pay the toll. “I am a lawyer with a chamber, I have an advertising agency, I have an advertising school and many other business concerns. Would you say that I am not able to pay the tolls? All we are saying is that there should be no tolling. This is not an express road. It is a metropolitan road. We have 74 estates along this axis alone. If you want to fix a metropolitan road, how do you arrive at picking the contractor? How many companies publicly bid for the road? All this started in 2005 when Tinubu was the governor. They know what they are doing. What you are seeing is a private deal. We are not being sentimental.

“I was a member of Tinubu's cabinet, but this is an issue that affects everyone. An akara seller who trades with a token N10,000 will have to pay tolls to go to Obalende to buy beans. Let me also reveal to you that when the contract started, they took a loan from a South African bank and the collateral they used was a land in Ibeju-Lekki. That land, they have started selling it at the rate of N6 million per plot. The entire road is 49.5km. They said it would be a phase by phase approach with a promise as contained in the agreement that they won't collect toll until they complete it.

“They have not even covered 23km which ordinarily stops at Lagos Business School. In fact, we just have to sympathise with those living in Phase 1. Once you come out from the gate, you will pay N250 wherever you are going and when you are coming back, you pay another N250. If you mistakenly forget something, you will have to pay another one. My brother, if life could be so difficult for people in Lekki, what about those in other places? People are not asking questions. This also means that natives of this communities pay everyday while coming or going to their villages. Why can't they go and do same thing at Bourdillon in Ikoyi or Surulere where Fashola lives? It is not about me, it is about the common man, the common trader”.

A 70-year-businessman, who prefers anonymity, said: “Our protest was peaceful. I am over 70 and a successful person. We wrote to the police and they even guided us while we were walking peacefully. It was, however, very obvious that they wanted the situation to lead to crisis. They harassed us. They provoked us but we comported ourselves. We, the elderly, ensured that no one goes beyond the line and we had a vehicle that was guiding us as we walked along. The next thing we saw was that Odumosu ordered his men to start shooting without cause. They shot tear gas. We started running and looking for water.

“As we were running, we saw buses filled with people. We felt they were our sympathisers, not knowing that they were thugs paid by the government to attack us. I have never seen such a peaceful protest in my life until the government is now labelling it a political protest. Mind you, some of us are privy to the agreement. The alternative road was defined . We are enlightened and we cannot allow anyone take us for a ride”.
Another 70-year-old man said: “I am over 70 years and I agreed to participate because I learnt the association got a police permit. I was totally surprised when they started shooting and manhandling us. It was obvious they were acting a script written by the government. Another surprise was that the thugs were fraternising with the police men that were on ground. What kind of irresponsible government would unleash thugs on her citizens? All we asked for was that there should be an alternative road and a negotiation of how much toll that will be paid on a general consensus and not on arbitrarily fixed by one man.

Ronke. A PhD holder, said: “I am not a politician and I am not affiliated to any party. It was a peaceful protest before Odumosu started chastising people. The only thing we had were placards and bottles of water. Odumosu was so charged up that he wanted to cause crisis. On that day, about three lanes were not operational hence, we did not cause any traffic. I am educated to the highest level and as such, we insist that there is no justification for the toll for now. I live here and I can tell you there is no government facility on ground. No hospital, no water, no light , nothing practically. Recently, I paid N150,000 on a property tax. It makes it worse at hearing that our protest was political. If it were to be political, then I should be ascribed to the Action Congress of Nigeria because I voted for them in the last election not because of anything but because I once loved his policies but as it is now, he has betrayed us and we have lost confidence in him. My children goes to school on same road, my workers and even me. Where do I get the money from? It is nasty on their part.

Another resident called Bukola said: “I live in VGC with my family but decided to join the protest because it concerns us. We were not obstructing traffic but all along, Odumosu was charged. He ordered his boys to shoot at us and immediately he dipped his hands inside his pocket and pointed the gun on us. He even shot. We have the pictures. One of the young men with us wanted to attack them but I cautioned him and until we left the place, he never left my sight. I was assaulted. A man came, punched me and it was my husband that rescued me. They wanted me to fall so that they could pounce on me. They pursued us to the gate and unleashed thugs on us. Throughout that day, I could not comport myself. I am very surprised that in this dispensation, something like this could happen. It was an organised attack on we the residents.
“Before yesterday, there have been negotiations with both the government and the LCCI. We were surprised when we got messages that they wanted to commence collection. We got a permit and we were so orderly. Everything was under control. Odumosu was agitating trouble. He was picking quarrels. They inflicted injuries on us. He asked them to shoot”.


http://www.nigeriancompass.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9555:tinubu-fashola-to-make-n506b-from-lekki-toll-fees&catid=54:nigeria-today&Itemid=594

Eko Ile don baje o!

Trust me you wont see her here

Dis evil peoples call politician are really take advantage of poor nigerian citizen.

where is eko ole?

philip0906:

where is eko ole?

lol@ Eko ole
hahaha. The guy don turn thief
ole aji bole

This is terrible, i hope they learn and come with a better political party and candidate.

philip0906:

where is eko ole?

You mean Eko Igbe

So a supposedly reputable newspaper takes the analysis of some random guy in the street (Screwy analysis mind you. As if whoever made the initial 253 billion estimate somehow forgot to count all total trips and only did one way) and presents that as fact, no questions asked.

Is this real life, or a parody?

"Barack Obama is smashing Kim Kardashian" - Random man in the street, front page of the NY Times

ekt_bear:

So a supposedly reputable newspaper takes the analysis of some random guy in the street (Screwy analysis mind you. As if whoever made the initial 253 billion estimate somehow forgot to count all total trips and only did one way) and presents that as fact, no questions asked.

Is this real life, or a parody?

very poor. . .try again

I don't recall asking you to rate the "try." Or anything else, for that matter.

Please do me one favour and see which other news paper carries this article, such a cheap  plot by southwest PDP  using COMPASSNEWSPAPER. of all things, even if it were Tribune I would say it is relaible, but cmmon this is rubbish, we all know how bode elewon george was at the forefront of this protest, 506bn my Bottom and im still yet to understand why everybody is shouting Tinubu

In that whole piece how many times was Fashola the Governor of Lagos mentioned? Why not Fashola who is the governor

Everything there is Tinubu this Tinubu that

The Chairman of Lagos Collectives, Professor Tejumade Akitoye Rhodes, in a statement entitled “Lagos is now under slavery”, said: “We will resist every attempt by Bola Tinubu to enslave all of us. We are the real Lagosians. They are strangers and we will not allow them to kill us through their dictatorial taxes.

“This mysterious character from Iragbiji let loose terror on journalists, photographers and residents of Lekki Peninsula on Saturday, the 17th of December in a brazen display of autocratic perversion.

“Bola Tinubu is now challenging all of us. Lagosians should wake up! Are we all going to remain slaves in our own land? This madness must be resisted with all vehemence, with all passionate fury we can muster.

“Tinubu cannot, and must not, subject the good people of the Lekki Peninsula to some arbitrary tolling extortion. Without the provision of an alternative road, without the least complimentary enhancement to road users, Tinubu, who now acts as the sole proprietor of Lagos, wants all of us to bend down and crawl and accept the madness on the ground.

“In his callous insistence to milk us all dry, Tinubu unleashed his savage thugs on peaceful protesters maiming, shooting and wounding students, the elderly and the young without discrimination.

“In a macabre complicity with the police, Tinubu's agents beat up PDP leaders and pushed them into Black Maria. Honourable Tolani Animashaun is one of our leaders who is unjustly detained by the Commissioner of Police on behalf of Tinubu. Are we going to continue to live like this? Why is it that no one is speaking out? Lagos is now an orphan. People are being killed and maimed by the Gestapo agents of Tinubu and nothing is being done about it. Truly Lagos has gone to the dogs! If Tinubu get away with the illegal toll gate, then we are all in trouble”.

dayokanu:

In that whole piece how many times was Fashola the Governor of Lagos mentioned? Why not Fashola who is the governor

Everything there is Tinubu this Tinubu that

u probably leave in dreamland,if u don't know d actual governor of south west lagos

Fashola's macabre dance, What a shame. See what greed and cowardice can do to a supposedly good man? And I thought Jonathan was the spineless one, or how else could a man with so much popular support and admiration become a willing puppet in the hands of a ruthless gangster? Tufiakwa

ekt_bear:

So a supposedly reputable newspaper takes the analysis of some random guy in the street (Screwy analysis mind you. As if whoever made the initial 253 billion estimate somehow forgot to count all total trips and only did one way) and presents that as fact, no questions asked.

Is this real life, or a parody?

"Barack Obama is smashing Kim Kardashian" - Random man in the street, front page of the NY Times

This is the compass for crying out loud,


Btw, sit back and enjoy the comedy while these ibo clowns kill themselves over that rubbish

Why is it that it's only Igbo clowns that grove over this kind of rubbish. N506 billion ko, N506 trillion ni

hehehehe @PR gone bad superman fash needs 2 reimburse d purse of his P.R agents 2 update their skills or simply relocate dem back 2 his state.Did anyone listen 2 inspiration F.M this morning?Did any one watch d news 2day?muhehehe

Eko Ile:


This is the compass for crying out loud,


Btw, sit back and enjoy the comedy while these ibo clowns kill themselves over that rubbish

STFU its everywhere on the news that your paymaster Tinubu unleashed his touts on innocent people. Ofcourse we know he must have spent millions to ensure the media do not carry the news, call anyone that stays around Lekki to tell you about their ordeal in the hands of Tinubu touts. Your master goofed bigtime

High_Chief:

STFU its everywhere on the news that your paymaster Tinubu unleashed his touts on innocent people. Ofcourse we know he must have spent millions to ensure the media do not carry the news, call anyone that stays around Lekki to tell you about their ordeal in the hands of Tinubu touts. Your master goofed bigtime

even if he spent millions 2 silence d media,he could not silence d people.We that r on ground know what happened.U need 2 have listened 2 radio stations 2day and c calls been put thru by lekki residents and watched d news 2day. . .

^^^My brother I was told. Thank God there was no loss of life. Human beigns are so wicked and heartless. Just for the selfish interest of a few people. You just know the world is coming to an end when a man decides to impoverish the people that entrusted him with their mandates. Lagos is like Tinubu's personal estate. Osheeeeeeeeeeeeee

Eko Ile:


This is the compass for crying out loud,


Btw, sit back and enjoy the comedy while these ibo clowns kill themselves over that rubbish

OK, I didn't even realize it was Compass. I was skimming quickly and was thinking it was Vanguard.

But whoever it is, we have to ask some basic questions.

How the fvck did this guy take Fashola/Tinubu's estimate over 30 years (N250 billion) then blow it up to first to double the amount, then N6 trillion?

He is just a random dude. It isn't like they interviewed an insider, or had some whistleblower leak information. That would be interesting and useful.

This is just propaganda. Sloppy cheap propaganda even, not even artful or masterful.

For their next article on this topic, "Villager in Zimbabwe claims Lekki toll will be N10 trillion $10 trillion over 30 years."

If you cant live in Lagos, why not try your state? I mean, these clowns never cease to amaze me. Na by force say you must sell spare part at Idumota or hawk pirated CDs in Alaba or Sell fairly used electronics at computer village?

Just look at how fooools congregate on this thread, those that have nothing to do with Lagos or even South west? I wonder why the stuupid guys cant find anything worthy of reporting from SE, other than crimes. None of the fooolish SE'ern posters can even visit their village this Dec, yet they want to transfer aggression to South West. Pathethic apes!!!

They are soaked with blind bigotry to the head.

Thats huge dough o. You cant take all that money to the grave. Let it go round bro. What ever happened to the greatest good principle? Only take that which is needed. Greed Greed Greed!!!

^^ abeg stop this tired "leave lagos if you can't stay" gist. The matter at hand is beyond politics. Indigenes of lagos are crying very loud for people to hear.

^^
Guy, what do you mean by indigines are crying?

What was your position when Chevron/shell was busy driving indigines out of thier lands in Niger Delta to drill oil? I thought they said all lands belongs to government? Or have they changed that law/decree or whatever?

what was your position when the Gwari's were driven out of Abuja to built Federal capital? Where do you think the local "indigines" of Abuja resides now? Oh, i see, you have no problems with other places except Lagos, abi?

Indigines cant stop development! If you cant live in Lekki axis, the move to other places that you wont have to pay tolls and if you cant live in Lagos then move out. Period!

@ rhino - your analogy doesn't apply here. The Gwaris were in an area pencilled down for the nation's capital, also the people whose lands happened to sit on oilfields. If any baga is building a house on a road or his village lies on a planned road it is different. here development need not be turned to punishment because dem no get money

^
so, its OK, to drove away "indigenes" from their homes but not when "indigenes" pay for services? How sad.

My analogy still boils down to the fact that, its not compulsory to live in an area that is not economical viable, when there are more options to take. Besides, the government did provied alternative "toll free" routes, NO?

Things have to work in Nigeria. We have to embrace and imbibe the habits of paying for services. The era of thinking everything is for free is fading out.

^^ bros I believe the crux of the matter at least for me wey be resident is the lack of alternative routes. Nigerians as I'm sure you know no like wahala. if you analyze the history of this transaction you will see a pattern of anti-people and pro-self policy. Some people reading what you are typing may apply your points to justifying the so called removal of subsidy. We have to be very careful in this country because I have personally noticed that the common man is becoming bitter and all the tricks of violence are becoming common knowledge

@nku

Let them remove fuel subsidy but get our refineries working first, Fashola and LCC built the road before they tolled it.