For People who had turned the slip lanes of the recently built General Gas-Akobo Bridge into business establishments have been given a 24-hour deadline to leave the locations or face the wrath of the law by the Oyo State Government.
The ultimatum was issued by Professor Dahud Kehinde Sangodoyin, the Commissioner, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, on Wednesday evening while responding to inquiries from the media shortly after an inspection of the area.
He said the notice expires on Thursday.
The Commissioner stated that the bridge was a crucial link between three Local Government Areas, including Ibadan North, Lagelu, and Akinyele Local Government, and that the State Government wanted to increase the ease of travel, burden of doing business, and enhance security along the axis.
The Commissioner also stated that the road would open up opportunities for the State’s economy to grow.
“The inspection conducted today was to be able to see that the slip road around the bridge is not changed into illegitimate business centers, to defend the aesthetics of the bridge, and to curb what can be turned into insecurity in that axis,” said Professor Sangodoyin.
“We discovered that the local hawkers and mechanics are now operating close to where we have stone throwing by the opposite side on the way from Akobo to the express. We have previously warned them, but some of them have ignored our warnings. As a result, we had to physically go there and give them 24 hours to stop what they are doing there because it is not permitted.
“It is just intended to be aesthetically pleasing for the road, to protect the road itself, and to provide guidance against insecurity along the axis; it is not intended for open commerce or neighborhood markets. As a result, we have read them a “Riot Act” stating that they must comply by tomorrow evening (Thursday).
“Then we are going to construct wire mesh which will allow everyone to see through, we can then plant flowers there so that people that come to Ibadan will know that we are sensitive to the environment, I have also called the head of the Park Management System (PMS) of the area to regulate the activities of the motorists along that axis,” Sangodoyin hinted
