The Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday in Lagos called for the
collaboration of all stakeholders to tackle traffic gridlock, port congestion
and other problems in Apapa and its environs.
Fashola
made the call at a stakeholders meeting on the ongoing Apapa Wharf Road
reconstruction project in Surulere.
The
stakeholders at the meeting included the three financiers of the project, AG
Dangote Construction Company Ltd, Flour Mills of Nigeria Ltd and Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA).
Others
were National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Association
of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and National Association of Road Transport
Owners (NARTO), among others.
The
stakeholders, after extensive deliberations, agreed to resolve issues of
logistics and regulation of truckers and port operations.
They
called on shipping companies to return to the system of using their loading
bays and effective call-up systems to end port congestions.
They
also advised AP Molar Multi-Terminal (APMT), whose cargo operations take hours
to emulate the operations of Port Terminal Multipurpose Ltd (PTML) who have
perfected the act of evacuating cargo within minutes.
They
agreed that emergency interventions should be carried out on the roads around
Coconut bus stop area and some other bad portions.
They
resolved to have another inclusive meeting to carry Shippers, government
regulatory agencies and other stakeholders who were absent at the gathering
along to evolve permanent solutions,
Fashola
advised the stakeholders to organise forums where they could proffer solution
to the problems and make recommendations to government to speed up solutions on
various issues.
The
minister stressed the need to put other ports in the country to use to reduce
pressure on the two major ports in Apapa and promised to work with his
transport counterpart, Mr Rotimi Amechi, to involve the rail sector in finding
solutions.
He
called for sacrifice on the part of the various stakeholders as the Yuletide
season is approaching to ensure a speedy solution to all the problems.
“During
this period when everybody is sacrificing something, let us sacrifice, it is an
exchange, everybody must sacrifice.
“This
is not about us, it is about everybody,” he told stakeholders.
He
explained that procurement process for the Oshodi Tin Can Island road was
ongoing.
Earlier,
Fashola had inspected ongoing rehabilitation works at Costain and its environs,
which he told journalists was to ensure smooth roads during the festive period.
Honorary
adviser to the Dangote Group, Mr Joseph Makoju said that Dangote was handling
and co-funding the Apapa Wharf Road reconstruction project as part of its
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Makoju
said that it was painful that the project was being misunderstood by both the
public and a section of the media who make negative remarks against the Dangote
Group instead of commending it for giving back to society.
He
explained that the Dangote Group also suffered from the problems of gridlock
and other problems caused by port congestions as it affected their businesses
and operations as well.
He
added that the company was ready to tackle all problems that related to the construction
raised at the forum and deliver the project within one year.
“We
give our assurances that we will deliver and we need your understanding,” he
said.
Mr
Ashif Juma, Managing Director AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, contractors
handling the project said that there was the massive deployment of men and
equipment to site as the rainy season ended adding that by November significant
visible progress would be seen in the construction.
Juma
explained that it was not easy to work on old roads because some unexpected
problems usually came up in the midst of the project.
He
added that the firm was working closely with the Federal Ministry of Power,
Works and Housing (FMPW$H) on the project and that work tempo would double in
November.
“We
will work two shifts seven days a week. We cannot do this work without your
help,” he told the other stakeholders.
The
NPA on its part promised to begin enforcement of traffic regulations in port
areas which include Oshodi, Babs Animashaun, Costain and Ijora Olopa road
areas,
Fashola,
on June 17 signed the N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the
reconstruction of the four kilometres Apapa Wharf road with AG Dangote
Construction Company Ltd and other companies.
The
project is being funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, the Nigerian
Ports Authority (NPA) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.
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