Press Releases

LASG to Address Complaints of Mechanics At Sabo-Yaba Mechanic Village

Feb 25, 2008 - Lagos State Government on Monday promised protesting mechanics from the Sabo-Yaba mechanic workshop that the State Government would look into their complaints of displacement by the State Task Force on Miscellaneous and Special Offences.

Addressing the protesting mechanics and automobile engineers at the Governor's Office gate Alausa, State Commissioner for Transportation, Professor Bamidele Badejo said the mechanics should select four representatives who would meet with a State Government team to be led by the Special Adviser on Transportation, Hon Kayode Opeifa on Tuesday.

While commending the protesters for the peaceful conduct, he also mandated the mechanics to come forward to the Tuesday meeting with copies of all past correspondences they have had with different ministries on the relocation.

The Commissioner promised that an amicable solution would be arrived at that would be mutually beneficial to both parties.

Earlier the spokesman of the mechanic, Mr. Onakale Jubril had informed that the mechanic had decided to seek the intervention of the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola following the demolition of the Sabo Yaba mechanic village by men of the State Task force.

He added that the mechanics have been operating from the workshop since September 1979 when the area was allocated to them and that they have been operating on the site as tenants of the Ministry of Transportation since then.

He appealed to the State Governor to come to their aid as over 35 vehicles belonging to different customers were towed by the Task force team to its Strabag yard at Alausa after the demolition.

Mr. Jubril also alleged that since the demolition took place, street urchins have taken over the premises and are preventing the mechanics from salvaging what was left of their properties.

A representative of the mechanics also expressed gratitude to Governor Fashola for giving a listening ear to their request, on a day the State Executive Council was meeting by sending two Exco members to meet them.