Chiemelie Ezeobi



The Presidential Task Force on Apapa Gridlock, Wednesday said it would on Monday next week commence the impounding of errant and idle articulated vehicles on Lagos bridges and roads.

The resolution was made wednesday at the meeting of all stakeholders in Apapa gridlock, which held at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT conference room, in Lagos. The taskforce Chairman, Commodore Okon Eyo, who made this disclosure at the stakeholders meeting, said the punitive measure only applies to non-compliant drivers of articulated vehicles- either tanker and truck drivers.

Eyo, who is also the Commander NNS Beecroft, said the enforcement took this long because the holding bays to accommodate the trucks and other modalities needed to be put in place.

The stakeholders meeting was a fallout of the previous meeting held with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and other critical stakeholders in the efforts at decongesting Apapa gridlock.

Some of the proposed measures to effectively decongest the roads were for empty containers heading to the ports without any business there to desist, while export containers/sided trucks and flat beds are left inbound to the ports.

Others include coordinating large haulage companies or anyone wishing to move 10 trucks or more in one day, monitoring the operation of holding bays, parking instructions and management of broken down vehicles, as well as stopping non-ports bound traffic like tankers and trucks going to private premises.

The stakeholders meeting also addressed the issue of complaints of extortion, brutalism, preferential treatment and ineffectiveness of the applied strategies by the security taskforce. They also addressed the challenge of poor road network, recalcitrant drivers, intimidating and threatening posture of groups and unions, sometimes even to the extent of blackmail, as well as transporters’ subtle and overt inducement of traffic personnel and uncooperative attitude of terminal operators and shipping agencies.

Other challenges include ineffective NPA call-up system, unprofessional conduct of the taskforce personnel, continued use of the bridges as parks, non-operationalisation of the holding bays, use of dilapidated and rickety vehicles and losgistics shortfall for the taskforce including manning shortage.

In an interview with journalists afterwards Eyo said, “Before now, we have had series of meetings on the gridlock but now, we are going to return all empty containers on the road to the holding bays.

“Articulated vehicles henceforth are no longer allowed to be on the roads and bridges but at the holding bays and from there, they would be programmed between the agencies, terminal operators and NPA management.

“These agencies will then generate call cards for the articulated vehicles. The call cards is what the security agencies will be checking on the roads.

When we brought up the idea a month ago, the operators were not ready so we gave them time to put the required infrastructure for holding bays in place. Right now, we are very serious and they do not have a choice than to comply.”

Also speaking, the Chairman, Ajeromi Local Government Area, Ayoola Fatai, lamented that lots of people were benefiting from the chaos, which he said explains the lingering situation.

He said: “A lot of people are benefiting from the situation and that is why the solution is being delayed up to this moment.

“My take on this is that it has made the business in my local government paralysed. We have about 1.6million people resident in Ajegunle who cannot go out of their houses talk more of going to their businesses.

“People are dying everyday because of these containers and trucks. We need to be realistic in this approach. I have written a letter to the commander informing him of our resolution in our community not to allow these trucks to pass through our community anymore.

“Already, 198 culverts have been damaged, about 14 streets have being destroyed because of these containers and the the government is not coming to our aid.” Also, the Chairman, Apapa Local Government, Elijah Owolabi, harped on the dangers the gridlock portends on the health of residents.

He said: “All these trucks that want to carry out major business in Apapa should maintain one lane and allow the other lane to be useful for the commercial vehicles and other private vehicles to come in and execute their own businesses.”

On the issue of articulated vehicles parking in bridges he said they are going to engage robustly on this as the life span of those bridges have expired.

He said: “The lifespan of those bridges have expired. The maximum lifespan of a bridge is 40years and we have exceeded that.”

On the proposed relocation of tank farms in Apapa and environs he said: “They are due processes to be followed and that one is not under my own control.

“Our own is to suggest. What we need to to however is to go into all the tankfarms and ensure that they all have adequate and fully operational safety devices and not obsolete equipment,” he added.

lalasticlala

Firefire:
Is that the solution to fixing the bad road?

Nigeria have the following sea ports...

1. Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos;

2. Calabar Port,

3. Delta Port,

4. Rivers Port at Port Harcourt, and Onne Port.

Why can’t the government decongest Lagos port by upgrading and utilizing other ports across the country?

When will Nigeria have visionary leaders and not these set of sentimental rulers?

CROWNWEALTH019:

Let's assume the previous governments didn't do well in this area, can't that lifeless donkey do something for once in his entire life

Firefire:



You can imagine that some brainwashed elements will soon show to ask why the useless PDP that ruled for 16 years could not fixed these port challenges.

They should be reminded that the current government promised CHANGE within few months in power, four years already approaching with no sign of meaningful development. Is this simple order also a “ROCK SCIENCE”

CROWNWEALTH019:

That's the annoying thing, if others has done it wrong then you should fix it and let's move on. If this government could do half of what they campaigned to do when they come into power, they would win the 2019 election without a stress. I pity so many BMC, they still believe the government is in touch with the people but they got it all wrong because this government destroyed and keep destroying so many peoples source of income. The other day, they said they've taken 10m people out of poverty, my brother how can they open mouth to spew thrash to the Nigerian people?

I warned, screamed, begged and cried that we shouldn't vote this man but nobody listened but now we all paying for the crimes we never committed. How would millions of youth expect a Fulani that is a religious bigot to drive us to the promise land?

As its stands, we have the characteristics of a failed state. I pray we correct the mistake next year.

The PDP needs to get it right cause they seem like the only strong opposition, if they fail because of their selfish interest above the masses interest then we are still going to be in EGYPT.....


MORNING MY BRO

Firefire:


The religious and ethnic sentiment pattern of voting in Nigeria will never make this country progress.

We Deserve The Leaders We Have In Nigeria.

Good morning.

CROWNWEALTH019:

That's the annoying thing, if others has done it wrong then you should fix it and let's move on. If this government could do half of what they campaigned to do when they come into power, they would win the 2019 election without a stress. I pity so many BMC, they still believe the government is in touch with the people but they got it all wrong because this government destroyed and keep destroying so many peoples source of income. The other day, they said they've taken 10m people out of poverty, my brother how can they open mouth to spew thrash to the Nigerian people?

I warned, screamed, begged and cried that we shouldn't vote this man but nobody listened but now we all paying for the crimes we never committed. How would millions of youth expect a Fulani that is a religious bigot to drive us to the promise land?

As its stands, we have the characteristics of a failed state. I pray we correct the mistake next year.

The PDP needs to get it right cause they seem like the only strong opposition, if they fail because of their selfish interest above the masses interest then we are still going to be in EGYPT.....


MORNING MY BRO

Islie:










https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/09/20/apapa-gridlock-taskforce-to-commence-impounding-trucks-monday/amp/

colestephan86:

These confused people and their gorilla tactics, those trucks are parked on the road cos of the terribly bad condition of the road.i went there last week and my car almost drowned inside a pot hole on the road.

Bigdreamers:


16 years could have been enough to turn it round
4 years might not be enough to try any shit
If you know, you know

Florblu:




Four years is enough to build a foundation for change if you think it's not enough to make a change.

Florblu:
Of what use is the impounding exercise when after some weeks those trucks will still be seen on that same road?

Of what use is the impounding exercise when the impounded trucks will still be released at no cost that's if they impound the trucks at all.


It's funny how laws are made and violated by.the law makers and their cohorts.


Nothing is working in this country except the masses

Firefire:



You can imagine that some brainwashed elements will soon show to ask why the useless PDP that ruled for 16 years could not fixed these port challenges.

They should be reminded that the current government promised CHANGE within few months in power, four years already approaching with no sign of meaningful development. Is this simple order also a “ROCK SCIENCE”


Nigeria, who has bewitched you?

Firefire:
Is that the solution to fixing the bad road?

Nigeria have the following sea ports...

1. Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos;

2. Calabar Port,

3. Delta Port,

4. Rivers Port at Port Harcourt, and Onne Port.

Why can’t the government decongest Lagos port by upgrading and utilizing other ports across the country?

When will Nigeria have visionary leaders and not these set of sentimental rulers?

Firefire:
Is that the solution to fixing the bad road?

Nigeria have the following sea ports...

1. Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos;

2. Calabar Port,

3. Delta Port,

4. Rivers Port at Port Harcourt, and Onne Port.

Why can’t the government decongest Lagos port by upgrading and utilizing other ports across the country?

When will Nigeria have visionary leaders and not these set of sentimental rulers?