SAN FRANCISCO, November 04, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians of the alleged sinister plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)- led Federal Government to sponsor a massive breakdown of law and order in Lagos through the deployment of those it described as hoodlums and thugs under the guise of SURE-P Federal Task Force.
The party said that these ‘hoodlums’ who are being recruited and armed ahead of the 2014 general election are being deployed and armed to cause crisis and massive breakdown of law and order in Lagos using the control of traffic
In a statement issued in Lagos Tuesday and signed by the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said what the PDP is doing is clearly recruiting hoodlums and brigands for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in Lagos .
The party therefore advised Lagosians to confront the alleged plot to throw the state into needless crisis even as it warned that no one should take the civility of Lagosians and the Lagos State Government for granted.
“Yesterday, we witnessed the complete breakdown of law and order and breakdown of traffic in Lagos when these hoodlums under the guise of SURE-P Federal Task Force went on rampage, fighting LASTMA officials with cudgels and inflicting harms on them, all in a bid to take over control of federal roads in Lagos.
“We note that PDP leaders have been making rounds in the camp of these hoodlums, where they were quartered and have been distributing monies and other inducements to them in readiness for their real roles as thugs for PDP politicians in 2015.
“Lagosians note that most of these thugs are doing private domestic works in the private residences of the leaders of PDP in Lagos and this is not far from the real missions of these thugs who are at the beck and call of PDP members for reasons that are far from patriotic.
“We can say that we saw this coming. It will be recalled that when the recruitment for these hoodlums started, we warned of the dubious nature of these hoodlums. But this was denied by authorities of the Federal Ministry of Works and other agencies. But we knew the dubiousness of these denials obtains in the fact that as they try to make these denials, the recruitment and arming of these thugs right under their facility increased. We have warned that these are ghouls being recruited for the task of destabilising Lagos in the same fashion former minister, Adeseye Ogunlewe, did and which ended up in bitter political frustration for him,” the statement said.
The party stated further: “We note that these political thugs who are dressed in black uniform and addressed as SURE-P Federal Task Force have recently come up with what they term their duties and these are , Protect Federal Properties in Lagos; Right of Way; Setback; Traffic Control and Enforcement.
“Even as Lagosians wonder what legal rights these hoodlums are operating with, we ask what properties are they protecting in Lagos and against whom? We ask what these hoodlums are enforcing and how the Federal Government is vested with the control of city and street traffic when there are so many yearning areas needing the attention of the federal government. What are the duties of the police, Road Safety and LASTMA if we must create an emergency agency of political thugs and hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons to launch brigandage on Lagos roads?
“We are still at a loss with the obsession of the PDP and the Jonathan government with this project of sponsoring disruption and mayhem in Lagos. We wonder whether Lagos is the only state where there are federal roads in Nigeria.
We wonder how control of traffic in Lagos roads should be the function and responsibility of the federal government even when it is obvious that this present government has done nothing either to repair the worsening state of federal roads or adding even one kilometer to the federal roads in Lagos.
“Nothing adds up here except the burning desire that is ravaging the rank and file of the members of the PDP to set fire to Lagos for its unprecedented progress and peace in the face of the gross failure of the federal government in nearly every sector of governance.
“Lagos APC is calling on all Lagosians, traditional rulers, stakeholders and leaders of thought to stand up against this act of political desperation. We urge all Lagosians to look out for these hoodlums and resist them for what they are-sponsored political thugs out to cause maximum breakdown of peace and order in Lagos.
“We warn that Lagos should not be turned to a theater of blood by desperate political wayfarers who want to set the state on fire in a bid to realise their selfish ambitions.”
