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Tag: Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

  • Ambode orders repair of failed portions of Oshodi-Apapa expressway

    Ambode orders repair of failed portions of Oshodi-Apapa expressway

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday expressed dissatisfaction at the deplorable state of some sections of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, saying the road was too strategic to the economy of the State and therefore cannot be ignored.

    Governor Ambode, who made an unscheduled inspection tour of the road while returning from the grand opening of a 70, 000 capacity Motorbikes Assembly Plant in Mile 2, directed the State’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and other relevant government agencies to immediately move to site and fix the bad portions of the road.

    A visibly worried Governor Ambode had stopped his convoy and came down from his vehicles to inspect the bad portions of the road alongside top government officials who accompanied him.

    The Governor specifically inspected the bad portions of the road between Berlett and Ilasa, and Cele Bus stop inward Oshodi.

    Governor Ambode not only directed the officials of the Ministry of Works to immediately move to site, but also ordered that an immediate palliative measure must be put in place to alleviate the sufferings of motorists who have been complaining about the deplorable state of the road through various means.

    While addressing some of the crowd that trooped out to welcome him, Governor Ambode said the bad state of the road was of serious concern to him, and that an immediate solution was coming soon.

    He said: “The state of this road is just not acceptable. We are going to do something about this place immediately. The Oshodi-Apapa Expressway is too strategic to be left like this.

    “I have directed officials of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and other relevant agencies to move to site immediately and see what they can do and also create palliatives in the interim to alleviate the plight of motorists.

    “I want to assure the people that I share in the difficulties they are going through using this road and we cannot afford to neglect this road,” he said.

    The elated crowd, realizing the fact that Governor Ambode has a reputation for keeping to his words, acknowledged and appreciated the promise, saying the repair of the road was long overdue, adding that such would go a long way in bringing succor to them.

  • Gridlock: Assembly tells tankers drivers to vacate Oshodi-Apapa expressway

    Gridlock: Assembly tells tankers drivers to vacate Oshodi-Apapa expressway

    in an effort to stop the persistent traffic gridlock along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday called on petroleum tanker drivers especially the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Worker (NUPENG) to vacate Oshoodi-Apapa expressway.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Commerce and Industry, Hon Oladele Adekanye made the call during a visit by the Committee to the Ibru Port Complex in Apapa as part of the Committee oversight function.

    The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the persistent traffic gridlock in the Apapa area which has spilled over to some other parts of the state, saying that it has led to series of atrocities in the area.

    According to him, there is going to be a follow-up to ensure that the tanker drivers vacate the road, noting that the state is unrelenting to put an end to traffic gridlock on that axis. This is the major road that leads to the economy hub of the country.

    Adekanye who represents Lagos Mainland Constituency I stressed that Lagos Assembly is concerned with the improvement of economy.

    The Chairman, Technical Committee of the Ibru Port, Godfrey Okorie told the lawmakers that NUPENG has been the problem to them, saying they refused  to evacuate their tankers from the expressway even when the Commissioner of Transportation gave the order.

    Godfrey said: “We cannot on our own compel NUPENG to vacate its tankers but it will take the effort of both Federal and State governments and other agencies to restore sanity in the area.

     

  • How to make ports road motorable, by agents

    How to make ports road motorable, by agents

    Agents have found a partial solution to the dilapidated Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos.

    They are asking the Federal Government to use part of the money made from the ports to fix the roads leading to the Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports.

    In a petition, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said it was sad over the deplorable Lagos and Onne port roads. It lashed the government for the poor state of the roads, which they said is affecting quick cargo delivery, endangering workers’ lives and making things difficult for those are living and doing businesses around the areas.

    The letter, signed by ANLCA’s president, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, sought explanation on what the government uses the money realised from the ports for.

    The petition it copied the National Confrence, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy/Minister of Finance, Ministers of Transport, Works and Housing and Urban Development, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Lagos State Governor, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    A source said ANLCA and other  stakeholders became worried when they learnt that previous efforts by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola to get the government to mend the roads failed.

    “Is it good to read on the pages of newspapers that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generates over N70 billion monthly from the Lagos ports without any corresponding development of the roads that lead to the ports?” the source queried.

    “Even the Customs Comptroller-General, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, said it recently at a forum in London that the service generates about N100 billion monthly and we are sure that about 80 per cent of the amount is generated in Lagos, why is the government finding it difficult to develop port infrastructure to make it attractive for business and generate more money? ” the source said.

    Shittu said the group met and resolved that the government should be asked to fix the roads.

    He said: “Letters to the Federal Government alone, this time around, will not be enough. Advertisement of such interventions in the newspapers may follow, to put pressure on the Federal Government to intervene, to save the lives of Nigerians suffering and dying on these roads everyday.

    “ANLCA is cooperating with other equally concerned stakeholders in the maritime sector of the economy, to articulate and strategise on the best way to tackle the menace of the completely broken down road infrastructure, that is affecting the delivery of Cargoes, endangering the lives of workers in and around Apapa, and generally making life unbearable for Nigerians around these areas.

    “Other operational challenges in the ports were discussed and we resolved that they should be aggregated in writing, for appropriate action, especially against some shipping companies, through their home countries.”

    By resolving to go through their home countries to resolve the challenges, Shittu said,  it was in the realisation of this that their regulators have been compromised to look the other way, Nigerians are continuously extorted by these shipping firms and some terminal operators.

    The ANLCA chief also said he was aware that the Lilypond Customs Command at Ijora, Lagos alone, collected N2.2 billion revenue in April and another N2.37 billion in May not talk of of other big commands in Apapa and Tin-Can ports.

    Shittu berated the poor development of port infrastructure by the Federal Government, urging President Goodluck  Jonathan to address the issue.