Oshodi urges Transportation Ministry to allow LGAs handle abandoned vehicles
By Edith Igbokwe
Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Authority has appealed to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to allow the local government authorities handle the removal of abandoned vehicles to foster peace in the community.
It was reacting to reports from the residents of Akanji Odutolu street, Charity, Oshodi who complained that officials of the ministry took away four vehicles parked by their owners and released one following the payment of N50,000 fine.
The CDA chairman of Isokan community, Mr. Kazeem Fawole told ECHONEWS that the group said they came from Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to evacuate abandoned vehicles from the road.
“They towed four cars parked in front of their houses, those vehicles are not abandoned vehicles; the owners don’t have space to park in their compounds. Besides that, it is a wrong way of towing vehicles without prior notice,” he complained.
However, Fawole said one out of the four vehicles towed on the street was released after the owner paid the sum of N50,000 to the ministry of transportation.
According to Hon. Goke Oguntulu, special Adviser on Transport, the Local Government, the local government chairman, Hon. Bolaji Muse Ariyoh, has stated that he was not aware of any committee from the state ministry of transportation on evacuation of abandoned vehicles.
He also mentioned that such action has been causing unrest within the community and he therefore expressed his plight in a letter sent to the commissioner of the Ministry of Transportation reporting the act to have contravened the rights of the local government authority.
He urged residents to be vigilant towards any agent(s) who claimed to have come from Lagos state ministry of transportation making any move to tow vehicles in the community.
He implored the Community Development Committee (CDC) and the Community Development Associations (CDAs) to report such agents by demanding for their identification if such happens in their communities and report the case to the local government or ensure that the vehicle towed is taken to the local government secretariat.
He affirmed that only local government has the authority to remove abandoned/used vehicles from the community after 14 days prior notice has been passed to the owner.
Speaking in the course of a visit to Oludegun, Mafoluku street to warn against illegal parking of trucks by companies, Oguntulu advised such companies to remove them or face prosecution.
In particular, the council advised FedEx logistic and other companies which have turned the street into garage for their unused /abandoned vehicles to do the needful to allow for a free flow of traffic.
Also, Tricycle operators who are currently using the street as park or workshop have been directed to vacate the street immediately.
