Stakeholders express fear as open defecation, wastes take over Apapa

By ZION Olalekan |

Stakeholders at the various tank farms along Apapa-Oshodi expressway have raised alarm on the increased level of open defecation on the road by truck drivers, saying that if serious action is not taken, this could lead to an epidemic for operators at Coconut tank farm and even the Tin Can Island Port.

Investigations around the area showed that human wastes like faeces and urine have taken over the major expressway even as the drivers complained the lack of toilet facilities for them to relieve themselves when they are pressed.

Our correspondent learnt that between Mile 2 and Tin Can Island Port, there is just a single public toilet and bathroom situated at Sunrise bus stop under bridge.

As for the container truck drivers, the containers have now become their homes as many drivers take their bath in the container, sleep inside the container and sometimes have sex inside the containers.

Some of them sometimes also allow their, counterparts, petroleum tanker drivers to make use of the facility.

Petroleum marketers, worried by the level of open defecation have called on the Ministry of Environment to visit the area.

A marketer, Comrade Fidel Ose in a chat with our correspondent lamented that the messy activities of the drivers, especially the container truck drivers have forced operators around the tank farm to be wary of stepping on urine and faeces that regularly adorn every nook and cranny of the road.

He called on the Federal Ministry of Environment to visit the tank farms and port areas to avoid an outbreak of epidemic.

Comrade Ose urged depot owners and other facility owners around the expressway to come to the rescue by building public toilets in their facilities which could be used.

Speaking, he said “Some of the depots should construct toilets within their vicinity, the only one provided through PPP is at sunrise under bridge, they collect fees, if you want to use it you must pay, but this is not even the problem, the location where it is, is very far when you compare it to about three bus stops away, people cannot trek for 1.5 kilometers to use the toilet”.

Speaking on the traffic gridlock which has caused tanker drivers to remain on queue for several days, he said “the only challenge we have is that the traffic situation on the road is caused by container trucks, the traffic is being addressed, but the corruption tendency with our military men is still affecting the whole thing”.

A truck driver, Benson Ogbonna on his part argued that truck drivers spend almost two weeks to arrive their destination, where another life begins. According to him, drivers wait for their turns to be attended to, in dirty environment, with no means of convenience, kitchen, bed, shelter, security or safety, come rain, come shine, life continues for them, on Apapa road.

“We are not happy living in a truck, since the federal government does not have time for us, we have to continue living life as it presents itself. Life here is like suffering and smiling, we find it difficult to bath, brush our teeth and get tidy, because we sleep in your truck. “Sometimes, I buy pure water to brush my teeth, but I will need to go to the sea under the bridge to get some water to bath. It is bad; it is unfortunate.

“Government should fix this road and end this suffering. Our families are at home, but we cannot see them because we have to stay with our trucks. We are suffering here,” Ogbonna lamented.