APAPA GRIDLOCK: GROUP URGES FG TO CONVERT BARRACKS INTO HOLDING BAYS!

Oladipupo Tayo

The Federal Government has been called upon to convert some of the military barracks in Apapa and its environs to holding bays in a bid to address the chaotic situation in the ports community.

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in its meeting held in Lagos, lamented that the government was clueless in finding lasting solutions to the menace on the port access roads, made the call with the belief that the barracks when converted would cushion the effect of hardship being experienced by people in the area occasioned by the seamless gridlock.

While canvassing for the need to relocate some of the barracks from Apapa, Ajegunle and Mile 2, to remote places in the state, President, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) ,Chief Remi Ogungbemi queried the existence of multiple barracks within the port community, adding that Lagos remains a peaceful state thus there was need to convert some of the facilities to parking lots.

Ogungbemi said, “A single barrack when converted to holding bays could handle about 7,000 units of trucks and without the right infrastructures in place, the traffic situation within the port environment would remain static.

“No matter the number of military personnel deploy to the access roads, I want to state categorically that they will not find any lasting solutions to the problem of traffic except the right infrastructures are provided, “Ogungbemi lamented.

The AMARTO President also condemned the deployment of military personnel to ease the gridlock along the port corridors, describing it as a failed democracy.

“We are leaving under an abnormal situation within our ports because the suffering of the truckers is enough “.

Similarly, the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam described the situation in Apapa and its environs as “system collapse” in port operations.

The NAGAFF boss further faulted Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo visit to the seaport in Lagos without engaging critical stakeholders on the state of the roads.

According to him, the unusual visit by the presidency failed to yield positive results because nothing has changed on the port access roads.

He assured that haulage operators and terminal operators would be included in the body of CRFFN and a strong worded letter would be written to the presidency.

Also speaking, Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tin Can Island Chapel, Chief Godwin Ikeji lamented that decay in ports infrastructure has been the major factor affecting gridlock into the ports.

He accused security agencies of frustrating a lasting solution to the gridlock along the roads.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Registered Freight Forwarding of Nigeria (AREFFN) ,Chief Frank Ukor has further called on the haulage groups and freight agents to work closely in addressing the perennial gridlock on the road linking the ports, in order to boost trade facilitation and revenue drive of the government