…as Governor Abiodun demands special attention for Ogun roads
SEGUN AYINDE, ABEOKUTA
Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has ordered trailers and trucks owners to evacuate their vehicles parked on highways across the country, stressing that the diesel pouring from their engines could put the roads in deplorable conditions.
Fashola, who gave the order at the weekend, in company with Ogun State, Governor, Dapo Abiodun, during a Town Hall Meeting with leaders and other stakeholders at Ogere/Ode Remo Toll Gate of the Lagos-Ibadan Express road, urged the truck owners to establish their own parks to avoid damaging the roads with diesel.
The minister said that the Federal Government was aware of the contributions of the heavy duty trucks to economy of the country, but the government would not fold its arms and watch them destroy the roads being used by millions of Nigerians through their activities.
He said that the FG was willing to work with Reynolds Construction Company to remediate parks for the truck owners, saying that parking on the highway is a violation of the Federal Highway Act.
He urged the Federal Road Safety Commission to begin enforcement against heavy duty trucks parked along high ways.
Fashola said, “Pouring diesel on the road, changing oil (engine oil) on the road is abuse of the road…You have already started pouring diesel on it, that is the beginning of the destruction of the road and my appeal to you today is to immediately leave the road from today, immediately.”
“The point is that trucking and trailer operation is a business. If you want to run fleet, then you must plan parking, if government helps you, government does so out of compassion but you cannot run your business at the expense of the convenience and the livelihood of millions of people.”
“We understand that you have a contribution you make to the economy and the Contractors (Reynolds Construction Company) are willing to assist you to remediate the park (trailer park) so that you can use it, and parking on the highway is a violation of Federal Highway Act.
“But let me tell FRSC that Governor Abiodun has said he would inaugurate you (FRSC), whatever he means. You don’t need inauguration, but if you need it, go and take it quickly and do your job. You serve in the Presidency and your mandate is to enforce traffic compliance on this and other federal highways.”
On his own part, Governor Abiodun called on the Federal Government to accord special status on the construction of roads to the state due to its geographical peculiarities.
He said that it had become imperative for the FG to consider the construction of roads from Lagos State to the state to enhance the economy of the country in the movement of goods and services across the state to other part of the country and through the land border which it shared with Benin Republic
The governor said, “Ogun State deserves a special status in terms of consideration for road constructions. I believe this is doable. It is not just for Ogun State, it is for the common good of all Nigerians and continued development of our great country.
“Every economic activity in mobility, to and from Lagos, must pass through Ogun State. We have one of the busiest land border to the expansive West African market; that is where we derived our appellation as the Gateway State.”