VISIT OF OUR 1ST LADY

	The visit of Patience, the wife of the President Goodluck Jonathan, to Lagos State on Thursday, paralysed social and commercial activities on Lagos Island for over nine hours. PUNCH Metro learnt that the traffic congestion was caused by overzealous security agents who cordoned off some areas because the President’s wife was attending an event at Ocean View Restaurant on Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island. People working in offices located within the area, groaned as they had to make a detour. An employee of a bank in the area, Abiodun Apata, said the road was blocked as early as 8am and was not opened until about six hours later. He said, “As early as 8am, security operatives blocked the entire road, thereby paralysing activities on Victoria Island. “Hundreds of people, who visited the busy Eko Hotel on Ademola Adetokunbo Street, were also affected because they were not allowed to come in with their vehicles. “Most of us who wanted to get to other parts of the Island had to pass through Tiamiyu Savage Street and the traffic was moving very slowly.” Another motorist, Mr. John Opuh, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said the situation worsened when the First Lady was departing around 3pm as her convoy and that of other dignitaries, prevented other motorists from moving. After their departure, it was learnt that the congestion persisted for more hours. Mayowa Oguntolu, an office assistant, said the effect of the traffic even stretched to Ikoyi and parts of Lekki. A resident of the area, Mr. Abraham Akpan, told PUNCH Metro that many commuters and motorists were trapped in the snarl which stretched beyond Victoria Island for almost nine hours. He said, “The gridlock was caused by the visit of Patience Jonathan. She came to Lagos on a ‘thank you’ visit to South-South women in Lagos for voting for her husband in 2011. The event was held at Ocean View Restaurant on Victoria Island. “The traffic jam started from 8.30am to about 5.30pm. It actually compounded the traffic situation on the Island. To be candid, many people were trapped in the hold-up for close to nine hours.” The First Lady, who was on a ‘thank you visit,’ also flagged off the peace advocacy programme in the state. The organiser of the ‘Thank You and Peace Advocacy’ event, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, said the event was a non-party affair but meant to appreciate women in the state for voting en masse for President Goodluck Jonathan at the April 2011 presidential election. The First Lady, who was full of appreciation for the women, thanked them for fulfilling their promise to vote for the President. No1 talked about how much the country was loosing for these hours but when we where fighting for our right(occupyNigeria) that was the topic of discussion. How many appointments that couldn't be ment etc. Inshut, they would have decleared yesterday as a public holiday seen. She puts food on our tables so we should'nt work cause she's coming around. This is a selfish act.