Lagos State Governor, Mr.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sent a stern warning to individuals and maritime
operators that may want to reverse the progress being recorded along the Apapa
corridor. The State Government will resist any attempt from any quarters to bring
back the problem, Sanwo-Olu vowed.
The Governor said the
electronic Call-Up System launched, last Saturday, in the Apapa seaports was
designed to permanently address movement of trailers in and out of the ports,
and bring about traffic improvement along the corridor.
Sanwo-Olu shared details of how
his administration solved the problem in partnership with the Nigerian Port
Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders in maritime sector. He spoke on
Wednesday when he formally handed over newly improved three traffic-prone
junctions along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
The Governor described the
progress recorded in Apapa as a “hard-won”, disclosing that it took the State
Government more than a year to gather all stakeholders on discussion table to
agree on far-reaching approach to permanently address the problem.
He said: “What we are seeing is
the beginning of the lasting solution we have brought to Apapa. Our appeal is
that, we are not out of the problem completely yet. Our citizens can now see
that a journey that took them three hours can, indeed, take between 15 and 20
minutes to commute. Everyone can now see that when we work together, indeed we
can solve our problems internally.
“We have taken some troublesome
people that are benefiting from the gridlock out of the way. Whatever they were
earning illegally has been taken away from them. We know they will want to make
an attempt to fight back. We will not stop at anything to ensure that anybody
that tries to retract the progress or wants to take us back to gridlock in
Apapa will be fought against. We will bring out their names and shame them.”
Sanwo-Olu vowed that any
corporate organisation, security operative, NPA or State Government official
who may attempt to circumvent the newly instituted traffic procedures around
the Apapa seaports would be named and shamed publicly.
The Governor said the State was
serious about bringing lasting solution to the Apapa congestion, stressing that
the Government could no longer condone careless attitude of truckers clogging
the highways with heavy-duty vehicles.
He said part of the State’s
efforts was to approach the Federal Government for the unbundling of the
inefficient Presidential Taskforce on Apapa gridlock and took over the traffic
management in the area. Sanwo-Olu added that State Government also met with
stakeholders, including Federal Ministry of Transportation, Maritime operators
and seaports unions.
He said: “I commend NPA’s
Managing Director and management for working with us on this agenda. My appeal
is to other stakeholders in maritime sector who have not signed up on the
electronic Call-Up System we have embarked on. I call the big logistics
companies, including Sifax, Dangote, Flour Mills, Tunde Folawiyo and others, to
come and collaborate with us on this progress.
“Let us have a system that our
citizens will be proud of. We will stop at nothing to sustain the progress
achieved. Our team will be working round the clock to keep the system working.
This is one of our modest efforts to deliver what we promised in solving
traffic and transportation challenges. We will not relent in doing anything
required to ensure traffic improvement in Apapa.”
Handing over the remodeled
junctions for public use, Sanwo-Olu said the delivery of projects was another
fulfillment of his campaign pledge.
The junctions reconfigured are
Abraham Adesanya Roundabout, Lekki First and Second Roundabouts – all in Eti
Osa. They were reconstructed with improved features and signalisation, creating
more space for motorists to drive and reduce travel time.
The Governor also inspected the
newly constructed Ogombo canal channel, which extends from Abraham Adesanya
Junction in Ajah to the State’s Drainage System 18.
The junctions are part of the
60 vulnerable spots identified across the metropolis notorious for vehicular
logjam and impediment to free flow of traffic.
In line with his
administration’s traffic management agenda, Sanwo-Olu ordered the re-designing
and remodeling of the identified traffic-prone spots across the State. Sixteen
highways were captured in re-construction and improvement project.
Other areas remodeled in the
first phase of road improvement programme are Allen Junction, Ikotun
Roundabout, and Maryland Junction.
0 Comments