Gridlock: Osinbajo, Sanwo-Olu Visit Apapa, Inspect Ongoing Projects

Efforts to decongest ports in Lagos State have been intensified, with a visit to Apapa by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday.

The visit to Apapa was seen as a pointer to the readiness of the Federal Government to work with the Lagos government in finding lasting solution to the gridlock that has become an eyesore along the nation’s busiest ports.

Prof. Osinbajo, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on the Apapa Traffic Gridlock, said the decongestion of the Apapa port and its environ remained the focus of the Federal Government, noting that the visit to the port was prompted by the need to assess the level of work being done towards solving the quagmire.

He said: “There are several aspects of the task that has to be done in decongesting the port. There have been a lot of infrastructure projects around the Lagos ports initiated by the Federal Government. Some of these projects have been completed; a lot are still ongoing. However, clearing the roads of trailers and oil tankers is the major issue that is of concern to the people. The good news is, there is a considerable improvement in this regard.

“The Mile 2 end of the Apapa axis is where there is some difficulty, but I assure you that in the next couple of days, it will be resolved, given the operation of Tin Can Island Trailer Park and the palliative work going on all the way down to Mile 2. We can all see that the entry to the ports is essentially clear.

“There are short term, mid and long term measures we are putting in place. One of our long-term measures is to decongest the cargo traffic coming in and out of the ports. Apapa port is meant to take 34 million metric tons, but it is currently doing over 80 million metric tons today. There is certainly a need to find an alternative and to expand.”

Osinbajo disclosed that there was an ongoing dredging of the Warri port in Delta State, as part of the efforts to decongest cargo traffic in Lagos ports. He added that standard gauge currently being constructed by the government from Lagos to Kano would be useful in the decongestion efforts in Lagos ports.

“We should be able to get cargos out of the Apapa port, using the rail. The NPA is using barges at the moment. This is a very busy port and congestion is caused largely by constraint of space. In sustaining the effort, we are improving the capacity of other ports across the country and then improve the infrastructure around these ports,” the Vice President said.

Lagos government expressed satisfaction with the Federal Government’s effort to solve the traffic congestion around Apapa occasioned by influx of cargo and heavy-duty vehicles.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration would be ever ready to complement any effort by the Federal Government to ensure decongestion of the area in order to ease the pains of residents and businesses.

Also in the Federal Government’s team during the visit to Apapa included the Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman, Executive Vice Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on the Apapa Traffic Gridlock, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Director General of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Adedamola Kuti, and members of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, among others.

Some of the projects inspected by the Vice President and Gov. Sanwo-Olu included the rehabilitation of Creek and Coconut Roads, cargo terminals, and Tin Can Trailer Park recently built by the Federal Government, among others.

 

Presidency Issues Directive To Clear Apapa Port Congestion Within 2 Weeks

Succor may be coming so soon to the dreaded Apapa Expressway as Pres. Buhari has directed immediate action on the road. According to the press release obtained by AutoReportNG,

A Presidential directive has been issued for the immediate clearing up of the Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs within 2 weeks. The directive mandates the immediate removal of all trucks from the bridges and roads within Apapa and all adjoining streets leading into the Apapa axis.

To facilitate this important assignment, operators of trucks and tankers have also been directed to vacate the Port Access Roads within the next 72 hours.

This directive follows an emergency meeting convened by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on the 25th of April, 2019. The meeting proffered lasting solutions to the gridlock around the Lagos Ports, as the traffic congestion has continued to restrict all operations and livelihood in the area.

At the meeting were key heads and representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, including the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu; representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral B.E.E Ibe-Enwo; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Salaam Taiwo Olufemi; and the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Sokonte Davies, among others.

Consequently, a Presidential Taskforce, chaired by Vice President Osinbajo was established to restore law and order to the area within 2 weeks. The Taskforce, which will report directly to the President, has included on its Terms of Reference the development of an efficient and effective management plan for the entire port area traffic, including the cargo, fuel distribution and business district traffic; enforcing the permanent removal of all stationary trucks on the highway, and the development of an effective manual truck call-up system, pending the introduction of the electronic truck call-up system. It also includes the implementation of a workable Empty Container Return and Export Container Truck Handling Policy, amongst others.

Members of the taskforce include Mr. Kayode Opeifa, former Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State, as the Executive Vice Chairman; a representative of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC); the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); and the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC).

Other members include a special unit of the Nigeria Police Force led by a Commissioner of Police, representatives of the Truck Transport Union, the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and other relevant MDAs.

The Nigerian Navy and all other military formations have also been mandated to withdraw from traffic management duties in and around the Apapa axis, while military and paramilitary checkpoints in front of the ports and environs are to be dismantled.

In addition, LASTMA has been authorised to move into Apapa as the lead traffic management agency, while the NPA is to commence the immediate use of the Lilypond Terminal and Trailer Park A as a truck transit park. The directive further mandates compliance by all security personnel and MDAs, while heads of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and all other security operatives are to ensure their officers’ adherence to the new directives.

Obiano, Osibanjo Inspect on going work at 2nd Niger Bridge

The Federal Government says it has set aside funds under the Presidential Funding Initiative to ensure the timely completion of the Second Niger Bridge.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo revealed this today when he inspected construction work on the project site in the company of Governor Willie Obiano.

Professor Osinbajo said the Federal Government is committed to completing the Bridge and its adjoining roads because of the prospect it holds for economic growth not only for the Southeast but also the entire country.

The bridge he noted, is one of the five projects the present administration at the centre has set out funds to ensure their completion.

The governor of Anambra state Chief Willie Obiano on his part observed that Southeast has a lot to gain if the bridge is completed, acknowledging that the present Federal Administration has shown that it wants the project completed on schedule.