Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued a formal apology to residents who endured severe traffic congestion caused by repair works on the Independence Bridge.
The closure of the bridge led to extraordinary gridlock conditions from Wednesday evening through early Thursday, with thousands of commuters stranded for hours. Social media platforms were flooded with images and videos of the situation, triggering public outrage.
“First, I think what is appropriate is really to first tender apologies to all our citizens and to all Lagosians for the very, very difficult, erroneous practices that we experienced in the last 24 hours in the city and within the island of Lagos,” Governor Sanwo-Olu stated during an inspection visit to the bridge on Thursday.
The governor acknowledged that communication about the closure was inadequate but emphasized that the renovation work was essential to prevent an imminent disaster. “We can take full responsibility as a government, both at the national and sub-national levels, for just taking our people through an unfortunate incident. It was all well intended, it was all for good causes,” he explained.
Following the severe traffic situation, Minister of Works David Umahi intervened by ordering the immediate reopening of the bridge to ease congestion.
Sanwo-Olu defended the necessity of the repairs, noting that the contract for the bridge work had been signed over three years ago. Our duty is to preserve the integrity of the Independence Bridge which is like one of the oldest bridges in the country, he stated.
The governor advised Lagos residents to adjust their plans accordingly during the ongoing repair period. “If you don’t have business to do in Victoria Island in the next two to three weeks, conduct your business via social media, telephone, Zoom meetings, online meetings, let’s plan,” he recommended.
During the inspection, the governor was accompanied by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and other government officials, and they were received by representatives from Buildwell Construction, the company handling the renovation project.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Apologizes for Traffic Gridlock Following Bridge Closure
