The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Trucks

  • IPMAN: we now get 80 trucks daily

    IPMAN: we now get 80 trucks daily

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has raised the hope of an end to petrol scarcity, saying its members now get a supply of 80 trucks of petrol from Ejigbo satellite in Lagos and Mosimi depot in Ogun State.

    IPMAN Lagos Chairman Alhaji Alanamu Balogun in a statement said before the petrol crisis, the NNPC was supplying IPMAN members only six trucks daily, but in the last five days, the NNPC had increased the supply to 80 trucks per day. He said with the increase in supply, IPMAN members and NNPC employees had been working 24 hours daily to ensure that petrol is supplied all over Lagos and Ogun States.

    Alhaji Balogun said the NNPC had repaired all the existing facilities at Ejigbo satellite depot to enhance fuel supply. According to him, the NNPC had promised to repair all its facilities in Ilorin, Ibadan and Ore depots to ensure regular fuel supply nationwide.

    He commended the DPR Lagos zone to ensure good relationship between the NNPC, PPRA, DAPMAN, MAN and other stake holders.

  • ‘50 % of trucks in Apapa have no business in port’

    A new report released by a leading maritime consulting firm, revealed that more than half of the container trucks visiting Apapa, Lagos daily have no immediate business to transact at the port.

    The report, which stemmed from an independent study conducted by Ships & Ports and a Don of the Lagos Business School, Dr. Frank Ojadi, also indicated that truckers that genuinely have business to do in Apapa Port spend an average turnaround time of two days.

    “The report was prepared with the purpose of giving insight into the number of container trucks coming into Apapa Port in relation to the total number of trucks sighted in the Apapa environs.

    “Two points were selected – the start of Creek Road at the tip of Liverpool Bridge and the start of Wharf Road near Area B – to collect information on trucks coming into Apapa.

    “It was observed that 44 per cent of the containers coming into the Apapa community through these access points, were intended for transactions in Apapa Port, while 56 per cent do not involve any form of transactions in the port.

    “The data gathered was analysed to show the time and frequency taken from sighting to entry into the port,” the report stated.

    A total of 5515 trucks were surveyed at both observation points over a period of two weeks.

    The report stated that the prolonged closure of the Ijora Bridge, which is the main exit point from Apapa for repairs, is a major contributor to the perennial traffic congestion in the area.

    “The Ijora Bridge is the main exit point from Apapa but it was closed to repairs. 20 days was communicated for the repairs but it is still closed more than 30 days after.

    “An alternative route is the Leventis exit by the bridge but this exit is narrow and riddled with several bad spots. The Leventis exit is also characterized by truckers moving against traffic, thus blocking the outbound traffic for several hours. The truckers are aided by security officials who collect money and pass trucks and tankers.

    “The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service has also set up checkpoint for container laden trucks along the same road stretch during the day,” the report said.

    The report also found that there is no presence of a traffic management system to coordinate the affairs of the multiple government agencies responsible for traffic control in Apapa.

    According to the report, “There is no engagement or communication with or to stakeholders before roads are closed and to control abuses and corrupt practices. There are also no tow trucks or rescue equipment to address the constant breakdown of trucks and containers falling along the road.

    “The collapse of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, which is the major entry and exit point for trucks accessing the Tin Can Island Port, the Apapa Port and several tank farms in the area, has led to an increased number of trucks accessing these facilities through the narrow Apapa-Wharf road, thereby compounding the congestion on this stretch of road,” the report further stated.

    Various stakeholders interviewed in the course of the study believe that the solution to the Apapa gridlock is to compel shipping lines to receive all empties at their empty depots.

    The report, however, disagrees stating that “While the popular notion on the return of empty containers have no direct impact on port operations, the study supports the assumption that it may compound the Apapa gridlock. This is because more than 80 per cent of truckers perform dual transactions i.e. drop off empties and pick up imports. This implies that the return of empty containers to depots will add more trucks to the road when they have to return the empties to the terminal.”

    The report also stated that Apapa Port has recorded significant drop in gate transactions in the last few weeks due to the traffic gridlock.

    “Yard Occupancy is currently at 80 per cent which is above the 70 per cent mark for efficient port operations, thereby requiring more resources to be deployed as there are more re-handles to be done.

    “Operators are only able to meet and exceed expected transactions on Sundays because the traffic is lighter on those days,” the report added.

  • Abia govt gives ASEPA five disposal trucks

    The Abia State government has provided five refuse disposal trucks to the state’s Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) to clean the state.

    The trucks came when the state’s two major cities – Umuahia, the state capital, as well as Aba, the commercial hub – have been ravaged by heaps of refuse, raising fears about likely outbreak of an epidemic.

    At the handover of the trucks, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said his administration was determined to ensure a clean state.

    Ikpeazu, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Ude Oko-Chukwu, said government’s determination to keep the state clean propelled his administration to buy three refuse compactor trucks, two roll-off trucks and four refuse buckets.

    He said that the present administration has also reorganized the agency to make it more effective, “We believe that with what we are doing that the agency would turn a new leaf”.

    The governor urged the agency to put the new materials to good use to enable them clean up the state, adding that government would provide more materials for them in due course.

    Receiving the trucks, the general manager of ASEPA, Okechukwu Apugo said that the agency is very happy to the new items, stressing that the governor has empowered them to do their job.

  • 37 bid to supply NNPC six trucks

    37 bid to supply NNPC six trucks

    No fewer than 37 companies have submitted bids to supply six triple agent firefighting trucks for the operation of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), one of the downstream subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    Speaking at a public bid-opening exercise held at the NNPC Towers yesterday, the Managing Director of NPSC, Mr. Luke Anele, who was represented by the Manager, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Mr. Agbami Tijani Mohammed, said the bid would lead to the procurement of six fire fighting trucks that would replace the non- functional and old trucks in its fleet.

    NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu in a statement yesterday, explained that the public bid-opening exercise is part of NNPC’s avowed commitment to openness and transparency aimed at transforming the Corporation into a focused, accountable, competitive and transparent organisation conducting its business with integrity.

  • Dangote distributors get 150 trucks

    Dangote distributors get 150 trucks

    Dangote Cement Plc yesterday distributed over 150 brand new trucks free to its distributors to ease the distribution of cement to consumers across the country. This represents the first phase of the firm’s ‘Redistribution Fleet Empowerment Programme’ under which it plans to give over 250 new targets in the next phase.

    During the inauguration of the trucks in Lagos, its Group Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Oare Ojeikere, said the gesture was aimed at ensuring that customers get products on a timely basis, while also empowering distributors for their efforts.

    He said the trucks came at no cost to the distributors, adding that what was required was for them to reach a certain volume of sales in three years and get the trucks for keeps. “We are giving away 150 trucks in all; this is just one phase. Our biggest customers will get 20 tonnes trucks to ease their burden, while the next category of customers will get 15 and 10 tonnes trucks,” he said.

  • Kewalram, Isuzu to export locally-assembled trucks

    Kewalram, Isuzu to export locally-assembled trucks

    The National Automotive Policy received a boast last week when a Japanese automaker, Isuzu Motors Limited in collaboration with a Nigerian company, Kewalram Chanrai Group, has promised to start exporting locally-assembled trucks to West African countries.

    The two auto giants said work had started on the assembly plant site in Lagos, saying that the first set of locally assembled Isuzu trucks would be out in the second quarter of 2016.

    According to Kewalram Chanrai Group Deputy Managing Director, Mr Victor Eburajolo, the project would be financed by a subsidiary of the group, Koncept Auto Centre Limited, with technical support coming from Isuzu Motors of Japan.

    Koncept Autocentre General Manager, Mr Gaurav Kaul, expressed the possibility of exporting some of the locally assembled trucks to other West African countries.

    “We expect that by 2016, we should be fully operational and running. We’re starting with light duty trucks,” he explained.

    Kaul also said the company was interested in making long-term investments in Nigeria, adding: “As we have been doing in the last 100 years, we’ll continue on the growth path.”

    Eburajolo said the group, after securing the licence from the Federal Government for the project, had been in constant touch with the National Automotive Design and Development Council, giving it progress report.

    Eburajolo said the determination of the government to ensure the success of its auto policy paved the way for many automakers to establish vehicle assembly plants in the country.

    “We’re for the auto policy and are encouraged by the government. We’re in contact with the NADDC and we carry the council along on the project. Two weeks ago, its team was with us. We’re here to stay as Isuzu is known for quality products and we will maintain that standard with the new trucks to be assembled in Nigeria,” he said.

    He recalled that Isuzu used to be a major auto brand in Nigeria, occupying a reputable position because of its strength, durability and performance.

    Eburajolo said the Izuzu brand had been under the Koncept Autocentre in the past one year, enjoying exclusive showrooms and after sale service outlets different from the other brand being handled by the company.

  • Trucks lay siege to Lagos

    Trucks lay siege to Lagos

    MOTORISTS groaned yesterday as the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway was locked down in traffic for nine hours after two tankers and a trailer collided at Ilasamaja bus stop.

    The gridlock stretched from Ilasamaja to Mile 2, a distance of about nine kilometers.

    The accident occurred around 2am and the vehicles were removed at 11a.m.

    Many commercial buses did not operate, leaving commuters, including pupils, stranded for hours.

    Those that operated plied one-way, facing vehicles coming from Oshodi and Airport Road.

    The police and all other security agencies watched helplessly.

    Officers at the Ilasamaja Police Station on the expressway looked away as some motorists drove against traffic.

    Some motorists said the traffic problem was getting out of hand. They called on the government to clear the mess.

    Passengers, who live around Ilasamaja and environs, said the traffic became bad at the beginning of the year, and got worse of recent.

    The traffic was compounded by the deplorable roads which have huge craters.

    Some policemen and officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were seen trying to decongest the traffic.

    Commercial buses jacked up fare between 50 and 100 percent.

    They charged N150 from Ilasamaja to Oshodi as against N50.

    According to an eyewitness, Kaseem Aremu, the accident involved two tankers and a trailer carrying a loaded container.

    He blamed the potholes on the road for the accident

    “Two tankers had already trapped on the road before the trailer arrived. The driver thought he could manoeuvre his way before the tyres slipped off. The container fell off but was blocked by the tanker. The trailer driver should have waited for the better side of the road to be cleared instead of trying to manoeuvre his way along the deep side of the potholes,” Aremu said.

    Balarabe Abdullahi, who drove the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) tanker, said he was going to Abuja.

    Abdullahi, who hails from Kano State, said the accident occurred around 1am.

    He blamed the bad road for the accident.

    “The road is not good. My motor enters (sic) inside the potholes. I am going to Abuja. This other vehicle (trailer) hit my motor as well. It is only when they remove the trailer that they will be able to remove my own motor. I am carrying 40,000 litres of petrol. I am coming from Apapa and taking the petrol to Suleja in Abuja. I have called my boss to tell him what happened and he is on his way,” he said.

    He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to fix the bad roads.

    “There are so many bad roads in the country; it is killing our business. The journey from Lagos to Abuja takes us up to four days as a result of traffic congestion caused by bad roads but if there is no traffic congestion, we spend just two days,” he said.

    Isolo Command Head of Lagos State Fire Service, Taiwo Olusanya said they have been able neutralised the spilled fuel to avert fire.

    “The leaking fuel can ignite fire; since we cannot block the leakage, the best way is to neutralise the fuel so as not to catch fire at any slightest ignition. It is a system of blanketing the fuel on the road. If there is any spark now, it won’t catch fire,” Olusanya said.

  • Photo: Army burn trucks belonging to petroleum thieves

    Photo: Army burn trucks belonging to petroleum thieves

    COMMANDER, 2 BRIGADE, NIGERIAN ARMY GARRISON, LT.-COL. TIMOTHY OPURUM, ADDRESSING NEWSMEN DURING THE BURNING OF TRUCKS BELONGING TO SUSPECTED CRUDE OIL AND DIESEL THIEVES, IN PORT HARCOURT ON THURSDAY
    COMMANDER, 2 BRIGADE, NIGERIAN ARMY GARRISON, LT.-COL. TIMOTHY OPURUM, ADDRESSING NEWSMEN DURING THE BURNING OF TRUCKS BELONGING TO SUSPECTED CRUDE OIL AND DIESEL THIEVES, IN PORT HARCOURT ON THURSDAY
  • Tankers, trucks comply with Lagos directive, move out of Apapa

    Tankers, trucks comply with Lagos directive, move out of Apapa

    Respite came for residents of Apapa who, for the past five weeks, had been groaning under the traffic nightmare caused by the indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers and container trailers as the  motors have been moved away.

    The Lagos State Government had on Wednesday served the drivers a 48-hour ultimatum to move all trucks and tankers off from the Apapa Road. The deadline expired yesterday.

    Checks yesterday evening showed that 80 per cent of the vehicles have been moved out.

    There was easy flow of traffic approaching Apapa from Mile 2, as the traffic jam which was usually encountered from Alaba through Coconut, Tin Can and Liverpool has almost disappeared.

    Same goes for approaching Apapa from Iponri/Costain through the Ijora Causeway.

    The National Vice Chairman (Lagos zone) of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Mr. Solomon Kilanko, said his members had been complying since Thursday.

    He said: “As drivers, we have informed the transport owners of the directive by the Lagos State government. Yesterday (Thursday), our leadership met with the national leadership of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and we both agreed all our tankers must be moved out of Lagos.

    “We have started that and by this evening (yesterday), 80 per cent of our trucks are off the road. I believe by Sunday, the whole place would have been cleaned up and the remaining would be left with depot owners. We have also discussed with the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DEPPMAN) to inform us once the product is available for us to come and lift.”

    He said they had equally sent a circular to other chapters of the union for their members to stay away from Lagos for now since there’s no fuel to lift.

    On his part, the NARTO’s state Chairman, Mr Stephen Okafor, said all trucks belonging to his members would be moved out of the road by Sunday.

    He said any one caught by Sunday on the road “is on his own as everyone has been told to move out of the state”.

    Though the head of the Lagos State Task Force, Bayo Sulaiman, was not available for comments, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Hyginus Omeje, confirmed that the trailers had been moved out and sanity had returned to most places at Apapa.

    He said reports reaching him showed “most truck drivers have complied with the directive.”

    He said the security agencies would go round the area today to monitor compliance and further instruct any recalcitrant driver to move before Sunday.

     

     

  • Security operatives recover over five trucks of vandalised fuel in Lagos

    Security operatives recover over five trucks of vandalised fuel in Lagos

    •Arrests 50

    No fewer than five trucks loaded with petroleum products were recovered at vandals hideout in Majidun, Ikorodu an outskirts of the city at the weekend.

    The stolen petroleum products were recovered in a joint operation which comprised operatives of Nigerian Army, naval officials and Nigeria Security Service and Civil Defence Corps.

    It was gathered that the operatives also arrested 50 of the suspected vandals, arrested 100 canoes and 3,000 jerricans filled with fuel at their hideout.

    Sources said fear gripped residents when the armed security officials stormed the creeks around the community, impounding several ferries loaded with petroleum products.

    Most youths in the area fled the community in fear of being mistakenly arrested as vandals.

    The operation, which was still on as of 1pm yesterday, was said to have started at about 2am in the morning.

    A helicopter painted in the uniform usually worn by naval officers was sighted hovering around the area.

    The helicopter had travelled the waters in the area on Thursday to monitor the activities of the vandals.

    The operation also caused gridlock from Agric to Majidun as the gun-wielding men ransacked motorists.

    They also accosted some commercial operators and passersby were also to the creeks to evacuate the fuel.

    At the creeks, armed men were seen directing civilians to offload the fuel from ferries into the trucks.

    A bus conductor who shuttles between Ketu and Ikorodu, condemned the forcing of civilians to evacuate the fuel, adding that he was exhausted by the task.

    He said, “We were coming from Ikorodu Garage when they stopped our bus. I was forced to carry several jerricans of fuel; 50 litres for that matter. It is very annoying. You can see how they are leading innocent passersby to watersides to offload fuel.”

    A resident, Kabiru Kola, said the activity of the security agents had created panic in the residents, adding that some of them had fled the community.

    “We have been holding our breath since 2am when the operation started. Most people, especially boys have left the community for the fear of being taken as suspects. The perpetrators have run away while some of them have been arrested. Two days ago, I noticed that a helicopter hovered around here for five hours. Since then, I have been heralding something like this,” he said.

    The spokesperson of Lagos State Command of NSCDC, Mr. Mefor Chibuzor, confirmed the operation.

    He said the corps was alerted to it on Sunday morning.

    Chibuzor added that the security agencies would continue oppressing vandals until they desist from tampering with the pipes.

    “A joint operation involving our men, naval and army officials are ongoing now around Agric and Majidun in the Ikorodu area. Some vandals have been arrested while thousands of kegs loaded with petroleum products were recovered from the scene of crime. The creeks were busted following an intelligence report. We will continue to run after the vandals until they stop destroying the government property across the waters,” he said.