Gboyega Akinsanmi
The Lagos State Government has restricted vehicular movement on 18 major roads across the state due to President Muhammadu Buhari’s mega-rally rescheduled to hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere next Saturday.
The state government reeled out the affected routes to include Teslim Balogun and National Stadia in and out; Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere; Lawanson/Itire Road/Tejuosho Road; Apapa Road, Costain, Abebe Village/Eric Moore Road; Eko Bridge/Apongbon, Marina Road, Ikorodu Road; Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Old Toll Gate/Third Mainland Bridge/Obalende, International Airport Road, Oshodi-Oworonshoki expressway; Agege Motor Road, Jibowu, Yaba-Muritala Mohammed Way Iddo/Otto, Herbert Macaulay Way – Adekunle and Ijora Olopa/Ijora.
Former Minister of State for Defence and Chairman, Transport Committee on Buhari’s campaign visit to Lagos State, Demola Seriki, listed the affected roads at a news conference he addressed Wednesday at the State House, Alausa.
He said 18 major routes would be affected and that traffic would be diverted in some routes so that motorists and commuters would not be left stranded during the event.
Seriki said the committee had therefore issued traffic advisory to Lagosians to make their journey smooth, but warned motorists to stay away from Surulere, venue of the mega rally as many routes would be closed.
According to Seriki, Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane, inwards Stadium would be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the stadium bridge on the main carriage way, while Shitta and stadium inwards would be closed to traffic as vehicles would be diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension and traffic from Barracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue would be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka.
On the traffic advisory, Seriki said from Eko Bridge to Surulere, motorists should pass through Costain to Abebe (Nigeria Breweries) to Eric Moore to Bode Thomas to their destinations (for instance, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Shitta Round About or Census to Adelabu to Masha/Ogunlana Drive) or Costain to Iponri Estate to Bode Thomas to Adeniran Ogunsanya and continue with their journey or Eko Bridge to Alaka to stadium bridge to Ojuelegba through Barracks on Funsho Williams Avenue to Lawanson Itire road and connect their destinations through Ishaga, Randle Avenue, Ekololu, Falolu and Ogunlana Drive to Akerele Extension.
Also motorists from Ikorodu road to Surulere, according to Seriki, are to pass through Fadeyi Dorman-Long Bridge to Ojuelegba to Lawanson Itire road to Ishaga, Randle Avenue, Ekololu, Falolu or Ogunlana Drive to Akerele Extension; connect Alaka through stadium bridge to Alaka to Bode Thomas or connect Costain to Abebe Village (Nigerian Breweries) to Eric Moore to Bode Thomas to other destinations (for instance, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Shitta Round About or Census to Adelabu to Masha/Ogunlana Drive).
From Surulere to Lagos Island, the chairman said motorists were advised to follow Adeniran Ogunsanya, Shitta Roundabout or Census to Adelabu to Masha/Ogunlana Drive) to Bode Thomas to Eric Moore to Abebe (Nigeria Breweries) to Costain; Adeniran Ogunsanya to Bode Thomas to Iponri Estate to Costain or pass through Ishaga, Randle Avenue, Ekololu, Falolu or Ogunlana Drive to Lawanson Itire road to Ojuelegba to Barracks on Funsho Williams Avenue to stadium bridge to Eko Bridge.
“We plead for understanding of the situation by members of the public, and we urge to come to the venue to receive President Muhammadu Buhari to our dear state,” he said.
Seriki said over 100,000 APC faithful will gather at the Teslim Balogun Stadium to receive Buhari, saying Lagos is ready to deliver two million votes for the president’s re-election.
