•Fed Govt plans relocation of Tank Farms
To quell the traffic logjam bedeviling Apapa area of Lagos State, the federal government yesterday urged the state government to build permanent holding bay for trucks and tankers to park.
The Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, made the call at the headquarters, Western Naval Command (WNC), Apapa, after being led on an assessment tour by the Flag Officer Commanding, Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade.
Obanikoro, who said the bay would keep the trucks and trailers, who hinder free flow of traffic off the roads, stated that the 500-truck park being constructed by the federal government at Tincan Island would serve as holding bay.
While noting that the deplorable state of the roads he visited (Coconut, Liverpool and Creek), also compounded traffic situation in the area, the minister assured that the federal government would speed up rehabilitation actions to save the situation.
He said: “There are plans and we are also working with all the stakeholders to ensure that the area is kept under check. It is not easy to close all these things overnight but what is important is to call for more vigilance on the part of the operators. Let me assure that all the security agencies in this country are alert to what is at stake and everything humanly possible is being done to contain such misfortune.
“There is need for the state to have a permanent holding bay for trucks. It is when that is provided that there can be a radio link between the port and the bay so that whenever the port is ready to have them, a radio message would be passed across and the affected trucks can go into Apapa. We cannot afford not to do that and we need to do it as quickly as possible. I believe that Lagos State Government will act fast.”
“The park at Tincan Island is still under construction. We will do everything possible to complete it in the shortest time possible but is not a permanent holding bay. For some time now, we have been looking at the security implication of allowing trailers and trucks use the road as parks rather than for movement. With the activities of Boko Haram and other elements, we believe strongly that people may want to negatively take advantage of the chaotic situation around the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA).
“I am happy that the Nigerian Navy (NN) moved in and so far, all the standing trucks have been moved and passage way created to ensure smooth vehicular movement in the area, thus, eliminating the security threat of having trucks and containers littering the entire area. Naval officers have been assigned and are still on the road to ensure free traffic and they have almost completed eliminated the congestion except for the issues we have with the roads, which is affecting movement,” he added.
Obanikoro further said: “As you can see, Julius Berger (construction firm) is trying to bring relief. I have it on good authority that there is significant improvement and I commend the navy for bringing in other stakeholders to contain the situation. Though there is significant socio-economic benefit of having traffic-free movement in and out of the port, the main element that prompted the navy to swing into action is security.
“Blame game does not solve issues. It is a common problem and we need every stakeholder to be part of the solution. We all have responsibilities to the people of Lagos and Nigerians. So, the state government should join hands with the NPA and other stakeholders in finding a lasting solution. It is not the navy’s duty to clear traffic and so, their effort towards ending the gridlock cannot be permanent.”
Also speaking, Alade said it took the navy about four days to achieve sanity after flagging off the operation to clear the congestion, adding: “For now, we are still on the road. The operation is still active and until we call it off, naval personnel we remain on the road.”
However, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN); the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) as well as the truck and trailer drivers accused one of the concessionaires of compounding traffic situation in Apapa.
The deputy chairman of RTEAN, Anthony Agbanosi, said the concessionaire has a holding bay that can accommodate about 300 trucks but does not allow them in because it makes more money from the renewal of loading permit.
“However, between now and September, all the empty containers would no longer line up along the road but they will park at the International holding bay and if there is any need to bring an empty container to the port, the vehicle will produce its empty container certificate.
“The holding bay is along Badagry road and this is to ensure that any vehicle that has no business at the port does not enter APAPA to cause traffic. Hence, any vehicle parked on the road would be impounded and the owners prosecuted,” Agbanosi said.
An Apapa resident, Kayode Animasaun, said they were working actively with the committee set up by the navy to ensure free flowing traffic, adding: “The traffic situation has been paralyzing, but I commend the navy because they have remained committed to reducing the plight of the people since they started controlling the situation.”
