By Monsuru Olowoopejo

AS residents of Lagos await deployment of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, SURE-P/FERMA taskforce to the state, the agency has finally disclosed that its major responsibility is to recover all the abandoned properties of the Federal Government in the state, and not to cause trouble.

This came, eventhough the agency is yet to receive the approval of the Lagos State Government, who saw the agency as threat to the survival of its own traffic management agency, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.

The state government which did not hide its disapproval for the Federal Government agency, six months ago, arrested no fewer than 200 officials of the SURE-P/FERMA taskforce.

The existence of the agency further sparked controversy between the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP over the legality of the agency.

As part of its plan to make its responsibilities public, the agency has began to erect notice boards on Federal roads in the state, informing the public on its mode of operations. This is even as it has commenced expansion works on the existing structures at its headquarters, the Federal Ministry of Works, FMW plaza Old Toll-gate, Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Recruitment exercise

Vanguard learned that the agency which commenced recruitment exercise early in the year had recruited over 7, 000 youths for its activities.

As part of the agency’s regulations, the task force officials is said to assist the central government to recover some of its properties in Lagos from illegal occupants.

Other activities of the SURE-P/FERMA taskforce will be ; to assist the Federal Government to recover and maintaining right of way, control and manage traffic, ensure adherence of residents to road setbacks and enforcement.

Vanguard also gathered that the agency would as part of its first assignment recover the federal government properties in Lagos Island axis of the state which were already occupied by some residents of the state.

Some of the properties which would be recovered by the agency is the 25-storey Independence building, now Defence building. Though the tallest building in the Central Business District, CBD was not serving any purpose for the central government but now serves as home for some who could not afford to secure apartment in the state.

Explaining the regulations of the agency, a top official of the agency, who does not want his name in print said “We would be commencing operation soon. Our operations would have started before now, but there are certain logistics which needed to be perfected before operation commences.”He added that “We are not going out to cause problem for anyone. We have been constituted to take care of the said goals.