Contrary to his earlier promise to resolve the Apapa gridlock within his first 60 days in office, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday reversed himself, saying he never made such promise.
The governor was fielding questions from State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
“Interestingly, some media houses are actually counting down on me. They said that I mentioned during the campaign train that I was going to clear it in 60 days,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“I have mentioned it before, what I said was that in 60 days we would review what was done but that does not take the fact that even if people give you dateline, it’s because they want you to do well and they want you to be able to be accountable for those datelines,” he said.
But BusinessDay reports that this contradicts what the governor had said on May 18, 2019 during an interactive session with his classmates at the Congratulatory Dinner Reception with the Executive Master of Business Administration class, University of Lagos, 1998/2000 set.
At the event, Sanwo-Olu, who was then a governor-elect, promised to end the protracted gridlock in Apapa area of the state within the first 60 days of his administration, “not minding the politics involved”.
“The Apapa trailer issue is a campaign issue; it’s very serious; I’m going to take it very seriously. I believe that it is something that we are going to solve in the first 60 days of our government. Whatever is going to be required of us, we will take them out,” Sanwo-Olu had said.
“There is a lot of politics being played around there. But no; it cannot be the way we’ll continue to live. We cannot continue to give excuses,” he had said.
The then governor-elect had, however, said that as a long-term solution, his administration would develop the Badagry Port to diffuse the pressure on the Apapa Port.
But at the interactive session with State House Correspondents on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said the proposed massive upgrade of Lekki and Badagry seaports in Lagos State remains the most credible alternative to decongesting the Apapa port.
“Apapa Port itself has grown beyond where it is now. That is why Lagos State is speaking with investors to see how we can push either the Lekki Port or the Badagry Port as the long-term alternative to the Apapa Port because that would be the long-term solution in terms of our growth and development as a nation,” he said.
He said his administration was working closely with President Buhari to develop the Lekki and Badagry deep seaports as a panacea to the intractable gridlock being experienced at the Tin Can Island port.
On the President’s response to his plans, the Lagos State governor said, “I can’t get it any better. His words were very encouraging; his acceptance of the initiatives that I brought on board was very resounding. So I am very encouraged and he just gives me the opportunity to go and do more.”
Recounting some of the initiatives the state government has taken, he said the government recently commenced the reconstruction of the Apapa Tin Can Island to Mile 2 Road, saying it was “not at the stage in which we can feel the full impact of it”.
“That’s on one side. The movement of the tanker drivers has also started. There is a Lily Pond Terminal that has been created with NPA and other terminal operators, which I imagine has started doing what we call the call-up system,” he said.
“What I understand by the call-up is that it’s a system that needs to be a bit more electronically driven. I think it’s currently run manually now, but if we can get software that can enhance it and enforce it, the call-up system can become something that can hold the tanker drivers accountable. If you’re not called on to come unto the port you are not meant to come,” he said.
He said the initiatives were meant to improve the quality of life and business development in Lagos, adding that they included security and economic investment opportunities.
He said that it was imperative for the government to keep Lagos as a whole safe and secure, pointing out that the state was the gateway to the economic development of the country.
“We must continue to encourage the international investors and the private sector that Lagos remains the hub of business and that it’s safe,” he said.
“So issues around cultism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery are little things that we hear about and we have to nip them in the bud before they become challenges that we cannot deal with,” he said.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
