President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a directive for the immediate clearance of Apapa Port congestion and emergency clean-up of gridlock on Apapa road.
This comes less than 48 hours after Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu accused the Federal Government of playing politics with the Apapa gridlock.
Igbere TV recalls that, Sanwo-Olu had, over the weekend vowed to end the Apapa gridlock within 60 days in office.
The governor-elect said despite the politics involved, he would take away the trailers and tankers from the road in a bid to alleviate the plights of Lagosians.
“The Apapa trailer issue; it’s 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. 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 said.
However, the president in a statemet obtained by Igbere TV on Wednesday, ordered all trucks and tankers to vacate the port access roads within 72 hours.
The statement was signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande.
“A Presidential directive has been issued for the immediate clearing up of the Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs within two weeks.
“The directive mandates the immediate removal of all trucks from the bridges and roads within Apapa and all adjoining streets leading into the Apapa axis,” the statement read in part.
To facilitate this clearance, operators of trucks and tankers have also been directed to vacate the Port Access Roads within the next 72 hours.
Igbere TV gathered that the directive followed an emergency meeting convened by President Muhammadu Buhari in April this year.
“This directive follows an emergency meeting convened by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on the 25th of April, 2019.
“The meeting proffered lasting solutions to the gridlock around the Lagos Ports, as the traffic congestion has continued to restrict all operations and livelihood in the area.
“At the meeting were key heads and representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, including the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu; representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral B.E.E Ibe-Enwo; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Salaam Taiwo Olufemi; and the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Sokonte Davies, among others.”
Igbere TV learnt that a Presidential Task Force, chaired by Vice President Osinbajo was after the meeting established to restore law and order to the area within two weeks.
The task force will report directly to President Buhari.
The terms of reference of the task force include, “the development of an efficient and effective management plan for the entire port area traffic, including the cargo, fuel distribution and business district traffic; enforcing the permanent removal of all stationary trucks on the highway, and the development of an effective manual truck call-up system, pending the introduction of the electronic truck call-up system. It also includes the implementation of a workable Empty Container Return and Export Container Truck Handling Policy, amongst others.”
Igbere TV gathered members of the task force to include Mr. Kayode Opeifa, former Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State, as the Executive Vice Chairman; a representative of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC); the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
Other members include a special unit of the Nigeria Police Force led by a Commissioner of Police, representatives of the Truck Transport Union, the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and other relevant MDAs.
The Nigerian Navy and all other military formations have also been mandated to withdraw from traffic management duties in and around the Apapa axis, while military and paramilitary checkpoints in front of the ports and environs are to be dismantled.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has also been authorised to move into Apapa as the lead traffic management agency, while the NPA is to commence the immediate use of the Lilypond Terminal and Trailer Park A as a truck transit park.
The directive further mandates compliance by all security personnel and MDAs, while heads of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and all other security operatives are to ensure their officers’ adherence to the new directives.
