OVER the past 13 years or so when the negative effects of some port reforms, coupled with deregulation of the downstream oil sector, spilled thousands of trucks, trailers and tankers onto the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and adjoining communities in Apapa, the Federal and Lagos State governments have issued several ultimatums for their clearance to no avail.

President Buhari

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Apart from the futile efforts of previous regimes to deal with the problem, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited the theatre of national shame in July 2018 and ordered immediate removal of the trucks. The failure of that effort gave birth to yet another 72-hour fiat, this time by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 22, 2019, for the clearance of the gridlock mess.

This time, the effort is being spearheaded by VP Osinbajo following the sack of the military task forces which had, after initially helping out, turned it into a venture for self-gratification. Now, the job of removing the gridlock under Osinbajo’s watch has been restored to the core statutory agencies like the Federal Roads Safety Corps, FRSC and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, with Mr. Kayode Opeifa, a man with much experience dealing with Lagos transportation, in charge.

So far, the progress has been slow, but most heavy-duty vehicles have been removed from the Ijora, Orile and Eko Bridge axis. Opeifa has assured that with the movement of efforts to the Oshodi-Apapa and Badagry Express axis, the mission will soon be accomplished. With the benefit of past experiences, we make bold to state that clearing the juggernauts from the roads and bridges is the easiest part, and this is not the first time it has been done over the years. Keeping them out permanently poses the real challenge.

It is not as if the government does not know what to do. It is just the political and patriotic zeal to get it done that is missing. The Ogun State Government under former Governor Gbenga Daniel had constructed trailer parks along the Lagos – Ibadan corridor. The LASG has, for years, promised to complete and relocate the trucks to the Bola Tinubu Park, but till today it remains an unfulfilled promise. Even the Apapa Ports rail line which was supposed to have been rehabilitated to shift containers out of the ports has not been done.

We are gratified to note that President Buhari placed the burden of clearing the Apapa gridlock on the shoulder of the Vice-President. If the problem remains unsolved in the next couple of weeks we know where to pin the failure on.The mission to clear the Apapa gridlock should be treated as a national economic emergency because of the importance of the Apapa Business District to the non-oil revenue resources of the country.

We are keeping vigil on it.