Monarchs sympathise with BRT operator over vandalised buses

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 48 buses in the company’s fleet were vandalised by suspected hoodlums protesting the killing of a street hawker by a truck.

NAN reports that the traditional rulers included Oba Ajibade Agoro, the Ranodu of Imota; Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu; Oba Richard Ogunsanya, Olubeshe of Ibesheland and Oba Akeem Oyebo, Obateru of Egbinland.

Others are High Chief Abdulrasheed Shitta, Lisa and Regent of Ipakodo; Chief Jelili Onintan, Balogun of Igbogbo; and Babatunde Ogunmuyiwa, the Odofin of Ijede.

According to the monarchs, they visited to empathise with and show royal support to the company given its contribution to the economic development of the ancient town.

Oba Ajibade Agoro said on Behalf of others: ``It is not a pleasurable for us to be here today, because we are here to sympathise with the owners of these buses that are serving our area.

``We are concerned as traditional rulers in Ikorodu Division because these buses ply our route; they are having some impact on our area as a division.

``Where the thing happened, from the reports we gathered, is between Ketu and Maryland, and if you go to the place, it is known as Ikorodu Road and this is why we are concerned.

``One cannot quantify the amount of loss that these people will sustain because of the buses; we’ve gone round now and seen the buses.

``We are only praying to God Almighty to spare us this type of unbecoming attitude towards the economic development of our area here’’.

``What happened to these BRT buses happened because of street traders, whom I know, if we have our people there, they will be a very minute percentage.

``But look at what we are seeing now because the buses are directly serving us we are not happy.

``That is why I said we have the pleasure of coming here but we are not happy at all.’’

Agoro, who commended the state government’s effort in constructing the Mile 12-Ikorodu stretch of the Ikorodu Road, added that ``the vandalised buses plied the route to serve the people, the indigenes and non-indigenous alike.

``So, everybody is suffering for it because the buses are at the depot, they will have to undergo serious repairs before they can come back on the road.’’

The monarch appealed to both residents of Ikorodu and its environs to shun any form of violence in order to make the place habitable.

``We know that Ikorodu division is becoming a metropolitan area; we are not criminals in this area; as much as we want to abhor them they should kindly maintain our good name here.

``We don’t want to shy away from our responsibilities but visitors should think of us as well for receiving them; they should reciprocate by not vandalising our means of economic mainstay.

``We sympathise with the operators of this company that God Almighty will replenish them so that they will bring the buses back on the roads for the betterment of the people.’’

He also advised street traders in the state to abide by the laws saying: ``Don’t turn Lagos into a jungle city where people go about themselves without thinking of the law’’.

He assured the residents that monarchs in the area would not rest on their oars to ensure the impact of state government is felt in the development of their respective kingdoms.

On his part, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, said that incidents such as the destruction of private property was not befitting of Ikorodu Division.

``We are here to empathise with the organisation handling these buses; we’ll continue to pray because prayer is what we need.

``What will push us to the extent of thinking of damaging these buses; it belittles us in this axis.

``But having said that, we’ll continue to appeal to our people; we’ll continue to give the company utmost support with prayer and blessings of our ancestor.’’

Responding, Mr Fola Tinubu, Managing Director, Primero Transport Services Ltd., said: ``I am very humbled and grateful that you took time to come and visit us.

``These buses are not government but privately owned and since we started six months ago, we’ve created over 2,500 jobs’’.

He added that the destruction of private property was not an acceptable form of expression of one’s anger, adding that ``what this does is that it discourages investment’’.