The Presidential Task Team on Apapa traffic gridlock has explained that the traffic gridlock along the ports’ access roads is beyond what is visible on the roads.
Vice Chairman of the team, Mr. Kayode Opeifa who said this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily last week in Apapa Lagos, explained that corruption and malpractices that are going on in the ports contribute a lot to the chaotic situation on the roads.
He however maintained that the job of the task team is not to solve the problem of the traffic situation in Apapa.
“A lot of people are confused; they thought our problem is to come and solve the problems in Apapa, the answer is No. There was a document prepared which is not known to all on the permanent solution to the gridlock so to say in Apapa or the solution”
“The situation is beyond what we see on the roads, there is also congestion inside the ports. There are malpractices, corruptions so many things going on inside the ports. So there was a document by PEBEC chaired by the Vice President, that committee came with a documents going through all the petitions from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NACCIMA, Terminal Operators and even Apapa residents’ association”
Opeifa nevertheless called for obedience of law and order, adding that it is the short solution to the problem of the roads.
He maintained that the government provided lasting solutions to all the problems.
“You can see what we were asked to do, it was clear that was why when we came down, we didn’t go to any stakeholders meeting to ask people what the problem was. The government knew the problem and the government provided lasting solutions. So the government is not looking for new ideas, the government has consulted able bodies; including the organized private sectors and the government knows what to do. And the government told us in clear terms, do this and the ministry of works and other agencies will do their own” he concluded.
