The Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association have kicked against the resumption of tolling at the Lekki tollgate as planned by the Lekki Concession Company Limited.
This was disclosed by a comedian and an #EndSARS activist, Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Marcaroni via his Twitter handle on Wednesday.
According to him, efforts made by the representatives of the Lagos State Government and LCC were abortive as the residents and stakeholders have said ‘No’ to the move.
Why residents say ‘No to Toll’
Mr Marcaroni said, “We are live at the LCC and StakeHolders Meeting. The Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association Chairman has announced the decision of all Residents which is NO TO TOLLING!!!!!
“All of us present here have spoken! And not one resident is in support of tolling. The timing is wrong, The people are going through a lot of hardship at the moment! We hope the Lagos state government will do the right thing here and suspend the resumption of Tolling. Nooooo!”
Folarin Falana, a lawyer-turned music artist, better known as FalZ, also took to his Twitter condemning LCC’s movie for resumption.
He tweeted, “Back to back bombings on the Kaduna-Abuja rail. Numerous Nigerian lives needlessly wasted and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING has been uttered about it.
“Soldiers committed gruesome murders on innocent Nigerians on the night of October 20, 2020. The reports of the Judicial Panel set up by govt indicted the LCC. Despite being complicit in these gory crimes, LCC is brave enough to announce toll collection. What kind of madness?”
Another resident, who is simply known as @Tjnstyn on Twitter also said, “Wonderful news. Apart from the massacre which happened at the Lekki toll gate which should have closed down the toll gate for good, the excruciating side effects of the traffic the toll gate generate is enough for it to have been shut down a long time ago in a sane nation.”
Another resident, @Explicitsod said, “The intended resumption at the Lekki-Ikoyi toll gate was opposed, because of the October 2020 massacre, the violence at the toll gate, which was not carried out by the LCC staff, it was coincidental that it occurred at the scene. #ReopenLekkiTollgate joor.”
What you should know
- The Lagos State Government had urged the people of the State, especially the residents of Lekki and Ikoyi, to show understanding over the proposed reopening of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza by the Lekki Concession Company Limited.
- The appeal was made by Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, and his counterparts in Transport, as well as Home Affairs, Dr. Fredericks Oladehinde, and Prince Anofi Elegushi respectively, during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday at the Lekki Coliseum in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
- He said, “We are here to seek your understanding as a government about the matter at hand. We are also citizens of Nigeria. We are all Lagosians. I have listened to all of you talking about our rights, privileges, and how government should be responsible for everything. I also feel that as citizens, we should have some responsibilities.
- “Lagos is a city of about 25 million people and out of the 25 million people, there are about six million taxpayers, and among six million taxpayers, only 4.2 million are active taxpayers. So, let us reflect on all these things. I know how people feel and I understand what has been said but I believe that the matter at hand is about seeking your understanding. It is a matter of showing some compassion for people who have one thing or another to do with this company.”
It is absolutely unacceptable for Lagos state Govt to create artificial boundry within Lagos city, this is one of the reasons why things are so expensive in Lekki axis. Lekki road is just 19km from 1st toll gate to Abraham Adesanya. LASG government has collected enough money already, excuses for people working in LCC is not tenable, they should find other things for them to do. Are they telling us that people living in Lekki must pay through their nose for LASG to survive? Toll gate inside Lagos has outlived it’s usefulness. LASG must look somewhere else to get money. Lekki resident are not slave.
The toll is here to stay. Federal Government is operating its toll unmolested Between The Airport and the mafoluku community. Why must Lagos govt own be different. The Toll is not for the residents of the area but for the entire state and govt has legitimate right to situate it there.
@michael, the toll is a USAGE “tax”. If don’t want to pay it, don’t USE the road (there are alternatives – even water transportation).
As for those crying “hard times”, how many of them (including Mr.Macaroni and Falz) has stopped charging for their own services. LCC has already forgone tolling for 18 months (since October 2020).
People wonder why it is difficult to attract or raise investment capital in Nigeria, when the sanctity of agreements on which the bankability of projects are based upon are arbitrarily disrespected and jettisoned (see MMA 2, as well). SMH