As the Lagos State Environmental Enforcement Task Force on Sunday March 1, 2020 unlawfully demolish the ECOMOG Park, Amuwo Odofin Branch Mile 2, Lagos. This has been causing many commuters discomfort and traffic on daily basis as most of the inter-state travel buses, yellow danfos, Coaster buses now turned to the main roads loading their passengers.
While the state government is not aware of the implications of it’s agency’s unprofessional conduct of the notice served for seven (7) days, and the demolition of the park before the due date without considering the official letter from the Chairman National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) Alhaji Musliu Akinsanya (M.C Olumo). Sadly, the reason they embarked on such action has not been given up till this moment.
Also the government failed to realize that ECOMOG Park position is in a strategic location and adjacent the First Terminal Ultra modern railway station with ten (10) lanes. This is without consideration of commuters to have access to the park for ease of connectivity to their various destinations both local and international.
For instance, for those who may not know ECOMOG park, it is one of the busiest urban and well organised park in Lagos state, that connect namely; Oshodi, Apapa, Orile, Ikeja and Lagos Island, and also to various inter states and international park that connect passengers to west African countries like; Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo. By road you will have an estimation of over 2000 commuters per day as this cripples down the activities of corporate private entities A &A Motors, Lamb Lane, ABC Motors, Motors, Libera Motors, Iyare Motors, G & I. C Motors, and many more who operates inter state travels in all the 36 states of the federation and beyond west coast.
On this note, we implore the Lagos state Government to please hearken to the voice of reason and reverse its decision on the demolition of the ECOMOG park.
This will lead to the idea of crave establish a standard park well designed to meet the needs of the commuters for National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Amuwo Odofin Baranch C ECOMOG park. This will aid them to operate and continue their legitimate business and activities.
The preliminary finding reveals that some unscrupulous elements, passing malicious and wrong information that ECOMOG park harbor hoodlums and criminals is untrue and unfounded allegation, because inside the park there are five governmental agencies that functionally occupy and operate within the park; and they are LASMA, VIO, LASG, NIBA, and the Nigerian police force. Since existence of the park, no forms of criminal activities recorded or abhorring of hoodlums as alledged .
Information gathered is that the state government has not instructed the agency to demolish ECOMOG park, but some dishonest elements misinformed the government officials.
Commuters join other well meaning Lagosians to urge the purposeful government of Lagos state to kindly look into this, by allowing the ECOMOG park have ease of operating their business activities. Hence the REOPENING OF THE PARK to eliminate the burden of commuters being stranded on the roads as well as vehicular operators and obstruction of traffic on the highway.
God bless Lagos state
God bless Nigeria
By Fashina Shakiru