Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has responded to traders with stores located around Apongbon bridge that there is no going back on the eviction order issued to them by the government.
Sanwo-Olu was responding to the traders who appealed to the state government to rescind its decision to evacuate them from under the bridge.
He explained that the seven-day eviction notice given to the traders will elapse on Wednesday and no one is expected to remain under the bridge by then.
“We have issued a seven-day notice to all illegal occupants under the bridge. The destruction of the bridge by the fire is very extreme and unfortunate. This is a clear testimony of how public assets should not be used.
“I want to reiterate that the notice is still on. So, Wednesday is the deadline for anybody that has anything around the bridge. We are going to now start extensive clearing of the place. It is after this that structural engineers will commence work.
“It is unfortunate. The traders refused to take care of public assets. Everything happening under the bridge is totally unacceptable. Between the last two years and now, we have had eight fire incidents around our various bridges,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He urged traders and citizens to ensure their daily activities do not cause damage to government facilities. He added that traders also need to make use of proper markets to sell.
The governor also assured them that plans will be put in place to rehabilitate the traders.
“I will work with the special adviser CBD and local government chairmen and see how we can bring forward representatives from the market and see how we can relocate them.
“We will do everything to ensure that normalcy is restored as soon as possible,” the governor said.
Recall that the traders who were affected by last week’s fire outbreak pleaded with the state government that they have nowhere else to go and pleaded that the state government allows them to continue their businesses at the same location.
They displayed various placards lamenting that they are helpless and depend on their stores located around the bridge for means of livelihood.
“We are over 20,000 businessmen and women, please don’t displace us,” one of the placards by the traders read.
Recall also that Governor Sanwo-Olu during an on-the-spot assessment of the bridge said the traders need to vacate the location so that extensive clearing can be done and the bridge needs to be repaired.
The governor’s visit to the bridge comes a few days after the popular Apongbon market was gutted by fire. Although no life was lost in the fire outbreak, motorists heading toward Lagos Island were held up in grueling gridlock and the bridge was destroyed in the fire.
Governor Sanwo-Olu visited the scene alongside his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat and other dignitaries in the state.
