“What is the significance of this?” was Hamlad’s response to Sola Giwa’s announcement of the dissolution of multiple departments in the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Monday.

Giwa, who is the special adviser on transportation to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor, had made a post on his X page that all the agency’s headquarters operations, anti-one squad and enforcement department had been dissolved.

READ ALSO: Murder or Accident? How 9 Died on Ojuelegba Bridge on Sunday

Although no reason was provided for the dissolution of the aforementioned departments, the development came shortly after a container laden truck fell off Ojuelegba bridge and crashed on a salon car carrying three people late Sunday.

Thankfully, all three passengers in the car survived the accident. Nonetheless, many believed the accident was one that could have been prevented.

The Sunday night container crash was the latest of multiple crashes of its kind on Ojuelegba bridge.

It also follows a February ban on container-laden trucks on the bridge, yet a lack of will and enforcement has continued to put lives at risk.

Hamlad was one of the many Nigerians on social media who questioned the state government’s unwillingness to take action in terms of protecting Lagosians.

A similar event which happened on January 29, had led to the death of nine people, including an entire family. The incident had then forced the state government to ban articulated trucks from plying the bridge.

LASTMA was saddled with the responsibility to enforce the ban via a state directive which read,

“…you are directed to apprehend articulated trucks that pass through Dorman Long and Ojuelegba bridges in accordance with pronouncement of the State Government, in a bid to reduce the spate of avoidable accidents occasioned by heavy duty and articulated trucks accessing the bridges in order to ensure safety, and security of lives and property across the state.”

FIJ understands that a bar placed on the bridge to prevent trucks from using the bridge has long been knocked off, and that trucks have continued to pass through the bridge without interference.

Curious to understand why LASTMA had failed to enforce the ban, FIJ called Olumide Filade, the agency’s spokesperson, for answers but received no response. He had also not responded to text and WhatsApp messages sent to him at press time.

Messages sent to the agency via its WhatsApp line had not been responded to as well.