Hails Osinbajo’s intervention

Condemns recent granting of approval for tank farm in Apapa

As LCCI, MAN, demand immediate palliative measures

GOVERNOR AKINMUMI Ambode, yesterday continued his efforts at finding solutions to the protracted gridlock on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway which has crippled business operations and endangered lives, by dedicating substantial part of, the second edition of Lagos Corporate Assembly tagged; ‘A+Meets Business’, to discuss the gridlock and its negative impact on business and residents.

‘A+Meets Business’,  is a forum organized by the state government to interact with members of the Organised Private Sector, OPS, as well as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, in Lagos.

While noting that the only permanent solution to the gridlock was seamless port operations, the governor insisted that though the move to repair the major roads in Apapa was laudable, but concerted efforts must equally be put in place to address the issue of seamless port management which led to the crisis

Responding to concerns raised by the business community on the negative effects the chaotic situation on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway was having on their business, the governor said call-up system for tankers and containerized trucks must be structured to eliminate the present chaos, while issuance of licenses for more tank farms in the axis must be suspended.

He said: “Beyond the roads, the fundamental issues have more to do about the concession of the ports.

The loading bay inside the ports, has capacity to accommodate about 50 trucks. There is no organised exit and entrance system.

“So, someone who does not have any permit drives all the way from other states without any focus and then park on the bridge. He does not even have any business inside the ports.  The ports maybe can only take 50 trucks, and then you have almost 500 trucks. So, everything is totally disorganized. Because Lagos is a sub-national, there are limitations of political power play and the conflict of personalities. Those things affect your organizational drive. So, sometimes, Governors get frustrated and out of frustration you keep quiet.

“The truth is that those issues are more germane than the roads. So, if Akin Ambode goes and repairs the roads, but the planning process and logistics to enter the ports are not in my hand, should I now go to the long bridge at the toll gate and stop those trucks?  They will say I am being sectional. So, I must allow free movement as a cosmopolitan state and so people come in and go out and we are just in a fix.

“So, on the part of repairing the roads, the Federal Government has taken charge, but one thing is to say what you want to do, the other thing is to quickly go and do it. So, in the process of planning and delivery, it could take years but within our own limit as a state Government, we have set up a Joint Task Force of all the security agencies to ensure that at least, there is still free movement within the structured chaos that we have in Apapa.”

Hails VP’s intervention

Ambode expressed optimism that the intervention of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would go a long way in addressing the protracted traffic crisis in the area.

The governor also condemned recent approval for another tank farm in Apapa, saying, such would only aggravate the chaotic situation.

It was gathered that the new tank farm currently under construction on Creek Road, Apapa could hold up to 50 million litres of petroleum products, which can serve about 800 trucks per day shift.

Oshodi transport interchange

On the Oshodi Transport Interchange and Airport Road currently under construction, Ambode said the projects were conceived and being implemented to create massive jobs for the people, and also transform the face of Lagos forever.

LCCI, MAN, demand immediate palliative measures

Earlier, President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Dr. Nike Akande and Chairman, Ikeja Branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Francis Meshioye, raised concern over the intractable gridlock in the axis and called for immediate intervention for short and longer term solution.

Akande, noted that the port accounted for 60 percent of the cargo that came into the country and estimated 70 percent of Nigerian Customs revenue.

According to her “The situation demands urgent attention than what it is getting from the Federal Government. It is taking more time than expected. While we await the Federal Government solution, there is need for palliative measure to ease the pressure within the axis.”