Press Releases

Fashola Inaugurates Committee On Lekki-Epe Expansion Project
…Says right to protest comes with duty of not infringing on others' rights

Aug 23, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday inaugurated a Committee on the Lekki - Epe Expressway Expansion Project with a caution that whilst government recognizes the rights of citizens to protest, citizens must also recognize that such rights come duties.

Governor Fashola who spoke at the Conference Room of the Lagos House, Ikeja said: "The right to protest is not a right that is at large. You cannot in the process of a protest shut down a major thoroughfare. Your right to protest ends where the rights of citizens to go about their lawful businesses also starts".

Governor Fashola warned against acts that could jeopardize on going dialogue: "I like to make it very clear that while we are in this discussion, I hope the kind of incident that we saw last week where a major road which enabled people to get back and forth, to carry out their legitimate business and go to work was blocked in the name of a protest would not repeat itself".

The Governor emphasized that the State would not abdicate its responsibility to people who are law abiding and tax paying citizens even as it would also protect the rights of citizens who want to protest because it is their right under the constitution to do so.

Governor Fashola thanked the protesters for acceding to his appeal on the day of protest to leave the road in the interest of the citizens who were turning out to be the victims of the protest they were embarking upon, saying, "I don't think that was what we sought to achieve- which was to punish citizens in the pursuit of a protest".

The Governor explained that he expects the new committee which is a follow up to the last stakeholders meeting he had with representatives of the interest groups to use its deliberations to get the interest of the community, the Concessionaire and the Government into a workable goal for people to see where complaints can be responded to in a more efficient manner that allow people to express details of their concerns and also to get more information.

Governor Fashola also noted that some of the disclosed basis for disputes are not factual and may not have arisen if more facts were made available to those who are agitating, adding that this it is not an unusual development for community issues to arise where a toll road is being introduced. "From Egypt to America to South Africa and North Africa, introduction of toll road has always faced issues, so Nigeria would not be an exception".

The Lagos State helmsman also said: "Maybe being our own first toll road of this magnitude, we are experiencing our own learning curve. In all those instances, the projects have survived. I hope the Nigerian experience would not be an exception".

The Governor said the Committee would be expected to find amicable resolution to all of the issues that agitate the communities and to submit a report by the end of September.

The members of the Committee are the Director General of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) office, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, Permanent Secretary, Office of Works, Engineer Bamgbose Martins, Director of Commercial Law in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Abimbola Odunlami, Engineer Murphy Adetoro, Alhaji (Chief) Abideen Lawal, Mr Adewale Sanni, Chief Olukayode Akibola, Chief Moruf Sanni Elegushi, Alhaji (Chief) Yekinni Bakare, Chief Ibrahim Ajomagberin, Honourable Yahya Dosunmu, Alhaji Nosiru Laguda.

Other members of the committee are the Chairmen of Eti- Osa West Local Government, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, Eti- Osa East, Alhaji Isa Owolabi, Chairman of Iru/Victoria Island Local Government area, Alhaji Abayomi Daramola and the Managing Director of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma.

In his acceptance remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi said the Committee members are committed to doing a very thorough job by ensuring that all the issues involved are adequately addressed.

While making his introductory remark earlier, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele said the new committee will strive to maintain a balance between the Private Public Partnership that gave birth to the project, the various communities involved and the public interest.