The Nation Newspaper

Tag: menace

  • Lawmakers to Fashola: Curb menace of truck drivers

    Lawmakers to Fashola: Curb menace of truck drivers

    Lagos State House of Assembly has called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to check the menace of truck and trailer drivers on bridges and highways in Apapa Local Government Area.

    They also urged the governor to ensure that tanker drivers patronise their terminal and holding bay on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    These were part of the resolutions passed by the House following a motion co-sponsored by Hon. Mufutau Egberongbe (Apapa 1); Wahab Alawiye-King (Lagos Island 2); Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1), Olumuyiwa Jimoh (Apapa 2) and Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland 2).

    The House urged the governor to “expedite action on the revitalisation of rail transportation system of the state to help reduce the influx of trucks and trailers plying the route to ease the hardship being experienced by commuters on a daily basis on the road”.

    It also called on the National Assembly through the Committee on Works to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite action on the reconstruction of the road to avoid practical shut down of the road.

    In arriving at the resolutions, the lawmakers noted the indiscriminate parking and abandonment of trucks and trailers on bridges and highways in Apapa Local Government Area causing traffic jam with their attendant loss of productive man-hours and posing serious danger to the bridges built to ease vehicular movement in the area.

    The House also pointed out the health hazards to commuters and residents plying the route because of emissions from the trucks and trailers which constitute nuisance to the environment.

    The House expressed worries that the perpetual parking and abandonment of articulated vehicles on the roads and bridges had resulted in serious traffic gridlock that had taken a toll on the economic activities of the axis.

    It said the situation had worsened the state of federal roads, thereby posing further serious danger to lives and property in the area.

    Also, the House expressed worries that the deep potholes along the roads have turned into death traps, thus giving hoodlums the opportunity to attack commuters and vehicles plying the routes.

  • Menace of heavy duty vehicles

    Heavy-duty vehicles comprising the 911 trucks, tippers, trailers, caterpillars, or petrol tankers are mostly feared by people because of the havoc they cause on the roads.

    These vehicles which some people see as harbingers of death often skid off the road and cause so much loss of lives that even hearts fail the bravest of minds.

    Abuja with its notorious vehicular and human traffic witness these vehicles in great numbers and in different states of disrepair, although a few of them can still be called new, a greater number look like driving corpses looking for victims to take along to its rickety grave.

    Because most of the roads in the satellite towns and metropolitan areas are in disrepair, a week hardly ever goes by in Abuja without witnessing a broken down long vehicle blocking the road and creating serious traffic congestion.

    A few weeks ago, along Byazhin, Kubwa Road, not very far from the Daughters of Charity hospital, a trailer’s brakes failed and was coming at full speed honking, a motorcyclist, carrying a pregnant woman was so confused and scared by the sound that he took a bump wrongly, leading to the death of the woman and her baby.

    Similar incidents where the vehicle kills pedestrians, motorists or even ram into houses causing numerous casualties have become so normal that Nigerians now take it as their faith instead of taking drastic measures against the unnecessary death.

    When they do not fail brake, they park on the middle of the road causing obstruction and not bothering to go to their parks as if they own the roads. The drivers of these vehicles whom are sometimes young drug addicts hang around watching the obstruction they cause without giving it a second thought.

    Kubwa for instance is slowly turning into a trailer park, although some of the trailers are those that carry sand and construction equipment for the numerous construction works going on, a larger percentage congregate close to the Guinness depots along the Byashin/ liberty road and bazango around pipeline.

    That of the Byazhin/liberty road has gotten so severe that the lone two lane road that serves both outgoing and incoming traffic has been turned into a lane causing obstruction both night and day with motorist and motorcycle operators driving pass the huge vehicles with care to avoid accidents.

    The depot on its own does not mind the level of danger they pose to the environment as they divert some of the vehicles to park in other parts of the street. A visit to the Kubwa/ liberty depot was so rowdy.

    One of the workers at the depot, William confirms the dangers but said that it cannot be helped since it is the season for beer and the numerous beer parlours around Kubwa exhaust their drinks quickly and they have to keep providing so there won’t be a lack.

    He explained that the compound is not enough to accommodate the vehicles at ones and that the management is hoping to purchase the land behind the depot so before it happens, residents will have to be careful.

    The manager of the depot who refused to disclose his name to the Nation became agitated at the site of the Nation correspondent, he said that the reporter had no police warrant to take pictures of the vehicles or speak to his staff.

    In his words, “no one has the right to take picture of my property or talk to my staff, I am doing my business and I don’t care what you say.” He called the police who detained our correspondent for awhile for invading his privacy.

    The inspector in charge of the Byhzhin, Kubwa police station said that they were aware of the indiscriminate way in which the cars are parked causing obstruction on a road that is already too small for commuters.

    He explained that they would have asked them to desist from parking those vehicles indiscriminately but are considering the fact that they will have no other place to park without it affecting their business,

    he asked the manager to pray that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) does not get wind of their activities, since it is their job to keep our roads safe.

     

  • Curbing urban mobility menace

    Curbing urban mobility menace

    The theme for this year’s world Habitat Day was Urban Mobility. Lagos, which is arguably one of the fastest growing cities in the world, is not immune to the attendant problems of urbanisation, such as mobility, migration and security. Seyi Odewale writes on how to confront these challenges.

    To a new comer to Lagos, the sheer number of vehicles on the road and the traffic snarl could be terrifying. But Lagos will always be Lagos. Its allure as an ever-growing city, where dreams can be actualised, continues to draw people to the city despite the transportation, migration and security challenges, among others.

    In a paper delivered during the World Habitat Day in Lagos, a professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Kayode Oyeniku, noted that over the past two decades, urbanisation trend has been fastest in developing countries, adding that as an all-inclusive generalisation, the faster the rate of economic growth, the more rapid its movement towards urbanisation.

    Urban population, he said, was expected to grow steadily with an estimation showing that by 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s population would live in urban areas. Lagos, according to Oyesiku, has the smallest land mass in Nigeria with about 356,861 hectares of land. Of this, about 75,755 hectares are wetlands. Its incredible population density, which is over 50 per cent of the national estimate, puts the state as the third largest megacity in two years.

    A United Nations (UN) estimate, put the present growth of Lagos at 3.2 per cent,while the metropolitan part of the metroplis, an area of about 37 per cent land mass, is the abode for over 85 per cent of the population. “Demographic trend analysis, revealed that the population growth rate of eight per cent has resulted in its capturing of 36.8 per cent of Nigeria’s urban population,” Oyesiku said, citing a 2006 World Bank report.

    According to Oyesiku, the effectiveness of a city lies within the realm of good infrastructural facilities like road networks. Adequate transportation system, he said, can foster spatial interactions, but rapid and uncoordinated growth of cities, he noted, “have compromised the existing transportation systems and significantly increased the challenge of creating future transportation systems, especially for developing cities.

    The increase in the number of vehicles on most roads has brought with it attendant problems of traffic congestion. “In urban areas of less developed countries, car ownership rate has been on the increase. Lagos has continued to experience traffic congestion because many car owners find it more convenient to travel to work by car rather than public transport in congested conditions. This increased use of personalised motor vehicles is choking already congested roads. The environmental and social impacts are significant and directly related to quality of life and urban productivity,” he said.

    Other challenges of urban mobility, he said, are: longer hours spent on commuting; inadequate public transport and environmental impacts and energy consumption, in which case, pollution of various types become serious impediments to the quality of life and health of the urban population.

    To mitigate these challenges, particularly in Lagos, roads must be widened and traffic free zones created; inter-sections and road signals must be improved upon; there must be freeway bottlenecks removal initiatives; there must also be special event management strategies in place; while traffic signals, lightings and signage must be improved.

    Others, such as parking policy, park and ride facilities and peak hour congestion management strategies must be in place with a working Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Rapid Transit in optimal level of performance.

    He also suggested as optional, intermodal transportation as a basic option for urban mobility. Quoting Webster Dictionary, Oyesiku described intermodal transportation as involving more than one mode of carrier during a single journey

    He said: “In other words, intermodalism is characterised by multiple carriers or mixed mode of commuting during a single journey. The US Department of Transportation further noted that intermodal transportation involves the use of more than one type of transportation of people (passengers), goods (freight) and services.

    “Against the background of the definition, mixed mode transport focuses on rapid transport usually by rail, to be combined with low speed mobility, which is the bus or tram. Obviously, rail rapid transit or trains offer quick transit and provides the transition and accessibility where passengers embark and disembark very quickly in the course of a single journey.”

    He enumerated advantages this mode of transport has, saying it provides speed to ones destination; convenience; lower environmental impact; lower vehicle emission; insurance; lower fuel and maintenance costs, as well as increased automobile life expectancy.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr Fola Arthur-Worrey, who presented a paper on Migration and Security said research showed that there is a high concentration of migrants from different parts of the country, the sub-region and the world in Lagos State.

    He said although it is reputed as one of the fastest growing cities in the world and by United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) calculation in 2002, to have 25 million people in 2020, Lagos’ problems are compounded by the fact that “while yearly budgets of other cities with similar megacity status such as New York and Sao Paulo are relatively large, with 2013 budgets of $70 billion and $89 billion, Lagos only has an annual budget of about $3 billion.”

    With Lagos as a preferred destination for so many people for over six and half centuries; serving as trade outposts, harbour, Slave Trade depot, administrative capital of the country and the land of opportunities for everyone, migrations to the place are sure to happen. But these, according to Arthur-Worrey, come with attendant security challenges.

    Rural-urban migration, he said, brings with it problems of overcrowding, heavy pressure on existing infrastructure/resources/institutions, leading to reduced quality of life and urban tensions; large unskilled workforce; cultural confusion; criminality; resistance to public order and rising cost of living among others.

    On the impact of migration on security, particularly in Lagos, Arthur-Worrey said Federal institutions operating in the states are not properly resourced and expanded to cope with the present day realities, which include population growth. This often, according to him, put undue pressure on the state by subsidising federal expenditure. Such expenditures according to him, include supporting the police and other federal agencies, providing energy and creating numerous task forces.

    Large number of undocumentary immigrants, he said, makes identifying criminals difficult. To him, the presence of large, desperate and unskilled body of migrants that are predominantly averse to public order, especially if it restricts their economic activity such as Okada riding and street trading impacts negatively on security.

    The impunity of the nouveau riche, Arthur-Worrey said, leads to institutional failure, which encourages criminal activity and breakdown of law and order.

    He noted that undocumented migration always brings with it criminal activity “like the relationship of the ant and sugar” and areas of relative prosperity and disposable income with a high human density always attract the criminal classes such as kidnappers, robbers and burglars.

    The growth of unplanned settlements, which over-stretch security resources, according to him, provide havens for criminals, just as it leads to loss of control of public spaces to destitute and itinerant migrants who pose environmental challenges. They are also involved in anti-social behaviours.

    Another issue, which, Arthur-Worrey considered as impacting negatively on the security of major cities like Lagos, is what he termed “tyranny of the poor.”

    According to him, there is always some sorts of resistance from the poor whenever government intends to embark on certain urban renewal programmes.

    “Whenever the government attempts to institute order, e.g. by urban renewal programmes or restrictions on certain activities, there is resistance, encouraged by NGOs and other groups, ostensibly working on behalf of the poor, that accuse the government of being anti-poor. “The poor” are, therefore, to be left alone to do whatever they like. And these NGOs do not proffer any alternatives oor provide capital for improving the lot of the poor,” he said.

    Raising major issues and questions, Arthur-Worrey asked if the current national political economy was a working model. “Is the developing world adopting the correct strategies for real economic and social development? What exactly is our definition of social development? Have we disconnected too far from our traditional values in addressing our social problems?-e.g. the current focus on individual as against communal well-being/materially. Have we critically examined the real causes of our social inequality? And what exactly is our practical and sustainable template for human development, rural or urban?”

    His possible solutions to security challenges in megacities such as Lagos include: a “need to rethink our whole development philosophy in terms of actual targets and objectives-what really constitutes progress; a need to re-define our concept of liveable urban spaces; a national need to create more social programmes, especially massive investment in social infrastructure/welfare; identification of more public spaces to be converted into parks/leisure spots; a need for more effective resident and migrant documentation by governments (state and Federal) and a need for more public/private investment in security (a lot more needs to be done to bridge the equipment deficit) and investment in CCTVs by private sector,” he said.

  • Boxes of menace

    Boxes of menace

    • Container trucks threaten commuters daily, like two incidents in Lagos recently

    On September 7, the city of Lagos was twice partially shut down as containers fell across major road arteries. The first was along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the second one occurred at Cappa, along the Agege Motor Road. Each of the two incidents caused major traffic snarls that lasted nearly 12 hours, with the attendant trauma on commuters.

    There had been cases of container trucks, fuel tankers and long articulated vehicles upending their contents on highways across the country, but these two mishaps happening in quick succession have roused road users, tasking various governments and road transport managers to review their operating procedures. Though container owners have noted that considering the fact that over 1,000 such metal boxes are lifted from the Lagos ports daily, the incidence of mishaps has not reached crisis level; but the point remains that even one fall in one week could be one too many because of the capacity of such singular incident to foul up traffic in the city, or even on highways for hours.

    The fear of container-bearing trucks on highways has become the beginning of wisdom for many motorists who seem to nurse the mortal fear that the huge boxes are not properly fastened if at all, and that they are always poised to fall off the trucks. But container trucks managers say that these fears are exaggerated as no truck leaves the ports if the containers are not properly clamped and held down with standard twist locks. They insist that just because the locks are not outwardly visible makes the generality of the people think that containers are not properly clamped. Container mishaps, they argue, are to be blamed mainly on poor road infrastructure, which include deep potholes and in some places, gullies found on many Nigerian highways.

    While ill-maintained roads may be a key factor, reckless driving is also to be noted. Many drivers of container trucks, articulated vehicles, petrol tankers and even large mass transit buses are known to drive with so much rage and impunity as if they are immune to accidents. Apart from often going beyond speed limits, they lead reckless lifestyles and drive under such debilitating influences as alcohol and drugs. Many of these drivers hardly get proper sleep or rest for days as they wait their turns to load the containerised cargo. Has anyone around here ever heard of a special school for heavy duty vehicle drivers where road rules, the right attitudes, temperament and professional ethos are carefully inculcated for the special purpose driving that is required for this cadre of drivers? What are the required age limits for truck drivers and what manner of trucks are allowed to haul heavy cargo?

    Further, even in climes where the road networks are adequate and in good condition, not so many heavily laden trucks assail the highways daily; the rail system which is an adjunct of most ports around the world allows for very large containers to be hauled by rail to transit points in the outskirts of town, thereby bypassing city centre when necessary. The rail line running through Nigeria’s number one ports in Apapa have been in disuse for decades. This is partly responsible for the large and unsightly cluster of trucks around the precincts of the Lagos ports, with the attendant daily traffic snarl and damage to the roads.

    Recently, the Lagos State Government had to lament the fact that revenue running into trillions Naira is realised by the Federal Government from the Lagos ports, yet the state government spends about N50 billion annually servicing the infrastructure around the ports. We urge the Federal Government to rethink the entire ports administration system, especially as concerns Lagos. The Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, must wake up to its duties which go beyond being a rent agent. It must build a modern port rail system and maintain the surrounding road infrastructure. The recent container mishaps are a sign that we have lived haphazardly for too long.

  • Tackling the menace of building collapse

    SIR: The ugly phenomenon of building collapse in Nigeria, with resultant loss of lives and properties, injuries, structural and collateral damages to other properties as well as public infrastructures, is becoming quite alarming. Here in Lagos, we have had a fair share of cases of building collapse with its ensuing trauma and agonies. The case of Lagos is particularly aggravated by its population density, the wet nature of the environment as well as the landscape of the state which most builders do not often take into consideration before embarking on building activities. The situation is further exacerbated by the refusal of residents to heed government’s warning to vacate buildings that are discovered to have faulty structures and therefore unsuitable for human habitation. This is often the situation with most collapsed buildings in the state.

    Similarly, the influx of many people to Lagos, on a daily basis, exerts much pressure on the available housing, leading to overcrowding in most houses with its resulting extra load and apparent distress of most buildings, particularly in densely populated areas. The desperate attempt by the residence to get out of the hook of terrible and shylock landlords by getting roof over their heads at all cost, couple with the eagerness of developers, both professionals and non-professionals, to get quick returns on their investments often leads to situation where regulations are deliberately or ignorantly circumvented thereby compromising standards at the expense of people’s lives.

    There is no point in apportioning blames in respect of the ugly trend of building collapse in the country. Everyone simply has a role to play to if the trend is to be reversed. Governments across the country need to ensure that building regulations are strictly adhered to while the people must be willing to play by the rules. Unfortunately, Nigeria is a place where illegality thrives, people build structures without approved plan, building permit and other necessary authorizations, while estates spring up without approve layout plan. It is estimated that more than 60% of structures across the country falls within this category. To cut cost, many people result to using substandard materials which are prevalent and abundant in Nigeria, both homemade and imported. Sadly, every cheap thing comes with a price.

    In Lagos, the State Government is not oblivious of the threat which the occurrence of collapsed building had over the years posed to government’s efforts to protect lives and property. The governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), recently inaugurated a six-man tribunal of enquiry on collapsed buildings.

    As earlier stated, citizens also have a role to play in curbing the trend of building collapse in the country. It is a fact that most construction activities take place in full glare of the people. Hence, it is important that people take interest in the safety of human lives by reporting structurally deficient building or any illegal construction and contraventions in their environment to the appropriate authorities. The human life is sacrosanct and it must be treated as such. This is why we must all come together to put an end to this menace.

    To effectively tackle the hazard of building collapse, we need to build synergy, build network, harmonise efforts and frequently review success recorded. This is the only way forward if we are to put an end to the agonies and trauma associated with the dreadful incidence of building collapse in Lagos, and indeed the country.

    • Tayo Ogunbiyi

    Ministry of Information and Strategy,

    Alausa, Ikeja.

     

  • The Boko Haram menace

    The Boko Haram menace

    Nigeria is a complex entity and sometimes I just pity our leaders’ helplessness in a system where people who are in positions and are expected to be very objective in state matters do otherwise. I am referring to the call by the highly respected Sultan of Sokoto, that Boko Haram should be granted amnesty. Without mincing words, I have great respect for the Sultan because from the little I have known and followed about him, he is a detribalised Nigerian. But on this issue of giving amnesty to Boko Haram, I wish to say, he goofed.

    On the other hand, my thinking tells me, going by his precedence, that he may have been under pressure from some unknown forces, or is this call a cry of helplessness? If the issue of Boko Haram is politicised then the end will not be close. You can only grant amnesty to a known offender. The question now is that who are the representatives or leaders of Boko Haram, what are their grievances, what are the objects of their rebellion? For me, we are shying away from the root of the crises staring glaringly at us.

    My worry is the daily emasculation of socioeconomic life of northern Nigeria and by extension the whole nation by the actions of Boko Haram.These are trying times for our nation, but we must all stand for what is right regardless of whose ox is gored. I can still remember during the critical days of militancy in the Niger Delta, that the militant groups and their leaders were known. That was why elders from the region, like Chief E.K. Clark, went to the creek several times to negotiate with them. Can you negotiate with spirits? Let’s face the fact, Boko Haram is faceless and have not been able to state categorically what their grievances are except that western education is forbidden according to them. If that premise is anything to go by, then it will be safe to conclude that Boko Haram is an ideology. Even at that, let the leaders come out and identify themselves. It is at this juncture that I call on the elders from the north to stand up to the situation, after all what are elders for? Granting amnesty to Boko Haram is like running around the issue. We must rise up collectively to fight against this crippling phenomenon. If we must see the end of this ugly trend, the north has a major role to play. May God keep and strengthen our nation.

     

    Alexander Ighoro

    Warri, Delta State.