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BY: News Peddlers
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Mr. Eric Ifeanyichukwu Ilechukwu, president of the Association of Progressive Traders, Trade Fair Complex, has called on the Federal Government to address the issues of traffic gridlock along the Badagry Expressway, particularly between the Alakija and Barracks bus stops, as well as the opening of alternative routes in and out of the Trade Fair Complex, in order to avoid the collapse of their business.
Ilechukwu, who is also the chairman of the Trade Fair Stakeholders Forum, an umbrella body for all associations in the Trade Fair Complex, stated this after taking the oath of office for his second term as the association's president.
In his own words: "The traffic gridlock caused by trucks/articulated vehicles parked along the motorway makes entering and exiting the Complex from the Alakija end a nightmare. A journey that used to take 5-10 minutes now takes 3-6 hours. Furthermore, the Complex's original design included four alternative routes into and out of the complex. None of the routes have been completed and are operational. Even the one we paid for has not been opened or commissioned by the federal government."
"We are like caged/entrapped people, and if not addressed immediately, the entire business going on in the Complex may collapse. You can imagine the negative impact on the Lagos and Nigerian economies in terms of lost tax revenue, job losses, and other collateral issues," Mr. Ilechukwu lamented.
"Last time there was a bomb blast around the complex, we thanked God that it happened during the weekend and in the evening period, otherwise the stampede alone would have caused huge loss of lives due to the lack of alternative routes," he added.
Coming into the complex for business and leaving the complex after business currently takes about 6 hours due to the twin evils of gridlock outside the complex and the deplorable network of roads within the complex.
When we close our doors at 5 p.m. in the evening. It takes about 70 minutes to drive to the complex's main gate and onto the Badagry Expressway.
Because we pay taxes to the government, this should not happen to us. When our goods are cleared at the ports, we pay tax. We also pay taxes through ground rents and other means. "The Minister of Trade and Commerce was here a while ago and promised that the Federal Government would look into our complaints, but we have yet to see any concrete steps taken to address the traffic problems here," he revealed.
Speaking further about his re-election, Mr. Ilechukwu stated that he kept all of the promises he made while campaigning for the job four years ago, and as a result, his people overwhelmingly voted for him for a second term. Mr. Ilechukwu received 2036 votes, while his opponent, Mr. Chris Okosa, received 273 votes out of the 2322 voters who cast ballots. He promised to do more because he has plans to make the area Africa's business hub. Mr. Ibedu Franklin, 1st Vice President, Mr. Umeama Ozoemena, 2nd Vice President, Mr. Peter Oraeki, Secretary, Mr. Chuka Mekaowulu, Public Relations Officer, and others were also re-elected.