The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has cried out that its members, especially the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) are facing untold hardship in accessing petroleum tank farms in Apapa due to the deteriorated condition of the Coconut axis of Apapa-Oshodi expressway Lagos.
Speaking exclusively with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, South West Chairman of NUPENG, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo lamented that tanker drivers spend six days on the queue before they could access any of the depot scattered around Ibru and Ibafon jetty to lift products. He also said that after loading, the drivers spend four days trying to find their way out of the area.
Korodo however confirmed to Shipping Position Daily correspondent that succor is gradually coming as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has begun skeletal loading of petroleum products at two of its outlet depots; Ejigbo and Mosinmi in Sagamu, Ogun State to ease the pressure in Apapa.
He said that this was a reaction to a call by the union earlier last week that all NNPC outlets should be opened up in order to cushion the effect of congestion in Apapa, occasioned largely due to bad roads and the ongoing rehabilitation works on the Wharf road leading to Apapa port.
Speaking, he said “Our members are passing through hell in Apapa, before they get into the depot to load products it takes 6 days, and after the loading, it takes them not less than 4 days before they can get out of Apapa. This is due to the fact that all NNPC depots have not been powered to be loading, it is a big issue, but thanks to God that they have started loading gradually at Mosimi and Ejigbo to supplement the loading from Apapa”
“The only alternative to Apapa loading is the NNPC depots at Ejigbo, Mosinmi Sagam, Apata in Ibadan, Oke Oyi in Ilorin and Ore in Ondo state. This is the entire system 2B of NNPC, let these depots be open and let them be functioning, it would reduce the scourge of tankers into Lagos and Apapa. If this happens, the tank farms in Apapa would only handle Lagos State trucks”
“Because of that prayers that we made, Ejigbo has started loading skeletally, likewise that of Mosinmi in Sagamu. We are still expecting similar thing to be extended to Ibadan, Ilorin, and Ore” Korodo said
The NUPENG Chieftain stressed further that it has not augur well for her members operating around the Coconut axis of Apapa and that the union has made its mind known to the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola when he came to flag off the rehabilitation of the Apapa wharf road.
Korodo said that if the Wharf Road is shut down for complete one year and there is no palliative on the Tin Can Port access road, the port would be impassable for any vehicle whether small or big. He also warned that if the situation is not properly handled, it would create artificial scarcity.
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