As the Federal Government battles with the challenge of reconstructing the two access roads into Lagos ports, it is considering a recommendation that the numerous tank farms on the Apapa end of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway be relocated.
The idea was muted at a meeting on Tuesday between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Federal Government to persuade the workers to withdraw the ultimatum for strike which it had given the government.
A copy of the communiqué which was issued at the end of the meeting and which was obtained by Shipping Position Daily, indicate that the nee d to relocate the tank farms was an option to be considered.
At the meeting between the MWUN, the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), noted that petroleum tank farms located at Ibru complex at Coconut bus stop will also be relocated to give way for the road construction.
At the meeting, the MWUN led by its President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju expressed concerns about the slow pace of work on the Wharf Road construction in Apapa port, the meeting therefore called on the lead project company, Dangote Group to speed-up action in terms of galvanising human and material resources to complete the project.
The communiqué read in part: “The collaborative efforts of Federal Ministry of Transportation through the NPA, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, Dangote and Flour Mills on the two kilometre Wharf Road are noted. However, these efforts have not been very appreciable as only 10 per cent of the work has been done till date’’
“The meeting therefore called on the lead project company, Dangote, to speed up action in terms of galvanising human and material resources to see that they meet the timeline of the completion of the project in spite of unforeseen challenges. The Federal Government should pursue vigorously the policy of non-establishment of new tank farms in the port areas’’.
Arising from the meeting also, the government is setting up a 'Special Committee on Road Decongestion' to remove trucks trailers from the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway to allow access into the ports.
The meeting also called for collaboration between the government and the concessionaires to ensure movement of containers by rail.
According to the communiqué, the NPA is to ensure that the port environment is clean, in order to avoid epidemic and loss of lives of workers.
The union members also called for more efforts in the completion of trailer park project at the Tin Can Island Port area and directed that the shoreline protection should be completed before the end of second quarter 2018.
It read: “The sanitary conditions of the surrounding and roads to the ports should be the social corporate responsibility of the NPA and the authority should do the needful to remove the refuse within three months to avoid endangering the lives of workers and port users.”
It added, “The collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the concessionaires at the ports in terms of movement of containers by rail should be strengthened so that there is no pillage of trailers on access road to the port.
“The establishment of 340 capacity trailer park by the FMPW&H is a step in the right direction and noteworthy but the meeting appeals that the final stage of the shoreline protection work be completed before the end of the second quarter of 2018.
“A total reconstruction of the major access roads to Tin Can Island Port area from Liverpool Road via Coconut via Sunrise to Mile2 road should be undertaken urgently and in this direction, the FMoT through the NPA is to synergise and consummate the project before the end of the second quarter of 2018. The FMPW&H which has already captured the road to the Tin Can Island Port in its 2018 budget should also do the same for roads leading to other ports nationwide.”
Speaking with our correspondent on the outcome of the meeting, President General of the MWUN expressed optimism that the agreements would be followed and that the Federal Government and relevant agencies would work in tune with the spirit on the communiqué.
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