Individuals, corporate organisations, and law enforcement officers seeking to frustrate the newly introduced electronic call-up system which has helped to restore sanity to Apapa and the ports environment, will have the Lagos State government to contend with.
The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said his government would stop at nothing in exposing and bringing such group into public opprobrium – naming and shaming them, as Lagos cannot afford to return to the Apapa dark days.
“I am saying it before the camera now that we will not stop at anything in ensuring that anybody that tries to take us back to where we are coming from on the gridlock in Apapa; we will do everything to fight them. We will name and shame them, be it a corporate organisation, company, police officer or Lagos state official,” Sanwo-Olu said while commissioning the remodelled Lekki first, second and Abraham Adesanya roundabouts on the Lekki-Ajah corridor, on Wednesday.
The electronic call-up system which became effective from February 27, allows only trucks cleared by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to make their journey to the Apapa port from any of the eight licensed truck parks within and outside the Lagos metropolis.
Consequently, trucks hitherto parked on roads and bridges with resultant daily gridlock, are no longer allowed. The state government collaborating with the NPA and other stakeholders, including the Nigeria Police, and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had already deployed some 500 operatives to monitor and enforce traffic flow around Apapa with that axis already experiencing free movement of persons, trucks and goods.
Read Also: Apapa wrestles to keep trucks under control
According to Sanwo-Olu, the state government can no longer condone recklessness around the port environment.
The governor said his administration would adopt the name and shame approach to bring any saboteurs of the new system before the court of public opinion.
“Those who say the solution we are bringing to Apapa will not work will answer to the citizens of Nigeria and Lagos State,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor equally appealled to SIFAX, Dangote, Flour Mills, Tunde Folawiyo Oil and other major players within Apapa to collaborate with the government in solving the gridlock in Apapa.
“We gave a commitment and said, we’ll do everything possible to solve the gridlock problem of Apapa” said Sanwo-Olu, adding that the intervention took longer because the government needed to collaborate with all the stakeholders in the Apapa corridor.
According to him, what is currently happening in Apapa is the beginning of the lasting solution his administration is bringing to the area.
Frederic Oladeinde, the state commissioner for transport, said the remodelling of the roundabouts was symbolic and demonstrated Lagos’ commitment to ensuring efficient traffic management and transportation; which according to him, is the first pillar of the THEMES development agenda of the current administration.
Oladeinde further stated that the projects were a testimonial to Sanwo-Olu’s belief, trust, and confidence in the ministry as a government agency, saddled with the responsibility of driving the ongoing reforms in the transport sector.
“Most of the existing roundabouts/junctions were prepared mainly for manual traffic control system; which in reality, could not meet the 21st century technology driven traffic control system needed in an emerging Smart City with fast growing population like ours,” said Oladeinde.
According to the commissioner, six major junction/roundabout improvement projects have been successfully completed, with three already delivered for public use. These include Allen Avenue Roundabout, Maryland Junction and Ikotun Roundabout.
