#ENDSARS: Why we need to reopen Lekki Tollgate – LCC.

The Lekki Concession Company (LCC) said the company needs to reopen the Lekki Tollgate to be able to retain its staff and pay pending debts.

Yomi Omomuwasan, the LCC manager, said this at a press conference in Lagos on Monday.

Mr Omomuwasan said the company was owing debts in local and international banks to the tune of N11.5 billion and $31 million respectively as of 2020.

“As at 2011, we had a balance of about 24 billion in naira owed to local banks and 49 million dollar owed to an international development bank,” said Mr Omomuwasan.

“Through the operation of the toll progressively, payments are being made. It is on record, the company borrowed money and we keep mentioning areas where people can verify. They are local banks, Nigerian banks, they have names and have records.

“There is no way a company can lie that we are owing when they are not owing,” he said.

The manager further said the company was badly affected by COVID-19 pandemic and led to the inability to make payments during the period, which they had to explain to the banks.

Mr Omomuwasan said it was not right for the LCC to be shut down forever following the #EndSARS protests and related events.

“There is nowhere in the world where an event happened at a place and you close it forever,” he said

The manager added that about 500 of the company’s staff that were asked to stay at home since October 6, are anxious about being back in their jobs.

“90 per cent of them are youths and asking if they will be back in their jobs, this is another reason the company needs to return to operations,” he said.