In a bold move that is aimed at ensure an intermodal system of transportation in the country and also ensure that access into Lagos ports are motorable and free of traffic bottlenecks, both the federal government and the Lagos State government have pledged to work together.
In a bold move that is aimed at ensure an intermodal system of transportation in the country and also ensure that access into Lagos ports are motorable and free of traffic bottlenecks, both the federal government and the Lagos State government have pledged to work together.
In a follow–up visit to the one that was conducted last week by the presidential committee on port reforms, three ministers were in Lagos yesterday to ascertain the state of the road and rail, network in Apapa with a view to harmonizing strategy towards a hitch-free cargo movement from the ports.
Consequently the two tiers of government are to work together to ensure that the roads leading to the port and the railway lines are fully in operation.
Coordinating Minister of the Economic and Minister of Finance, Doctor Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala gave the assertion yesterday in company of the ministers of transport and works; Senator Idris Umar and Mr Mike Onelememen and two commissioners from the Lagos state cabinet; Mr Kayode Opeifa (transport) and Tunjo Bello (environment) as well as members of the port reform committee and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority, Engr Omar Suleiman..
The coordinating Minister did not mince words when she stated that “we are here to reactive the rail, strengthen the bridges and to repair the roads and that is why we are with the minister of work, transport, and other officials that make up the team.’’
“We are ready to work with the Lagos state government as you can see there are lots of changes that are ongoing and we have more to do. We want to say that the collaboration with the Lagos state government is a very good one’’, she affirmed.
She hinted that government intends to repair the dilapidating bridges, fix the access roads and ensure that the rail tracks are working.
‘’The President set up the taskforce which include all of us ,the team to try and work on the port operations and this sanitization working, with the Lagos state governor ,his commissioners is to try to make the port work better and faster and quicker’’, she added .
Referring to the prevailing state of the access roads, the minister said, ‘‘at least you all have seen what has been accomplished, the cooperation from the two sides made it possible to achieve the level we are now”.
One of the bridges that are to be affected by the repairs is the Ijora bridge, and the minister of works stated in integrity test will soon be conducted to access the state of the old bridge which leads to the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC).
According to the minister, the federal government ‘will conduct an integrity test on the bridge and after that, we will know the next step to take, in other words we will take charge of the bridge ,recover the bridge so that they can be safe for road users”.
Yesterday’s visit came barely one week after the port reforms monitoring committee led by Prof Sylvester Monye and the Lagos state government ‘declared war’ on trucks and tankers on the Apapa –Oshodi expressway, leading to the order on them to vacate the ever-busy road.
Since the order, sanity has returned to the expressway leading into the two ports in Lagos.
Discussion about this post