Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has directed the commencement of a 72-hour joint operation to restore order in Apapa and its environs after truck drivers had caused traffic gridlock and made vehicular movement impossible in Lagos.
He further urged Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) to speed up the decongestion of Apapa Port.
According to the Vice President’s directive, the operation would be carried out by the Police, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Air Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps ,NSCDC, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency ,LASTMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency ,LASEMA, Container truck drivers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NURTW, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas ,NUPENG, and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria .
Osinbajo landed first at the Tin Can Island park, flown in by a Nigerian Navy chopper, and accompanied by the Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and senior Naval and Police officers.
He walked close to the traffic to see the situation of things and then proceeded to the Five Star Berth at the Nigeria Port Authority, NPA, where he met with relevant officials and security officers.
The plan is to, within 72 hours, take all the necessary and appropriate steps to restore order to the traffic situation and speed up work on the port decongestion.
Similar orders were made in the past. They all failed to clear the mess of the tanker drivers.
A section of the road leading to the popular Lagos wharf in Apapa is to be shut down for a year to enable reconstruction budgeted at a whooping sum of N4.34 billion.
Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola announced that the N4.34bn project is jointly sponsored by Dangote, Flour Mills companies and Federal Government.
The two kilometres road construction between the Nigerian Port Authority and end of the bridge is expected to take one-year starting from Saturday.
He explained that the use of AG Dangote for the construction was to give the road a better outlook with the use of concrete.
According to the minister, the construction is to resolve the challenges usually encountered on the road.
While commending the sponsors of the project, the minister appealed to road users and stakeholders to persevere.
He said:
“We are embarking on what will be the final solution to the massive inconvenience. Businesses and residents in Apapa and its environment have had to endure for a couple of years.
“I like to acknowledge the leadership role of Dangote and Flour Mills who are operators and have also contributed to make this reality. They are doing this as a total Corporate Responsibility without asking for tax holiday or reduction. We are also working on how to ensure free access to Tin Can Island.
“From today that we are handing over the project, the road will take one year to be completed. We need the cooperation of all the stakeholders. There will be some discomfort on the way but we appeal for tolerance and perseverance. It will continue to get better, people should please ensure more to solve the challenge.”
Engr Joseph Makoju from Dangote, said it was co-sponsoring the project to provide an enabling environment for businesses in the area.
He said:
“This is part of our CSR. Businesses have to engage the community where they operate. Today’s CSR has gone to a higher level where we find ourselves embarking on a major infrastructural project.”
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