Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Government has sealed the Vaniti Club House, Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island over alleged violation of the state’s traffic regulations.
In a statement by Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Monday.
Taofiq stated that the operation was personally led by the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterating that the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018 frowns against any act that obstructs vehicular movement.
The statement read, “This resolute enforcement action, personally led by the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, and meticulously executed by the Agency’s Rescue and Compliance Unit, follows the Club’s habitual and defiant infringement of established traffic laws particularly its persistent facilitation of illegal roadside parking and flagrant encroachment upon public highways. These actions have not only disrupted traffic flow but have posed substantial risks to public safety.
“It bears reiterating that the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, unequivocally proscribes any acts that obstruct vehicular movement or imperil the safety of road users, categorizing such conduct as a grievous statutory offence liable to punitive legal sanctions.
“Despite a series of exhaustive sensitization efforts including sustained public enlightenment campaigns, direct stakeholder engagements, and multiple official warnings the management of Verniti Club House has remained intransigent, choosing to perpetuate acts that undermine the operational integrity of the State’s traffic ecosystem, particularly within the high-traffic corridor of Victoria Island.”
The agency maintained that the sealing of the property will remain effective until the establishment demonstrates total and verifiable compliance with all extant traffic laws.
Bakare-Oki said, “This enforcement initiative is not a one-off occurrence. It marks the beginning of a broader and sustained compliance campaign. We are actively monitoring other clubs, event centres, lounges, and recreational facilities particularly those that persist in impeding traffic flow by commandeering public roads and adjoining streets for private use.”
The state government maintained that it will not tolerate any act of violation of traffic orderliness by “any person, corporate body, or social enterprise”.
Residents and commuters are therefore enjoined to report any errant event centres, lounges, clubs, or similar establishments that obstruct free passage or constitute a public nuisance to LASTMA through its dedicated toll-free emergency hotline: 0800-00-LASMA (080000527862).
