Independence Bridge: Rhodes-Vivour slams Lagos govt over ‘insensitivity to citizens’ plight’

…says offering apology after the ‘chaos’ not enough

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State during the 2023 election, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has slammed the state government over what he described as its “insensitivity to citizens’ plight” in the handling of the Independence Bridge repair project, stating that “coming out to apologise after the chaos has been caused is not enough.”

Recall that the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, last Thursday visited the Independence Bridge, in Victoria Island, during which he took full responsibility and apologised to motorists who endured prolonged traffic gridlock for several hours on Wednesday following the closure of the bridge.

The governor, who was accompanied during an on-the-spot assessment by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso and Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Hon. Sola Giwa, among others, said inadequate public communication and planning about the road closure contributed to the traffic congestion witnessed by motorists on the very day.

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He noted that work on the bridge had commenced earlier but the full impact became evident due to the road closure, attributing the heavy traffic to the mass return of workers after the Eid-el-Fitr holiday, with a large number of commuters resuming duty at the same time.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Rhodes-Vivour knocked the state government over what he described as poor planning and a lack of sensitivity to the welfare of citizens while undertaking infrastructure projects.

The former governorship candidate condemned the prevailing governance mindset in Lagos and across Nigeria, where he observed leaders acted as though they were doing citizens a favour by providing basic services rather than prioritising their well-being.

“In Lagos and in Nigeria as a whole, the consciousness of governance is flawed. Those at the helm of affairs act like they’re doing us a favor by offering leadership or services. That kind of mindset completely affects planning and execution,” he said.

On the disruptions caused by the repair of the Independence Bridge, Rhodes-Vivour argued that the government could have minimized public inconvenience with better planning, referencing the San Yuan Bridge project in Beijing, China, which involved dismantling and replacing a 1,300-ton bridge in just 43 hours back in 2015.

“It’s not about new technology. It’s about the thinking and consciousness that puts the citizen’s convenience first.

“The government failed in scenario planning. Coming out to apologize after the chaos is not enough. This suffering could have been avoided,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

He also criticised the government’s poor communication strategy, noting that proper notifications and public engagement should have occurred well in advance and not just “a few days before a major project that affects millions of people.”

“This is a state of over 22 million people. You can’t just drop a notice on a Monday and expect everyone to adapt. Government collects data on traffic. They knew what the impact would be. They should have planned better,” he said.

On the broader issue of Lagos’ urban planning and transport connectivity, the LP chieftain emphasised the need for decentralisation, better housing, and expanded use of water transportation as part of a more holistic urban development strategy, saying that the urgent need was to have “a Lagos where people don’t have to travel across the city to work or access services.”

“We need a Lagos where people don’t have to travel across the city to work or access services. Create hubs, connect them with multi-modal transport, and reduce the pressure on major roads.

“What we’ve seen is failure—failure in planning, in execution, in communication, and most importantly, in putting the people first,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE