By Gboyega Akinsanmi
The Lagos State Government yesterday disclosed that it had started engaging the Defence Headquarters on the need to relocate Giwa Barracks Market along Kingsway Road, noting that the market was a distortion to the state’s master plan.
The state government therefore, asked all stall owners of the Giwa Barracks DHQ Mammy Market, Kingsway Road, Ikoyi to relocate the parking lot to inside the barracks or risk their vehicles being impounded.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, disclosed this after he paid an unscheduled visit to the area as part of preparations for the clean-up of the inner streets of Ikoyi, Lekki and Victoria Island.
After inspecting the areas, Bello said the activities of the motorists patronise that the market and park their cars indiscriminately across the road and the setback was causing a hindrance to free flow of traffic in the area.
He said severally and at peak hours, the lanes for traffic on Kingsway Road which is a very vital link road has been reduced to single lane due to indiscriminate disregard for traffic rules by motorists.
He said part of the options open to the state government includes walling off the whole stretch of the setback and drainage alignment which has been converted to parking lots despite repeated warnings.
He said the government had consulted military authorities on how to convince all stall owners to relocate the outlets of the markets, saying the state government would not tolerate distortions to its city master plan.
Bello explained that the clean-up committee was prepared to implement Ambode’s directive on the need to restore sanity to inner streets of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki from next weekend.
Bello listed some of the streets that would be touched by the total Clean up in inner Ikoyi to include Cooper Road, Cameron Road, Ademola Street and Akanbi Danmola Street, among others.
He said inner streets “to be affected are Tiamiyu Savage Street, Akanbi Kenku Street, Kofo Abayomi Street, Oko Awo Street, Olosa Street, Akinbo Savage Street and Ologun Agbeje Street and several others.”
He said the mop-up of areas that had already been cleaned “is already in progress. There is need for all residents to assist in sustaining the gains of the exercise while the state government continues with advocacy. In order to make the clean-up exercise hitch free one, mobile courts would also be sitting to try all offenders on all days of the exercise
“We will bring the full effect of the law to bear on whoever contravenes the provisions of the state environmental sanitation laws. For all roadside automobile engineers who have been dislodged from the major streets, but have relocated to the inner streets and converted all the walkways, playgrounds, you have still not reached your operating destination.
“The clean-up committee will come after you when the second phase commences. The earlier you realise that there is no place for roadside mechanics, street traders, illegal shanties or abandoned properties in those areas, the better for you,” the chairman explained.
He said the Ambode administration was determined “to restore the original master plan of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki by checking the activities of street traders, owners of shanties and roadside automobile repairers who have converted many dual carriage lanes to single lanes and walkways with indiscriminate parking and other forms of illegalities in the areas.
“Let me also use this medium to again sensitise members of the public and residents of the affected inner streets areas who are involved in these illegalities to immediately take immediate action and do the needful as the state government will not hesitate to do the needful in this wise.”