Presidential Task Team on Apapa Gridlock: Our Achievements, Our Challenges — Comrade Opeifa

— an assessment of PTT fight against malignant traffic menace on Lagos ports access roads

By FUNSO OLOJO

Introduction: For several years, Lagos Ports have been bedevilled with unending traffic gridlock which has paralysed activities at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, two of the biggest and most functional ports which account for over 60 percent of imports into the country.

Due to the topography of the Lagos ports, they could only be accessed by two roads: the Western Avenue- Ijora axis and Oshodi-Mile Two axis but the two entry/ exit points have consistently been congested with traffic which makes access to the Lagos ports a nightmare.

The malignant gridlock has been traced to the dilapidated port access roads, port inefficiency and high level of indiscipline in the driving culture of truck drivers.

While the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) with the collaboration of two critical stakeholders: the Dangote Group and Flour Mills PLC, have fixed the Wharf road leading to the Apapa port, the access road at the Oshodi-Mile Two axis is still undergoing rehabilitation.

However, to manage the traffic situation, the Nigerian Navy together with other security agencies, were drafted to control and streamline the movement of traffic in and out of Apapa ports.

For the period they held sway, the Navy, with the active connivance of its sister agencies on the road, made a huge kill from the chaotic situation as they turned the menace into a cash cow.

They were accused of unbridled corruption in terms of massive extortion of hapless truckers.

So when in May 2019, the Federal government removed the Navy and its cohorts from the road, the action was greeted with jubilation by the truckers who had lived under the jackboot of the Naval Officers.

The birth of Presidential Task Team on Apapa Gridlock: Despite the presence of the Naval officers on the road, the Apapa gridlock became a monster while unmitigated unwholesome activities of the men charged with the management of the traffic went on unhindered.

The stakeholders which included Freight Forwarders, Truck Owners and Truck Drivers, especially the Council of Maritime Transport Union Association (COMTUA), an amalgamation of Transport Unions in the maritime industry, all cried out against the extortions by the Naval men and the unending traffic logjam.

This incident therefore drew the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the national embarrassment playing out on the Lagos ports access roads.

Consequently, the President convened an emergency meeting on April 25, 2019, to discuss the Apapa gridlock which has so far defiled solutions.

The outcome of the meeting, which had in attendance the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, led to the extermination of the Naval occupation on the road and the creation of Presidential Task Team (PTT) on Apapa traffic gridlock.

As a result of this resolution, the Task Team was formed with the mandate to come up with both the short and long-term solutions to end the gridlock.

The membership of the team was drawn from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council.

Others are a special unit of the Nigeria Police led by a Commissioner of Police, the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC), representatives of the Truck Transport Unions, Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA) and other relevant agencies.

The PTT is led by the Vice- President as its Chairman while Comrade Kayode Opeifa, a former Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State is the Executive Vice- Chairman who is charged with the supervision of the day-to-day running of the team.

The Task Team, which was multi- agencies body, commenced its operations on May 24, 2019 and given two weeks to perform its task.

Later in the course of its task, the Team was further given another two weeks extension till June 24, 2019.

Even though the Team claimed it has completed its task, it is still battling with the malignant gridlock one year after its inauguration.

The Successes/ Challenges of PTT: Despite occasional relapse, the Apapa gridlock has eased considerably.

Access to the Ports from the Western Avenue-Ijora axis has become less stressful but for the non-compliance by some recalcitrant truckers who in their selfish bid to gain undue advantage over their counterparts, tend to disrupt the strict regime of movement schedule put up by the PPT.

In addition, lack of synergy among the units that make up the Team or what the Vice-Chairman of the PTT described as deliberate attempt to frustrate the efforts of the team, is part of the drawback on the efforts of the Team.

Last Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Comrade Opeifa took few selected journalists on tour of the two ports access roads at Western Avenue-Ijora axis and Oshodi-Mile two axis, for on the spot assessment of the efforts and constraints of the Task Team to restore normalcy to the access roads.

At the Western-Ijora axis, the long stretch of the road which used to be blocked with articulated trucks wishing to gain access to the port, was free of any encumbrance, but the bottleneck was at the Ijora bridge the portion of which is currently closed to traffic for repairs.

This bottleneck stretched up to the Barracks Bus stops, at Area “B” Police Station, where a long queue of truck remained stationary on the road.

Opeifa explained that those container-laden trucks are exports which came there since Sunday, June 26, 2020.

The situation is however expected to have considerably eased, if not totally eradicated at the time of writing this report based on the availability of space at the terminals where the trucks were destined for.

However, Opeifa used the instance of the bottleneck created by the stationary export trucks to illustrate the frustration of its Team whose efforts he lamented are being deliberately hampered by lack of cooperation from the NPA which is incidentally a core member of the Task Team.

He lamented that the trucks were supposed to originate from Lilypond, one of the two transit points created to streamline the movement of trucks.

‘’They were supposed to be in Lilypond but we discovered that they were not from Lilypond. I asked the drivers and they told me they were directed by the NPA.’’

Opeifa disclosed that the arrangement made by the NPA with the truck drivers whom they have given tags, were not made known to the Task Team and this caused little hiccups which were eventually managed.

He disclosed that at first, it seemed all the export trucks were destined for APMT but later realized that there was another group of containers destined for ENL.

“NPA told us they allowed 100 trucks for APMT but we discovered that there were another 50 trucks meant for ENL which the NPA was not even aware of”, declared Opeifa to demonstrate how NPA was working at cross purposes with the rest of the team.

He said the trucks have spent three days as at Tuesday July 28, 2020, on the spot at Area “B” portion of the road since there was no space at the terminals which was as a result of differences between the Customs and the APMT.

Opeifa said that it would have been easier if those trucks were in Lilypond which would have made them amenable to control but regretted that for reasons best known to NPA, they were unleashed on the road without informing him.

‘’If they don’t leave the road, those in Lilypond will not leave and they will be counting days and if the terminals are not cleared of the existing consignments, those on the road will not leave.

These are some of the challenges we face”, the PTT boss lamented.

This type of scenario, which was the reflection of lack of synergy and coordination among the units in the task team, was responsible for occasional relapse of the tamed gridlock.

On the same axis, the on-going rehabilitation works on Ijora bridge also affects the smooth flow of traffic.

Opeifa also complained of the activities of Customs who have two units of its enforcement officers along the same axis.

Our correspondent observed that both the Federal Operations Unit of Customs, Zone A and CG Strike Force are stationed opposite Area B Police Station, Apapa, at the base of Ijora bridge and on top of the bridge where their activities hinder free flow of traffic.

Opeifa said that in as much as the Task Team is striving to remove gridlock on the road, he accused those whom he claimed deliberately flout the standard procedures on the movement of trucks into the terminals.

“Every Export, Flatbed and Empty Containers trucks are to go into the Lilypond transit terminal from where the NPA calls them to go into the ports, depending on the space inside the terminals.

‘’My job is to create access for those on NPA call to get to the terminals”.

He lamented that the procedures are no longer being followed as exemplified by how NPA asked the Export trucks to go on to the road without first putting them into the transit park.

“Unfortunately, they are no longer using the Lilypond. What we have there now are empty containers

‘’Also, Lilypond is not working after 6pm because there is no light there.

‘’We need NPA staff on the road to work with us because we work at night but they close by 6pm’’.

‘’Also, the Call-up system is no longer working but we need it to work to facilitate the movement of traffic”.

These are part of the challenges frustrating the efforts of the Task Team to restore sanity to the access roads.

At the Mile Two-Tin Can axis, the massive road construction on that road is expectedly hampering traffic as out-bound lane is completely closed to traffic.

Opeifa, in his explanation, said in as much as the road must be fixed and the ports must operate, a balance must be struck to ensure that both activities go on without much hindrance.

According to him, the PTT has engaged the contractor in order to expedite action on the road to cause minimum disruption to truck movement.

‘’That is why we agreed to evacuate the trucks from the outward lane so that the contractor could speedily complete that side of the road because his work would be slowed down if traffic is still being allowed on that side’’, explained Opeifa.

‘’However, he(the Contractor) has promised to complete that side of the road by the end of July after which the traffic will be pushed back on the completed lane and leave inbound lane free of traffic for the contractor to commence the rehabilitation exercise.

‘The contractor has promised to conclude work on the outbound lane at the end of July”, declared the PTT boss.

However, from what our correspondent observed, it is most unlike that side of the road will be completed as scheduled, an observation which was shared by the Executive Chairman of the PPT.

Opeifa further explained that the rehabilitation work on that axis has also hampered the efforts of the Task Team to ensure free flow of traffic but believed that the completion of the road will further enhance seamless traffic flow.

However, despite this disruption, the Task Team is still managing truck movement on that axis.

Opeifa disclosed that when the outbound lane is completed, activities at the Tin Can transit park that has been disrupted will now resume as trucks will be moved into the facility before they are allowed movement into the terminals on rotational basis.

This, according to him, will further ease traffic movement on that axis.

He declared that irrespective of the impediments to traffic flow posed by the road construction on that axis, trucks are still accessing the terminals in a gradual but steady manner.

He said gone were the days when trucks spent months on the road before they could access the terminals as the Task Team has tried to manage the situation.

‘’Those who claimed they spent three months or more on the road are those who are not needed at the terminals. They found their way on the road without following the laid down procedures and when they get to the gates of the terminals, they will be turned back because they haven’t perfected the necessary documentation procedure’’

‘’Those who are complaining are those who carry empty containers and wanted to return them quickly because of demurrage, and that is the problem between the shipping lines and the Nigerian Government’, declared Comrade Opeifa.

Recommendations: Opeifa believed that the Task Team has finished its assignment to restore sanity onto the port access road.

According to him, what seemed to be gridlock is now caused by the construction works simultaneously going on at the Ijora bridge inward Apapa port and at the Mile Two Tin Can port.

He believed that there will be total normalcy after these rehabilitation exercises are completed.

He however warned that there could still be traffic bottlenecks on the road if there is no efficiency at the ports.

According to him, the Task Team has created access on the road for trucks despite the inhibitions caused by the road construction but port inefficiency has hampered truck movement.

He observed that if there is no space at the terminals, as it is the case currently, there would be no way the trucks will move.

Apart from this, he wanted electronic call up system to commence.

He disclosed that the NPA promised to commence the exercise on August 1st, adding that the PTT is eagerly waiting.

However, the Team and other stakeholders may have to wait endlessly as there is nothing on ground to show that the agency will commence the exercise any time soon.

He noted that the commencement of the electronic call-up system will greatly enhance free flow of traffic on the road as movement of trucks will be electronically regulated.

He revealed that despite the obvious activities of some people to frustrate the efforts of the PTT, the Team has ignored their distractions and chosen to keep its eyes on the ball.

‘’We were sent here by the Presidency and Nigerians to restore sanity on the ports access roads.

‘’Believe me, we have restored order but what it remains to sustain the sanity is for the ports to be efficient.

Opeifa also wanted the stakeholders such as NPA, truck owners, terminal operators, to show much interest and commitment and be ready to take possession of the control of traffic movement as the PPT is set to exit.

He also blamed the barge operators whom he accused of compounding the traffic situation through their unwholesome activities

‘’I don’t have any business with them, they are to work with terminal operators. But what do you see? they take containers and discharge them on the roads, compounding the traffic.

‘’They have also converted residential houses into container bays.

‘’They are pushing containers on to the roads, charging people money which they claimed they give to us. They are not giving us any money’’, Opeifa explained.

On the allegation of corruption against the PPT, Opeifa claimed there was no bribery.

“It is corruption fighting back’’, he declared.

He said that the “movers’’ who have been smoked out of the system are now hitting back.

‘’They have no single truck, not even a tyre but prey on the situation, but when they are dislodged from the roads, they decided to blackmail the Task Team’’

‘’If you talk to the real stakeholders such as truck owners, transporters, they will tell you such allegation was false’’, the PPT Executive Chairman declared.