Truckers, agents kick as NPA plans to convert Lilypond to truck terminal

Tayo Oladipupo |

Truck owners, freight forwarders in the Nigerian Maritime industry have condemned the planned take-over and conversion of Lilypond terminal to truck park by the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The planned conversion of the terminal to Truck Park is part of an immediate solution to the lingering gridlock within the Apapa and Tin Can ports arena.

In separate interviews, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, Chairman of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Mr. Olufemi Olabanji, Chairman of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Lilypond Chapter and Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi, Vice Chairman, Dry Cargo Section of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) expressed divergent opinions over the planned conversion.

Olabanji told our reporter that the decision will not solve the Apapa gridlock because a lot of containers that should be leaving the ports of Apapa and Tin Can will be held down or transported to farther locations thereby worsening the traffic situation on the Apapa roads that NPA is trying to solve.

He also said more than 300 persons whose jobs have been threatened by the stemming of containers to Lilypond by Terminal operator APM Terminals will go jobless and face worsened economic situation.

The ANLCA chieftain urged the NPA to rescind on its decision to convert it to a truck park but rather endeavour to make it a functional container terminal with stemmed cargoes that will boost trade and reduce traffic gridlock.

Ogungbemi described the NPA decision to make Lilypond a truck park as a very welcome development. He said the former military government of General Yakubu Gowon had designed it as a truck park when traffic gridlock hit Lagos under his reign and that it was successive regimes that changed it to a container terminal.

”That was the original purpose for which it was created by the government. Lilypond was not meant to be a container terminal. When the port was still operating at Marina, we used to have trucks lining up on the road to Apongbon and Ijora. Government created it to address the then traffic problem.

”This decision by NPA is more like reverting it to the original purpose it was meant to serve. Now we are confronted by traffic gridlock and it is being considered for same purpose. I whole commend NPA for this and strongly believe it will go a long way in solving the traffic issues bedevilling Apapa and environs” Ogungbemi said.

He added that truckers and truck owners will be willing to take advantage of it and pay for the service as it will save them from the embarrassment of incessant assaults and extortion occasioned by the present condition where they are alleged to be at the mercy of multiple security agencies

Abdullahi lauded the Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman for the decision to convert it to a truck terminal. He said the truck terminal will address seventy percent of Apapa present traffic problems because most vehicles lying on the roads and bridges leading to the ports in Apapa will have a place to park and be called up only when they are needed in the port.

”I earlier advised the NPA MD on November 16 , 2018 when she came with the Minister of Works, Raji Fashola, Senator Kabiru Gaya and others to inspect the Apapa Oshodi Express Road. I told her that if she has the political will to do it, part of our problems here will be solved.

”I am the happiest person because of this and hope it kicks off in good time. Now trucks will have a place to park and could be called up electronically without hassles and lesser risks of accidents. Trucks will only be heading towards the ports only when they are called” he said.
As a way of addressing the perennial gridlock bedevilling Apapa port access roads in Lagos, management of NPA recently made known its decision to convert Lilypond terminal in Ijora to a Truck park

Confirming this to our reporter, Engr. Adams Jatto, NPA’s General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, said the move became imperative as a way of addressing the traffic crises facing Lagos ports.

Jatto disclosed that NPA had to revoke a five year lease agreement it had earlier entered with Lilypond Container Terminal Limited.

According to him, the authority will resume activities there to do some expansion work and ascertain the number of trucks to be accommodated at the Ijora facility.

He added that NPA will adopt an orderly electronic call up system for trucks to be parked in the terminal before they access the ports in Lagos to address the traffic issues.

Jatto had earlier disclosed that NPA leased it out with effect from September 2018 after its initial ten year lease expired in 2016.

Jatto said in a statement that “Lilypond Container Terminal was erroneously concessioned ab-initio; this was because the said terminal does not have a water front for loading and offloading of cargo.

”Consequently, after the expiration of the lease, the terminal was however reclassified and granted a five year development lease”

Findings indicates that NPA made a total of N565,142,063:36k from lease of the facility in 2017 and N560,734,047: 00k in 2018. This makes a total of less than N1.2b in two years

With the revocation, container terminal operator, APM Terminals Apapa, may have lost influence over control of the facility.

Clearing agents operating at the terminal had complained of about 300 job loss due to the idle state of the facility and alleged refusal by APMT to stem containers there.