The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sympathized with Nigerians living in Lagos following the ban on the use of commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke Marwa) in the state. The party, however, noted that the ordeal should be blamed on President Muhammadu Buhari who, in 1985, terminated the initial Lagos Metro Rail Line project started by the government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande to facilitate mass transportation within Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, and surrounding cities.
The PDP, in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, argued that if Buhari did not terminate “that laudable project” by the Lagos state government, Lagosians would not be suffering the transportation infrastructure deficit they are faced with today.
The PDP called on the federal government to apologise to Lagos state for terminating the metro rail line and take urgent steps to address the transport situation in the state. The party also asked the Lagos state government to adopt alternatives to ease the suffering of the people as their welfare ought to be its primary focus of governance.
“By now, Lagos state would have been boasting of state-of- the-art transportation infrastructure and facilities with associated economic boom like her peers in other parts of the world. “It is saddening to note that not only did the termination of the initial metro line slowed down and almost crippled development in Lagos, President Buhari’s current administration has also continued to fail to take conclusive step to address the transportation challenges in Lagos, despite outcries by Nigerians. “Furthermore, leaders of Lagos state have consistently demanded a special status recognition for the state, expectedly, to ease infrastructural quagmire of the state.
“They would have expected that with the level of support Lagosian reportedly gave to President Buhari in 2015 and 2019, Mr. President would have addressed the needs of the state as a commercial nerve center of our nation. “Such attitude toward the development of a city such as Lagos shows that the APC has no interest in the growth of our nation and the welfare of our citizens,” the party said.
