…Which collects toll at Lekki plaza, Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has challenged the Lagos State government to unmask the ownership structure of Lekki Concession Company (LCC), which manages the Lekki tollgate plaza and Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge tollgate.
Having earlier alleged that the facility is owned by Seyi Tinubu, son of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the ace politician challenged the government to prove him (George) wrong by coming clean with the facts about the company.
In a statement titled “We must withdraw from the brink,” which he released on Friday, George also questioned the relationship between Sunday Dare, the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, and the LCC.
The former Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) also questioned the rationale for collecting tolls from Lagosians whereas the Lekki-Ikoyi tollgate was “built from scratch with taxpayers’ money.”
“We are demanding that the Lagos State government, through the Freedom of Information Act, publishes the names of those who are managing the toll gates.
Lekki Toll Gate
“We do remember, however, that there was a buy-back several years ago, returning the control and ownership of the Admiralty Tollgate to the Lagos State government. The Lekki-Ikoyi Tollgate was built from scratch with taxpayers money.
“How then can anyone/company inexplicably make a legal claim to the Lekki toll gates?
“Again, what is the relationship between Seyi Tinubu and the Lekki Concession Company?
“Equally, what is the relationship between Sunday Dare and the Lekki Concession Company?
“We all know that Sunday Dare, until he became minister last year, was Bola Tinubu’s Man Friday…
“That’s why we demand that the details of the tollgate ownership should be presented to the public immediately.”
George also said the Lagos State government should demolish the tollgate and build a monument as the epicentre of the #EndSARS protests, where unarmed demonstrators were shot on October 20, 2020.
He also argued that there is nowhere in the world that a single stretch of road would have two tolling points, as is the case along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
“In fact, how much is Lagos State earning from these two tollgates per day, per month, and annually?
“It is alleged that an estimated N400million is collected on both tollgates everyday. If we are wrong, let them bring out their books and tell us how this humongous money is being spent.
“I have gone to this length to illustrate what could go wrong when there is a brazen interloper and a destructive tin-pot despot who has handcuffed the government of our State…”