Naturally and for a long time now, Apapa traffic has always been a basket case. However, the experience within that axis in the past few weeks could best be described as ‘hell on earth’. The protracted traffic gridlock especially around the port area has been somewhat of a nightmare- a nightmare that has taken extreme toll on all relevant stakeholders including the Federal Government and the average motorist plying that route.

The Federal Government is reported to be losing an average of N5billion daily which in itself is a conservative estimate of the cumulative total loss.

Movements of goods and humans have been greatly hampered with tanker drivers converting major access roads into Apapa ports to parking lots. Containers which ought to have been cleared and evacuated from the ports still litter various terminals accumulating demurrage. Vessels are also stranded on the high seas as there is no room at the terminals to berth and discharge cargoes. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), relevant government agencies, terminal operators, shipping agents and several others are recording significant revenue losses from rates, fees and charges that could not be taken owing to the general lockdown.

In a press briefing recently, the spokesman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, left no one in doubt as to how threatening the situation has become. Subsequently, he stated that the agents have given the Federal Government a 30-day ultimatum to address the situation or risk the ports being shut down in protest. He painted the abysmal situation in the following words:

“Since this traffic mess started, over 300 people have died in various road accidents. It’s either a container fell off the truck and crushed occupants of smaller vehicles or it is a commercial motorcyclist running into the trucks. A lot of people have lost their lives. Commercial bus drivers now drive against traffic as their main lanes have been taken over by tankers and container trucks. Just imagine there is fire outbreak, at least one million Lagosians will die. People living in Apapa and working elsewhere can no longer access their homes. People are robbed daily in the traffic. Is that how a port city is run? This matter has got out of hand and needs urgent attention and it is totally unacceptable”.

Farinto went further to state that both the Obasanjo and the incumbent administrations have failed woefully to address the perennial traffic challenge in Apapa. He thus urged the incoming regime of General Muhammadu Buhari to find lasting solution to the problem. In his charge to the incoming administration, he said:

“We want Buhari, as soon as he’s sworn-in, to work with the Navy, the Lagos State government, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other relevant stakeholders to establish a formidable task force to address the issue. Nigerians don’t like dialogue. At times it is when you use the horsewhip that people fall in line. This problem started in the Obasanjo administration where approvals were recklessly made for the building of tank farms around the seaport. It is never done.

“This greedy, singular and callous act of executive recklessness has brought economic loss in terms of manpower and loss of valuables to both the rich and the poor. And this incumbent administration has done nothing to relocate them. But during the electioneering campaign of Buhari/Osinbajo, they promised to relocate the tank farms to Lekki axis. We hold them by their words” he concluded.

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