LCC Begs To Reopen Lekki Toll Gate, Says No Immediate Plans To Commence Tolling

The Lagos Concession Company (LCC) has pleaded with Lagos State residents to allow its company reopen the Lekki toll gate to enable it assess the damage done to the facility during the #EndSARS protest in October.

The LLC said its plan was to assess and rebuild the facility, and not to immediately commence tolling.

The Managing Director, LCC, Yomi Omomuwasan, made the plea when he appeared on Arise TV on Wednesday to speak on the controversy surrounding its planned reopening of the toll gate.

Noting that the LCC was also a victim of the EndSARS protest, Omomuwasan said it was time to assess the degree of damage the protest may have had on the company, adding that the country was already gradually recovering from the effect of the protests.

The LLC director, who said he was not disregarding the plight of those who lost loved ones to the alleged shooting of unarmed protesters by soldiers on October 20, pleaded to be allowed to rebuild the toll gate to restore and bring sanity to that axis.

“Every day, we have issues on the road that we need to attend to, because of the yearnings of the people using the road daily — accident, mishaps of all types happen on the road on a daily and our presence is imperative to bring back sanity to that road.

“That is why we feel that it is an obligation upon us to come back on the road and ensure that we have sanity. So, we have been telling people, Lagosians, appealing to the youths, let LCC come back to its normal life,” he said.

Omomuwasan clarified that contrary to complains by road users that traffic may return to that axis having enjoyed a level of ease due to closure of the toll gate, said there will be an improvement in their services when the toll gate is reopened.

“What we are saying in the immediate time is that we want to come over there now so that we can carry out a proper and detail assessment of what has gone down there, the extent of destruction that has been done there.

“When we are through with that, we want to be able to draw out the building plan so we could restore what has been destroyed.

“It takes some, that is why we are saying in the immediate, what you will see us do is as assessment, rebuilding and restoration, cos tolling itself will take some time before we get to that point,” he said.

Nigerians had opposed the reopening of the Lekki tollgate for several reasons, among which was the constant gridlock and hardship faced by motorists because of tolling.

Reacting, he said: “In terms of the study that have been done, some of them are placed on the restrictions by COVID-19, we noticed that a lot of people are working at home, schools are currently not doing a lot, causing fewer school runs and people on the road”.

Omamuwasan, however, refused to respond to whether or not there were plans to rename the toll gate in memory of EndSARS victims as demanded by some Nigerians.