Apapa: FG, stakeholders meet today in Lagos

The Federal Government is today meeting with stakeholders in Lagos, to discuss the way forward, ahead of the commencement of the rehabilitation of the collapsed stretch of the Ijora-Wharf Road, gateway to Nigeria’s two most active seaports.

The meeting, at the instance of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and holding at the old Senate Chamber of the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), it was learnt, would dwell on government’s expectation from different stakeholders, including the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) among others. It will also seek to clear grey areas and address the concerns of stakeholders, with respect to traffic management within and around Apapa, when the repair work starts proper.
The Federal Government two weeks ago, handed over the road (stretching two kilometres from the bridge, opposite Area ‘B’ Police Station, to Apapa port) to AG Dangote, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for rehabilitation, and ordered the removal of trucks from the road, to enable the contractor, AG Dangote, mobilise to site. The companies are undertaking the project at the cost of N4.3 billion, as part of their corporate social responsibility to their host community.
It was however observed, that roads within Apapa, were free of their usual heavy congestion, on Wednesday, the first working day after the two-day holiday to mark the Eid-el-Fitri.
Tokunbo Korodo, Lagos zonal chairman of NUPENG, said the union has started complying with the directive to remove tankers from the road, but insisted that the one year duration announced for the project, would impact fuel supply negatively.
“We have started compliance already. But if this project is to last for one year, I am afraid it might lead to fuel scarcity, and we should not be held responsible,” said Korodo.
However, Remi Ogungbemi, chairman of AMARTO, said that the low traffic in Apapa on Wednesday, was as a result of the skeletal activities at the port after the two-day national holiday, which took place immediately after the weekend.
“There is nothing to move from the port yet, but upbeat of business activities are likely to return in the port, starting on Friday. You know that we just returned from public holidays and cargo clearing just resumed at the ports. Therefore, I believe that the traffic free roads in Apapa was because the importers and their agents are still working with the shipping companies, terminal operators and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to perfect their documentation processes,” Ogungbemi said. On the seven-day ultimatum issued to their members by the Federal Government to vacate the road, to allow for the rehabilitation, Ogungbemi said the association has directed its members to vacate the said roads, in line with the Federal Government’s directive.
“We have directed our members to make use of their individual trailer parks as parking spaces for those of them that have parks. But the problem is how will they know the right time to be at the port to pick their cargoes?”
According to him, it will be difficult for the port to operate effectively without a holding bay or trailer park for the trucks, while waiting to pick cargo from the port or deliver export in the port. He added that vacating the road would be counter productive without an organised transit park. “This is why we have been advocating for the use of the call-up system as it is done in any modern port. Both the state and Federal Government, who have the power to introduce the call-up system, should do so because it is not something truckers can do on their own.
He said the essence of using call-up system in managing movement of heavy duty trailers around the port cannot be overemphasised, as that will come with a date and time for the trucks to be at the port to pick cleared cargo. He added that this would enable the truckers to programme their time, instead of hanging around the port environment.
Adewole Tunji, a clearing agent, told our correspondent that despite the fact that terminal operators and shipping companies were on ground during the holidays, in line with the 24-hour port operations, the Customs on their parts were only operating at the port gate, where already cleared cargoes were given approval by them to exit the port.
Tunji confirmed that Customs officers were not carrying out cargo inspection during the holidays and the commercial banks were also not on ground to collect import duties on cargoes.

 

JOSHUA BASSEY & AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE