Traffic Chaos: How Lai Mohammed Kicked Against Jonathan’s Lagos Visit In 2013

In April 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan was billed to visit Lagos and there were fears of traffic chaos in a state that is already notorious for such.

Ahead of the visit on April 18, 2013 the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) one of the main parties that formed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), wrote to Jonathan on his proposed trip to Lagos.

The party argued then that the requests are to ensure traffic sanity in the Centre of Excellence.

One of the proposals was for the president to take a chopper from the Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja to Eko Hotel & Suites on Victoria Island, where he is billed to attend a centenary event.

The other request is for the president to postpone his visit in order not to create a traffic chaos.

The ACN’s requests were contained in a letter written by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to Governor Babatunde Fashola on the President’s visit.

This is what Lai Mohammed said: “We have been compelled to write a letter to the Lagos State governor asking him to please prevail on the President to reschedule his visit.

“But if his visit must go on, he should use another means of transportation such as the helicopter so that the whole town is not locked up.

“Anytime Mr President is coming to Lagos, our roads are closed, and traffic congestion is at its highest. The whole city is shut down for the entire day.

“You can imagine when we’re expecting about 10,000 people from different parts of Nigeria to our convention, all heading for the same place. It’s going to be chaos.

“So, we’re appealing to Mr President, through the Governor, to please reconsider his visit.

“And if he must come, he should inflict the minimum pain and hardship on Nigerians.”

Nigerians in Lagos have been agonising following the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to commission a bus station built by the state government.

Governor Ambode had declared public over the visit, but with no vehicles on the road and restriction of movements, most Lagosians have taken to trekking.