A member of the disbanded Presidential Task Team on Apapa Traffic and the current Public Relations Officer of the Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA); Alhaji Abdullahi Inuwa has alleged that the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and some shipping companies frustrated efforts of the Presidential Task Team (PTT) from fulfilling its obligations of restoring law and order around the port access road area.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Inuwa who served alongside the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Task Team; Mr Kayode Opeifa revealed that, for selfish reasons, some desperate persons misinformed the Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman about the activities of the task team and as a result of that, the team did not get the full support of the NPA during the assignment.
Inuwa however recalled that the PTT had enjoyed the cooperation of the NPA before the retirement of Capt Iheanacho Ebubeogu who was then a General Manager in the Managing Director’s office.
He however said shortly after the retirement of Capt Ebubeogu, things fell apart between the PTT and NPA. According to him, notwithstanding lack of cooperation from the NPA, this did not stop the PTT from fulfilling its mandate.
“I have to confess to you, after Capt Ebubeogu who was representing the MD at the Presidential task team retired, that is when we started having this problem with NPA, because when he was there everything was going smoothly, but since he left I understand that there are people who were at the middle that were causing the misunderstanding, when there was synergy between the four agencies, things were moving fine until these people for selfish reasons, decided to misinform the MD of NPA about the Presidential task team operation and told her not to associate with the presidential task team, which led to frustration of the team at one point” he alleged.
Speaking on how shipping companies also frustrated efforts of the PTT, Inuwa informed that after the team ensure that trucks are cleared and allowed to go to the park, while waiting to go into the port, he said it is at that point the shipping companies will say they are not receiving containers, which then takes another two to three weeks before the shipping companies start receiving containers which will then leads to congestion along the port access roads.
“Yes, I can say that the shipping companies frustrated the task team, because when a truck is cleared and allowed to go to the park waiting to get access to the port, it is that time that you will find out shipping companies are not receiving the containers and it will now take them two to three weeks before they will start admitting containers again; that’s frustration.” he said.
Inuwa further informed that it was as a result of the doggedness of the Vice Chairman of the Committee; Mr. Kayode Opeifa that made the contractors handling the road leading to the port not to abandon the road construction due to frustration.
“If not for Opeifa, probably the contractors would have ran away because of the frustration they encountered, Opeifa used its network and pleaded that the road must be constructed and completed”, he claimed.
Speaking on what the committee that was recently created by the Lagos state government for Apapa traffic must do to succeed, Inuwa informed that for the committee to succeed, there is need for synergy among the government agencies and the new committee.
He however commended the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Mr. Hassan Bello for standing with the team through thick and thin, he also commended the present Commissioner of Lolice Lagos state; Mr Kayode Odumosu who then served as lead enforcement, for the success recorded by the team.
“As for Nigerian Shippers Council, they are always on ground, If Hassan Bello is not available, Cajetan Agu, will be on ground so they supported us, Kayode Odumosu also did a wonderful job, we know what the situation used to be like, we know what it looks like now”, he said.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that Opeifa, had in a statement issued last week listed the achievement of the PTT to include restoration of law and order on all roads leading to Lagos Ports and within the Lagos Port Maritime logistic Corridor, removal of all stationary trucks on Lagos roads leading to the Ports.
But, in sharp contrast to Inuwa’s position Opeifa had said that, “working with NPA and the NSC, the team developed and deployed a workable Empty Container Return Handling Policy to handle empty containers and a reduction in the cost of Port Cargo Haulage from the Ports to different parts of the country.’’
He added, “development and deployment of an efficient and effective Traffic management plan for the entire port area traffic (including the cargo, fuel distribution and business district traffic).’’
“Traffic Management Direction as contained in the Presidential Task Team’s Operational Order, Guidelines and Modus Operandi which incorporates Port Operations, Incident Rescue Management, Truck Throughout and Park Management and Special Purpose Apapa Port Area Traffic Management with strict enforcement protocols.
“The current operating system backed by appropriate enforcement has the capacity to clean up any congestion within two to six hours with the cooperation of major stakeholders and an effective incidence and recovery management system by LASTMA”, he said.
He said that other achievements include the “development and deployment of a Manual Call Up system pending the introduction of an electronic system by the NPA.”
Opeifa said that the “system incorporated into the Traffic management plan, envisaged trucks are called from Nominated Parks into Transit Parks (Lilypond and Tincan Island Transit Truck Parks) for call up into the Ports.”
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