The Lekki Concession Company said resumption of tolling at the Lekki Tollgate could take “three or even six months” because of the extent of the damage done to the plaza.
Yomi Omomuwasan, the managing director of the LCC, said this on Monday during a press conference in Lagos.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho and the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Gboyega Akosile, were also at the press conference, saying they needed to clear so many misinformation in the public space about the LCC.
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to investigate the October 2020 Lekki shooting incident on February 6 approved the reopening of the Lekki Tollgate.
At the Monday’s press conference, Mr Omomuwasan said the tollgate would not be reopened immediately.
“Our going back into operations will take some time,” he said.
“The assets of Lekki Concession Company before it got burnt was comprehensively insured.”
The manager said the insurance companies need to examine the extent of damage done so as to know insurance claims will be made.
“The assessment of things that are burnt will require a team of engineers from both the LCC and those working with us. What we operate is electronic tolling system that requires a lot of equipment to be brought together. We need to do this proper and critical assessment and it takes some time,” Mr Omomuwasan said.
He said civil works, electrical works and other repairs that will happen at the toll plaza will take some months.
“It is not something that will happen within a month. I am not sure this will happen within three months, because of the extent of what has been damaged,” he said.
While speaking about the Saturday’s event at Lekki Tollgate, Mr Omomuwasan said the LCC was not part of the institution being fought against, and it is worrisome why some people want the place to be closed till the panel finishes its investigation.
“If the panel takes 20 years to finish its investigations, does that mean Lekki toll gate will be closed till then?” he said, rhetorically.
The manager said there was no time the company was given any preventive order not to resume operation but that they only ceased operations in the interest of peace and agreement with the panel.
Speaking on the #occupyLekkitollgate and #DefendLagos protests, Mr Omomuwasan said the earlier appeal by the LCC worked as the youth ‘did not come’ for the protests.
He emphasised that the company will not resume tolling immediately at the plaza until all repairs are done which might take months.