WON'T PAY TOLL HIKE OF 66.6%. WE DEMAND TOTAL CANCELLATION.

It is like steam engine drilling the earth when hundred of residents Friday 9 February, 2018 in the OccupyLekkiTollGate came out in their numbers to demonstrate the dissatisfaction over the 66.6% hike imposed on them by the Lagos State Ambode government. Residents who came out are mostly youth, workers and women that were highly distaste about the regime, making life harder for the working people.

Before the kick off rally to the toll gate. A lot of armed police officers ready to gun down a flea were even more than the protesters have already stationed in the various spot at Lekki as barricade to stop the protest. The Area Commander of Eti-Osa Local Government has given directive that the peaceful demonstration should not be allowed to move into the major road.

There were huge resistance by youths, workers chanting solidarity songs, demanding a total cancellation of toll gate. Leaders of  OccupyLekkiTollGate Development Forum led by Dotun Hassan caution the Area commander that it is their democratic  rights to protest. That no law including the police can restrict or deny their constitutional rights enshrine in the 1999 constitution not to protest.

However, while the echelons in the Nigerian Police Force led by the Area Commander, in addition to the numbers of police officers armed to the teeth, became a barricade against the peaceful demonstrators. Despite this, the protesters triple their solidarity songs and held the OcuppyLekkiTollGate banner higher to caption the media attention.

Because of the publicity the struggle is building and the psychological tension fully demonstrated the eyes of the mass,  evaporating anger and distaste of the Lagos State government.  The police were afraid of the wave it is going to caused and the support to be gather. On their part, the State Authority refused to allow the protest to move on. In fact, they ignored the attack unleashed on the protesters by some sponsored thugs against the demand total cancellation of toll gate levy.

According to report gathered, the protest breakers who attacked the rally  were said to be a sponsored sectarian group of the ruling elites and feudal lords in Lekki who are benefiting directly from the APC regime likewise the Lagos Construction Company. The LCC a private company run with the objective of making profit and exploiting the working class and the poor, were also accused of not completing the dilapidated Epe express road and equally provide alternative route for residents in the community.

The Lagos Construction Company was accused of generating as revenue 1.3 billion Naira annually from residents in the community through the toll gate levy that has been increased by 66.6% percent. Because of the massive profit the private company is generating from users of the Lekki road.  It has refused to create alternative route in the area. This act for members of Democratic Socialist Movement and equally supporters of the Socialist Party of Nigeria is anti-mass and very exploitative at a period when the N18000 minimum wage has been slaughter with inflation.

The angered youths who were the majority in the protest, accused the Ambode  APC led regime as anti-workers and anti-mass.  That the APC is government doesn't meant well for the average working people. After using tax payers money to rehabilitate the Lekki Express road for public users to ply it. The Ambode government decided to imposed heavy burden on the masses by increasing the levy. The angered protesters felt that government is not about making life difficult for people but ensuring social welfare are provided at both affordable and even free for people.

SPITFUL REACTIONS

Undermining the maintainous military monitoring of the protest that was highly barricaded by police officers at the Lekki Peninsula gate, can't stop the protest from marching on at least to the Estate roundabout to sensitize people and create public awareness about the Lagos State Public Private Partnership agenda where government is using tax payers money to execute capitalist corporate business for the profiteers.

Despite the sponsored attack, the protest still went on. Demands boldly written in placards were: LCC IS A FRUAD! WE CANNOT PAY, NO SCHOOL/NO SALARY! SAY NO TO TOLL GATE HIKE! SAY NO TO TOLL HIKE 66.6%! etc caption attention of the commuters, workers, car owners and even the working class police men and women undermining their restriction to participate on the protest, sympathize with the demands.

Mr. Dotun Hassan the convener of the Eti-Osa Development Forum fundamentally said. "we aren't going to pay the 66.6% hike toll gate levy. We are demanding the total cancellation of the levy.  In fact, total dismantling of toll gate because we have paid enough imposed on us by the Lagos State government. It is exploitative and anti-people". For us, he continued. "we aren't going to stop until our demands are meant. Most importantly we are going to sue the LCC for corporate crime against the people".

SUSTAINING

Leadership of the Eti-Osa Development Forum agreed to sustain the struggle and plan subsequently to organized a broad day of action by working with other pro-mass labour organizations. Members of Democratic Socialist Movement who were involved  solidarize with the people of Eti-Osa Local government applaud the enormous potential of the struggle.

In spite of the military check on the protest. We in DSM, SPN demands alongside with residents, workers and the poor masses for Nigerians to join in this OccupyLekkiTollGate Campaign in order to put to arrest the system of capitalism. DSM believe the enactment of toll gate which the Lagos State government is mounting now, virtually in nearly constructed or under constructing roads. It is to further exploit the working mass plying these public roads. This is an indication that the APC of Ambode regime is anti-mass that represent the cold-hearted system of capitalism incremating the existence of life.

Road construction must be government sole responsibility than handing it over to the private corporate organizations to exploit for profit as the Lagos Construction Company is doing. The Jakande administration that constructed the Lekki Expressway never mount Toll Gate for workers, students, residents and the general public to pay. Public resources were directly used to construct these roads without contracting it to the beneficiary of capitalist corporate stealing. But what we have today is the APC Lagos government using public money to bail out private thieves drilling the masses.

While the struggle recorded huge turnout undermining the attack reactionary group. The Democratic Socialist Movement and the Socialist Party of Nigeria respectively call on Nigerians and the people of Eti-Osa Local Government to start thinking towards politically building an alternative.

The monstrous system of capitalism that created this problem where government officials and pro-rich parties like the APC, PDP, APGA, etc have to use tax payers money to execute private business is to rally around what is to be done, which the DSM is putting forward the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) for us all to join and collectively build in wrestling power from the looters of our resources.

By

Fidel Davy
SlumPhotos