A pro-democracy and human right activist, Prince Dare Aladekoba, has thrown his weight behind the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, over the quit notice ultimatum given to the mehanics and artisans plying their trades under the Kara-Bridge, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Aladekoba, who is the Convener of the Royal Peoples Platform, RPP, in a chat with our reporter at Ibafo, Ogun State, Nigeria, said that the minister’s quit notice is imperative, given the damage their operations are capable of causing the bridge and thereby jeopardise all the efforts of the Federal Government towards achieving all the motives behind the construction of the bridge in the first place and the reasons for its renovation.
Aladekoba maintained that nobody needs to be an engineer or expert in road construction and maintenance to know that burning, cooking and pounding on or under a bridge can weaken it and thereby constitute a great danger to the citizenry, insisting that the quit notice is long overdue for those who, from the onset, know that their activities in that axis are illegal, unreasonable and illicit!
Expressing displeasure that those involved had once been given a quit order which they defied, the visibly worried activist reminded that such a notice of seven days is a subtle order, stating that the minister deserves commendation for being so magnanimous by giving three months of grace to the adamant artisans, who he expects would not stretch their luck too far this time to avoid embarrassment.
Aladrkoba further averred that apart from the damage the activities of the artisnas are already causing the project, a number of criminal activities have been reported around axis, warning that if drastic and pro-active measure like this is not taken, the ugly incidents of robbery, kidnapping, banditry, rape and drug peddling could re-rear their ugly heads, as the place appears suitable for hideout for hoodlums and social miscreants.
Wondering where in the whole world mechanics and artisans shun workshops and yards and choose under bridges and other developmental projects sites as work places, Aladekoba asserted that converting public places and infrastructure to work place is not and cannot be the best practice anywhere in the world and Nigeria is not an exception.
The activist also praised Fashola for agreeing to interface in the matter of finding a suitable alternative for them when necessary steps towards that are taken and made available to him, concluding that nothing can be more statemanly than what the minister has volunteered to do.
