The Oyo State Government, on Thursday, began the enforcement of evacuation of traders and motorists at the Ojoo Interchange in Ibadan, the state capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the state government had, on Nov. 29, given a three-day ultimatum to motorists and traders using the Ojoo interchange as motor parks and market to relocate to the permanent space provided at Abatakan.
The affected motorists and traders were being moved to a space provided at the Abatakan motor park, behind Total Filling Station, Ojoo in Akinyele Local Government area.
NAN reports that the exercise was aimed at actualising the state government’s resolve to reduce traffic gridlock to the barest minimum and put a stop to unnecessary loss of lives and property, occasioned by frequent road accidents in the area.
NAN also reports that the State Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Abiodun Abd-Raheem and the Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Maintenance Agency (OYRTMA), Akin Fagbemi, led other government officials to enforce the relocation order.
They implored the affected motorists and traders to see government’s move as a necessary intervention to save people’s lives and property and not to make life difficult for them.
“This enforcement is part of the reasons people voted for good governance. No reasonable government will sit back and watch people being killed by things they can be easily controlled.
“Government took the decision to construct this interchange to forestall accidents that used to occur here on daily basis. It will therefore be wrong for us to now start using the same place as market and motor parks.
“The alternative space provided by government is not far from here and we are happy that most of the traders and motorists are already complying with the relocation order.
“Our officials will work alongside security personnel to apprehend and prosecute anybody who contravenes the relocation order,” they said. (NAN)