9th November, 2010
Motorists who drive through Obalende roundabout on a daily basis have called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo, to deploy more traffic policemen to Onikan Police Division, Ikoyi, Lagos, southwest, Nigeria, to assist the few ones still working, to ease the daily traffic gridlock in the place.
Everyday between 4-5 p.m. traffic builds up in the area as a result of an illegal motor park at the roundabout which sometimes delays motorists for up to 30 minutes.
Some of the motorists who spoke with P.M.NEWS attributed the decadence at Obalende to a dearth of traffic personnel at Onikan Police Division to man the roundabout for effective traffic management.
The uncompromising Divisional Police Officer of Onikan Police Division had kicked against the illegal arrest of commuter buses or other vehicles, and this has led to the mass exodus of traffic wardens from the Onikan division to other ‘lucrative’ divisions.
They therefore urged Akpoyibo to deploy more personnel to the division, as the only female inspector and a few others are trying their best, but cannot handle the situation alone, especially towards evening.
“Obalende is a transit point for all vehicles, especially commuter buses from Ajah, Ketu, Yaba and CMS bus stops and at times, the roundabout is always chaotic, though the few traffic wardens there are doing their best.
“More traffic personnel should be deployed to assist the few ones on ground. I wonder if there are no more traffic policemen in the Police Force,†said John Ariyo, a commuter bus driver,
P.M.NEWS checks also revealed that every day, between 4-5a.m., mobile and regular policemen assemble at Obalende roundabout, waiting for commercial vehicles to escort for the day, for a fee.
Residents are always apprehensive every morning when so many policemen gather under the bridge waiting till daybreak, when they will jump into their customers’ vehicles plying Oshodi to Mile 2. Others go with buses plying Obalende to Ketu.
—Paul Iyoghojie
