It would be “reckless and irresponsible” of my administration to allow traders to continue business activities under the burnt Apongbon Bridge, says Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“To go back to how it has been done is to mean that we are just being reckless, it will make us completely irresponsible because we cannot assure the safety of the bridge,” he said.

Mr Sanwo-Olu added that “We cannot just allow all of that to happen. They are completely illegal. And there are things that we should not have around us and in a big city like this, it is not acceptable.”

The governor spoke on Monday while on an inspection of the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge, which caught fire last Wednesday.

Stating that the level of damage was unfortunate, the governor said that his administration would commence excessive clearing of the place.

He said that the federal and state governments had given the traders a seven-day ultimatum to vacate the bridge.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the order still stood; hence, the deadline would expire on Wednesday.

According to him, the state and local governments will meet with the traders representatives to sort out a possible place to relocate them to ensure they continue to earn their livelihood.

Earlier, the traders had carried placards at the Apongbon section of Eko Bridge in Lagos Island, appealing to the state government to reverse the planned relocation of the market.

Under the auspices of the Akpongbon/Ebute-Ero Marketers’ Association, they said that they had occupied the place for 50 years.

(NAN)