Lagosians groan in traffic as IG visits

For over four hours on Friday, there was traffic gridlock from the Ojota end of Ikorodu Road, Lagos to the Berger end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, as scores of policemen cordoned off the route when the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, came to the Centre for Management Development, Lagos State.

Abubakar was in Lagos for the graduation ceremony of 13 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police on leadership and strategic management course at the centre located on Shangisha Road.

Our correspondent, who visited the affected areas, observed that policemen used patrol vehicles and armoured personnel carriers to block most of the major roads without providing alternative routes for motorists and other road users.

The traffic intensified as vehicles attempted to manoeuvre through narrow backstreets in Ketu.

The biggest victims of the visit, however, were motorists coming from Ogun State, who were blocked by patrol vehicles around the Otedola Bridge.

One of the trapped motorists, Baale of Ekotedo, Ibaban, Dr. Taye Ayorinde, said he was in the traffic for over 40 minutes, adding that the police should have explored a better alternative.

“The policemen who blocked the entire expressway were polite to us and explained why they did so but they should have at least left one lane open so that motorists wouldn’t be at one spot for so long. I was in the traffic for over 40 minutes,” he said.

A banker, who craved anonymity, said they were not aware of the IG’s visit, adding that the blockade caused problems for customers.

He said, “Friday is always a busy day because it precedes the weekend and you know there are five banks on this road. If the IG had announced that he was coming, we could have directed our customers to other branches instead of making them face such discomfort. It’s wrong.”

Culled from Punch