APAPA GRIDLOCK: Lagos bans illegal roadblocks after meeting with stakeholders

…As NPA, TTP acknowledged collection of N11.000 from truckers for accessing ports

Ranmilowo Ojalumo

The Lagos State government has ordered immediate ban on illegal road blocks in and around Apapa as one of the ways to stop the alleged unending extortion in the axis.

The state government made the order on Tuesday after about four hours of marathon meeting with representatives of the Lagos State Government, Nigeria Police, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and stakeholders.

It was also agreed at the meeting to end the protracted gridlock in Apapa and environs, particularly, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

Present at the meeting were Truck Transit Park, TTP, Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Association, COMTUA, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO. Others were Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, Nigerian Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, among others.

The meeting witnessed heated accusation and counter accusations among the stakeholders over issues of illegal road blocks by miscreants, extortions and illegal collection of levies, among others.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman, Special Traffic Management and Enforcement Compliance Team, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Oluwatoyin Fayinka, who convened the meeting read the riot acts to truckers, and stakeholders, involved in the ongoing mounting of illegal check points, collection of bribe and impoundment of trucks other than the traffic team which is the sole body to carryout such enforcement.

While absolving his team from allegation of extortions, Fayinka, challenged anyone with proof of bribe taking against his person or any members of the team to bring it to the public for investigation and appropriate action. Fayinka, however, appealed to stakeholders to stakeholders on he need to cooperate with the Lagos traffic team in order to have a seamless traffic movement in the axis henceforth.

Lagos team and stakeholders however, agreed to ensure that no further road blocks for collection of levies and any group caught should be arrested and arraigned accordingly.

Meanwhile, the NPA and TTP, acknowledged collection of N11.000 from truckers for accessing ports. Confirming the allegation, Managing Director, TTP, Mr. Jama Onwubuariri, said that an investigation was carried out on the account via POS used for collection of the levies.

Onwubuariri who said that TTP received alerts on N11,000 being made into an account belonging to it, revealed that the Department of State Service, DSS has been contacted to investigate the matter.

Mr Edaro Emmanuel, Senior Manager of NPA, in his submission, said: “I want to address the issue of bounded terminals, people has asked who is in charge of licensing the bounded terminals, like you are aware, bounded terminals is within the purview of the Nigerian Customs Service, they license you and they are also involved in container examination and release.

“Secondly, the Lagos state government also have a role, you have your land planning, if you did not permit a building to be involved as a container holding bay and it is being used for that purpose, the Lagos state government is supposed to go and seal the place, in your physical planning, you did not make provision for such kind of activity to be at that place, so the owners rely on Lagos state government to regulate where these places are sited.

“Most bounded terminals, because they do not have activities going on in them, shipping companies approach them to help use their facility as empty container holding bays.”

“NPA and shippers Council are working for government, there is synergy, even though we have inter_ lapping functions, if you feel you are being extorted please go to shippers Council and complain. He informed the stakeholders that there is customer service number that could be contacted in case of complaints.

“Unfortunately, during our stakeholder’s engagement, it has been said that they are collecting money to drop empty containers, we are still going to investigate, it is for you to provide evidence.” He made it clear that truckers are not meant to pay for return of empty containers.