Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has tendered an apology to Lagosians over the heavy traffic congestion experienced across the city, particularly on the Island, in the past 24 hours.
The governor took full responsibility for the situation while speaking to journalist on Thursday, attributing it to ongoing repairs on the Independence Bridge.
“I think what is appropriate is really to first send an apology to all our citizens, to all Lagosians, for the very, very difficult, horrendous traffic that we experienced in the last 24 hours in the city and within the island of Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor explained that the maintenance work was necessary to prevent a looming disaster, as the Independence Bridg, one of the oldest in Nigeria, has suffered structural damage over the years.
“The real job is that there’s like a 15 to 20 meters span on the bridge which is sitting on nothing. Over the years, erosion has gone underneath, and it’s sitting on nothing. That is indeed an engineering disaster that is just waiting to happen,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu reassured residents that measures were being taken to ease the traffic situation, including deploying additional Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officers to critical points.
“You are going to see a lot of LASTMA officers on the road. We are calling them from other parts of the city so that they can make their presence felt here,” he added.
He also appealed to motorists to exercise patience and obey traffic regulations, warning against reckless driving and one-way violations.
“This is not the time for you to start driving recklessly or against traffic. These are some of the little things that patience could help us solve,” he stated.
While acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the repairs, the governor emphasized the long-term benefits, urging residents to plan their movements accordingly as the government works towards improving infrastructure and ensuring safer roads.
