Lekki Tolling: Residents Warn Against “uncontrollable Chaos”, Plan 10,000 March
Posted: December 10, 2011 - 19:02
Lekki Tollgate
By SaharaReporters, New York

The announcement by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) that it would begin collecting tolls on the Lagos Admiralty Plaza from December 18 may not be hitch free, as community leaders are threatening to mobilize over 10,000 aggrieved protesters in 73 estates in Lekki, Etiosa and Ibeju lekki to block the road should the LCC go ahead with the plan.



At a press briefing today at the Ikota Shopping complex in Lagos, representatives of the residents association called on the LCC and the Lagos State Governor not to create what they called “uncontrollable chaos” in Lagos with the planned tolling against the wishes of the people.
Speaking at the event, Bar. Abioye Akerele, the Acting Chairman of the Lekki-Eti-osa-Epe residents Association said, "We are peace loving people and the government should not take our posture for granted.  This road that they want to toll has been existing for over twenty years and if LCC came to add an additional lane they cannot insist on tolling the already existing lanes.  It is unacceptable that those of us who are from here will have to pay money to enter our ancestral homes.   It is totally unacceptable. There are over 73 villages along this axis made up of peasant people; how does government expect them to cope [with] the attendant rise in cost of living that will arise from the tolling?"

Bar. Akerele warned the government of the possible consequences of going ahead with the plan, saying, "We will have no choice than to call out our people to protest this move and we don’t know what that might lead to."

A lawyer and human rights activist, Bar. Ebun Olu Adegboruwa, said the government was toying with the lives of Lagosians and deliberately discriminating against the people of Eti-osa by putting three toll gates in one local government when none exists in other parts of the state where the state government is undertaking development projects.  He also accused the government of not being sincere with Lagosians over the construction and tolling of the road and the concession agreement with LCC. "The Lagos State Government in 2005 borrowed $43m from a bank in South Africa for LCC to begin construction of the Lekki-Epe road using lands in that axis as collateral.  Why are they now talking about tolling the road as though LCC is using their own money to construct the road?”

In his analysis, he said, "What have the people of Ibeju Lekki done that the governor is talking about tolling the only developmental project that this administration is undertaking here when it is not doing the same thing in other parts of Lagos?  I recommend that the tolling should begin from other parts of Lagos like Surulere, Bode Thomas, Adeniran Ogunsanya, and so on."
Bar. Adegboruwa also disclosed that he has already embarked on legal action against the LCC, the Lagos State Government and three others.  Unable to get the matter heard at the Lagos State High Court, he took it to the Federal High Court which later referred it back to the Lagos State High Court for hearing.  He said that following the announcement of the commencement of tolling, he then filed a restraining order on the LCC, the Lagos State Government and three others from commencing tolling pending the determination of the matters in suit no. CA/L/1170M/2011.

That suit was filed on the December 7 and served on the Lagos State Attorney General on December 8 at 9.40am.  The lawyers to the LCC, Aluko and Oyebode of 35 Moloney Way, were served on the December 7 at 3.30pm.

Mr. Adegboruwa urged the parties, particularly the Lagos state governor, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to respect due process by maintaining the status quo pending the determination of the matters.

The leader of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran, has also criticized the planned tolling of the road.  He described it as "a manifestation of the capitalist mentality of the ACN that will deepen the rift between the rich and the poor."
Mr. Adeniran wondered why any government will want to turn the freedom of movement to an exclusive preserve of the rich by forcing indigenes of those communities to pay whenever they are returning to their ancestral home.
http://saharareporters.com/news-page/lekki-tolling-residents-warn-against-%E2%80%9Cuncontrollable-chaos%E2%80%9D-plan-10000-march

Eko Oni Baje!

Ancestral home ko,ancestral home ni. Development don't come easy so they got 2 pay. But I hope there aren't police post on same road coz motorist will pay more

amaham:

Ancestral home ko,ancestral home ni. Development don't come easy so they got 2 pay. But I hope there aren't police post on same road coz motorist will pay more

May the fingers you used to type that rubbish wither and fall off one by one, In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.

May your community, your entire heritage and your identity be wiped out in the name of "development" in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

May your entire existence become less than a footnote on a scrap of paper in the office of a messenger in some obscure "develpment" office in some corrupt politician's home in Jesus Mighty Name!

Oloshi, bastard, werey alainironu. Aponu buruku. Ko ni daa fun iwo ati awon irankiran e!! Moto laapa gbogbo yin leyo kan kan. Ara laa san pa gbogbo yin patapata.



If you believe so much in development, come to the prison gate that your boss built on the 18th, and see the development we will visit on your head. He-goat!

@djustice: so much bile and curses on a beautiful sunday morning?I bet u didn't go 2 church 2day coz if u did u r a huge minus to ur congregation. That ur ancestral home u are ranting about wasn't easily accesible till LCC fixed dis road so wat is sooo bad in payin 4 somethin good. Poverty of the mind, tufiakwa

@amaham how can Ʊ say that the place was not accessable before now clearly is either Ʊ are very ignorant of the area .here is a quote from the post hope Ʊ read and don't have difficulty in understanding it "This road that they want to toll has been existing for over twenty years and if LCC came to add an additional lane they cannot insist on tolling the already existing lanes" the lekki-epe express road was built by jakande and the LCC only added one lane and 2 roundabout and mount 3 toll gate to colectN 120 from each cars,N150 for jeep and N50 okada and 350 for trucks with only one alternative route in 1 toll gate.do Ʊ knw how many villages are in that area?

Thanks mr karlmax 4 respondin reasonably unlike de justice fellow that cursed like an old stricken wizard.I just pray dat lagosian will lend their govnor to my state just for a month let us see infrastructural development even if is the one we will pay a token 4. Pls help enlighten me mr karlmax apart 4rm adding an additional lane and roundabouts was their an upgradement of the existin old road?

It depens on what Ʊ mean buy upgrade is it planting of flowers and fencing off communities or the substandard patching of the existing road done by jakande 20yrs ago my brother please if Ʊ compare the quality of road done by LCC and compare it to the two lane that existed that was in very Good condition Ʊ would knw that the so called face left is a joke pls if Ʊ knw the area thake a drive from abraham adesanya estate to eleko and compare the quality of the road to the so called LCC road and Ʊ would Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ the difference

Nigerians are funny people! We keep asking for infrastructural development and yet we aren't will to pay for any of it!

We dont pay taxes.
We refuse to pay tolls.
We dont do community service.
We just know how to complain.

Why wouldn't Government officials keep eating money when we dont want to contribute to our own development!

Anybody that has seen the quality on that road should be willing to pay the tolls.

Haba!! To think that before the expansion of the road, Lagosians were spending a whole lot extra on fuel alone as a result of the constant gridlock that the road was known for.

Why didn't people complain when they were planning and constructing the road? Was it a secret that it was going to be a toll road? It's not like there's no alternate route so I don't see what you guys are complaining about.

The government has to be free to explore all possible ways of bringing rapid development to the state. You people should stop your whining.

^^I thought they provided two alternative routes and they are working on the 3rd one. Right?

Pukkah:

^^I thought they provided two alternative routes and they are working on the 3rd one. Right?

You thought?

Ok then. We'll enter your head and use the alternative routes you thought of in there. What kind of morons are posting in Nairaland these days sef?

Or, perhaps, you will show those two alternative routes in your head to the residents of Lekki on the 18th. mo-dah-phoka!!

Intrigues as tolling begins on Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe road

Barely four years of construction and one year running battle over some of the vital questions raised on alternative routes by residents over the planned toll collection at three different locations on the 49.5 kilometre Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway; concessionaire of the road, Messrs Lekki Concession Company (LCC) and the Lagos State Government seem to have found ways out of the trouble.

Although, the state authority did not cancel the road concession agreement as political opposition leaders in the state wished, rather, it is has provided alternative routes around the first toll plaza located at Lekki Phase 1 Roundabout while the route around the second toll plaza at Chevron head office is ongoing with a promise to complete the road before the commencement of toll collection at the plaza. Some of the issues raised then by residents have to do with alternative roads, the amount of toll which they said was high and three toll gates on the stretch of road, which burden they said was too much for them to bear.

The tour of the alternative routes was done by the Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, Director General, Private-Public Partnership office, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyin, Managing Director of LCC, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma and journalists. Briefing newsmen after the joint facility tour of the alternative routes at the weekend, the Managing Director of LCC, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma, announced sunday, December 18, 2011 as the official date for the commencement of toll collection at the first toll plaza tagged, Admiralty Circle Plaza located near Lekki Scheme 1 Estate.

He said the toll collection would commence at the first toll plaza pending the completion of alternative routes around the second plaza located after Chevron Roundabout. Oforiokuma announced toll tariff of N50.00 for motorcycles; N120.00 for saloon cars and tricycles; N150.00 for Sports Utility Vehicles, minibuses and pick-up trucks; N80.00 for commercial danfo minibuses; N250.00 for light trucks and 2-axles buses; and N350.00 for heavy trucks and buses with two or more heavy axles.

The managing director said the toll tariffs depend on vehicle classifications for easy identification, pointing out that Class M is for motorcycles; Class I is for saloon cars and tricycles; Class II is for sports utility vehicles (SUVs), minibuses, and pick-up trucks; Class IIA is for commercial danfo minibuses; Class III is for light trucks and 2-axle buses; and Class IV is for heavy trucks and buses with two or more heavy axles.

The announcement came barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government had announced publicly the suspension of ban on toll collection on the expressway. The 49.4 kilometre Eti-Osa-Lekki- Epe Road concession is designed to deliver essentially road infrastructure and services along the axis.

The ongoing rehabilitation and upgrade is being undertaken by LCC, pursuant to a 30-Year private-financed Public-Private Partnership initiative. It would be recalled that LCC has been contractually entitle to commence tolling on section 1 of the road since July 2010 but was put off by the Lagos State Government due to stiff opposition by residents and community leaders in Lekki axis. The LCC boss told journalists that work have progressed to kilometre 16, a location close to Victoria Garden City, adding that the remainder of the road works, which is delayed due to design changes made in public interest, is due for completion by end of 2012. For road users including motorists that may want to avoid the toll plazas, the duo of Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Director-General PPP office, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba and Ayo Gbeleyi respectively reiterated that alternative roads have been provided by the state government for them.

During the tour of the routes at Admiralty Circle Plaza, they explained that Oba Yesufu Abiodun Oniru Road has been designated as Alternative and that others such as Market Road, Ligali Ayorinde Road and Kuboye Road among others have been rehabilitated as alternatives routes for motorists and residents that may not wish to pay toll at the first plaza.

According to them, motorists who want to avoid the toll plaza could use Oba Yesufu Abiodun Oniru Road via Market Road to Kuboye Road and link the main expressway at Lekki Phase I and 11 Roundabouts. Also at Chevron Roundabout, they showed journalists the designated alternative route, which is under construction for motorists that want, to avoid the second toll plaza.

Besides, Gbeleyin, the PPP boss justified reasons for fencing the entire expressway by the concessionaire, saying it was fenced with clear view rail for the purpose of security and avoidance of traffic, adding that slip roads were built to create access to businesses and tenements on the corridor. Responding when contacted on phone by National Mirror at the weekend, the Convener of the Lekki Stakeholders and Host Communities, Mr. Adewale Sanni, expressed surprise over the decision of LCC and the state government to commence collection of toll on the expressway, saying, “Why the toll collection while the company has not agreed with residents on the toll amount?

He said some of the stakeholders were meeting to know the next point of action. “We are in a meeting and it will last till Sunday. We are surprise about this when there is no agreement between us yet. We have said that the toll fees were unreasonable and there is no consensus on that yet; the company has not met some conditionality raised. In fact, they are on their own, he said.

The greatest concern of residents of Lekki and Ajah according to one of the residents, who identified himself simply as Aderibigbe, is the amount of money they would spend daily in commuting to and from their residences once the tolling commences. He wants LCC to review the amount of toll downward for residents. Oforiokuma, the LCC boss revealed that different type of electronic devices such as Swiftpass and eTag have been put in place for easy payment of the toll, adding that users of these devices stand to benefit some discounts and that frequent users would benefit more. The discounts, he pointed out were designed to recognise road users chosen method of payment in either cash or electronic; the frequency with which they use the road, recognising commercial danfo buses as the most popular means of public transportation used along the Eti-Osa Lekki-Epe axis.

He urged road users to determine their vehicle class, method of payment, pointing out that standard toll tariffs differ by vehicle class. He also said that road users could register for toll device free and also top their account e-Tag and Swiftpass at selected banks including Fist Bank Plc, UBA, Zenith, Diamond Bank, Fidelity and Stanbic IBTC Bank; and that they can also contact LCC customer service centre. On why the concessionaire built 3 toll gates on a 49.5 kilometre road, Oforiokuma explained that location of three toll points on the road is not arbitrary, stating that the concept of the toll road which is open toll makes it mandatory due to the natural leakage in the road unlike closed toll which does not allow leakage.

On 30 years concession period, the LLC boss justified this pointing out that infrastructure projects all over the world are extremely capital intensive because of the cost of construction, cost of maintenance and other services that come with the road.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/business/real-estate/26401.html

Having provided evidence that indeed the government announced alternative routes, it becomes very clear that it is a waste of time to dignify depraved lunatics and scoundrels like DJUSTICE with a response to his unwarranted attacks.

It is not everyone that posts here or walks about full-clothed that is a fit and proper person. In fact, some of them (like djustice), rather than reprisal attacks, deserve pity, help, and rehabilitation.

Back to the other normal and sensible folks: what I expect the residents to engage the government on is whether the alternative route(s) is/are satisfactory or they should simply state what they expect the government to do.

djustice:

May the fingers you used to type that rubbish wither and fall off one by one, In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.

May your community, your entire heritage and your identity be wiped out in the name of "development" in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

May your entire existence become less than a footnote on a scrap of paper in the office of a messenger in some obscure "develpment" office in some corrupt politician's home in Jesus Mighty Name!

Oloshi, bastard, werey alainironu. Aponu buruku. Ko ni daa fun iwo ati awon irankiran e!! Moto laapa gbogbo yin leyo kan kan. Ara laa san pa gbogbo yin patapata.


If you believe so much in development, come to the prison gate that your boss built on the 18th, and see the development we will visit on your head. He-goat!

HABA!! All these curses? . KILODE

^^Leave him, those whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. He deserves your pity and help in his demented state.

Pukkah:

Having provided evidence that indeed the government announced alternative routes, it becomes very clear that it is a waste of time to dignify depraved lunatics and scoundrels like DJUSTICE with a response to his unwarranted attacks.

It is not everyone that posts here or walks about full-clothed that is a fit and proper person. In fact, some of them (like djustice), rather than reprisal attacks, deserve pity, help, and rehabilitation.

Back to the other normal and sensible folks: what I expect the residents to engage the government on is whether the alternative route(s) is/are satisfactory or they should simply state what they expect the government to do.

I think a screw is definitely loose in your thick skull. Buffoons like you are the reason Lagos is in the mess that it's in, yet you don't relent with your stupid propaganda. A paid newspaper article about an appointee of the main beneficiary of the "concession" is your evidence? Are you too stupid to go and take pictures of your phantom alternative routes and post them up in here?

We who live in that axis are telling you that there are no alternatives, and you're sitting in some cold bedsit in Europe, typing rubbish with your frozen fingers here about engaging government. What the hell do you think people like Adewale Sanni,  Abioye Akerele, Yahaya Dosunmu and others have been doing for the last four years or so?

My friend, just carry that frozen scoundrel brain of yours back to your paymasters, and tell them for us, that on the 18th, we'll know what's what.

^^^May the good Lord provide you with succour and peace of mind and save you from self-destruct.

Can I hear Amen from somebody?

You'd better pray for yourself. I have a relationship with God already. You clearly don't, even though you pretend to. God is not mocked though. He will reward you according to your evil deeds - and your propaganda on here is one of them - unless you repent and ask for forgiveness.

I pray YOU reverse yourself from the self-destructive path of mouthpiece-of-the-oppressors you have chosen for yourself. It is the road to perdition, and you are far gone on it. Please, please say Amen, for the sake of your own eternity.

Pukkah:

^^^May the good Lord provide you with succour and peace of mind and save you from self-destruct.

Can I hear Amen from somebody?

Amen,

I knew the sh1t-eating brigade would be all over this like a bucket of shit. I just didn't know who would start first. Well done, Iragbiji-ile, for winning yourself another massive morsel of Tinubu/Fashola faeces.

I just wonder why anyone in their right mind would continue to slog away at a job that clearly puts you and your generations yet unborn in the line of fire from all the curses that you recieve daily. No amount of spiritual fortification can save you if you keep engaging in this sort of iniquity. For your own sake, and for the sake of your offspring, spiritually speaking, you'd better stop this work. You can still save yourself a lifetime of teeth-gnashing.

But seriously though, how do you actually live with yourself, defending the indefensible, day in, day out. No matter how thick skinned you are, you must surely suffer some kind of moral crisis, from time to time, doing this putrid job of defending the people's oppressors this vigorously and maniacally. I fully expect you not to, anyway. You'll probably come back with another cleverly thought up "put-down", in your characteristic fashion. Na wa for you o!

^^^^ Take your MEDS homeboy,

Abeg don't stop, I'm really enjoying your comedy show.

lmao

You're the house-boy who's been prescribed cocaine-laden faeces, three times a day, which you dutifully ingest daily. Have you taken tonight's dose, from your god, Tinubu's rectum yet?

You'd better hurry along before seanet02, pukkah, gbawe and the rest of your sh1t-sucking gang finish your portion along with their own!!

Joke's on you, houseboy. Keep laughing. Ode.

Heh. As much as one day I'd like to serve my people, they seem to be a very ornery lot, difficult to govern.

I salute Fashola for dragging his people to the 21st century, even over the protests of many who would prefer to remain in the stone age.

Forward ever, backwards never.

We are too fond of free-loading, which at the basic level is the source of all the corruption.

They want the road, but they don't care how it is paid for - typical.

Still, this suggests a change in how this kind of concessions are implemented - direct stakeholders must be brought in right at the begining to avoid this tendency to "wriggle" out of responsibilities.

ekt_bear:

Heh. As much as one day I'd like to serve my people, they seem to be a very ornery lot, difficult to govern.

I salute Fashola for dragging his people to the 21st century, even over the protests of many who would prefer to remain in the stone age.

Forward ever, backwards never.

djustice:

You're the house-boy who's been prescribed cocaine-laden faeces, three times a day, which you dutifully ingest daily. Have you taken tonight's dose, from your god, Tinubu's rectum yet?

You'd better hurry along before seanet02, pukkah, gbawe and the rest of your sh1t-sucking gang finish your portion along with their own!!

Joke's on you, houseboy. Keep laughing. Ode.

Oloshi. You no see the pattern?

Fashola build road, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola build school, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola build bridge, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola build hospital, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola build power plant, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola commission mall, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola hand over housing project, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish

Fashola build metro rail, you run here to cry and yell your re-tarded rubbish


You are irrelevant, this is all you know and this is your only portion in life.

For every forward step Lagos takes into the future, you descend faster into your stone age while crying and yelling.

Obviously, your rubbish is not preventing Fashola from doing his job or handing over and commissioning projects. Your idiocy and meaningless rubbish is limited to the narrow pages of NL.

Sucks to be you homeboy,

Oloshi adani du ro de onigbese,

Nigerians have become used to socialism because military governments of the 1960s and 70s, concerned about retaining power, presented an image of a big father that was ready to provide everything Nigerians wanted, for free. The military governments sucked oil out of the Niger Delta and used the money to take over privately owned schools, over employ people into the civil service and provide free infrastructure. The result1)Niger-Delta crisis (2) Nigerians who don't believe in paying taxes (3) Nigerians who believe father government must control everything and provide everything for free or at unsustainable prices.

This has absolutely nothing to do with being used to Socialism, or free-loading. Our society has never really practiced socialism. We need to get our heads out of our arses sometime to visit reality so we do not go off lecturing on that which is disconnected from reality.

There has never really been a tax-free period in Lagos History. We lived for well over 2 decades in Ikorodu . . . lived through most of the Millitary era and still paid taxes on income and our store, even with the bad roads, no water, no steady electricity, no good schools. Majority of these people are tax payers simply demanding that their money be used to provide them the services they pay for, and not at an additional premium.

Before Fashola came, how many people (apart from civil servants) paid taxes?

^^^ So the Civil Servants that you at least believe paid their taxes, they didn't deserve good amenities, even for the fact that they paid taxes?? I really don't understand the logic behind that question of yours.