Stakeholders in the maritime sector have called on the federal
government to grant permission to terminal operators to fix the deplorable port
access roads, even as multi million naira goods are trapped in the ports.
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| Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman |
In view of the significance of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports to
the nation’s economy, stakeholders in the Maritime sector have called on the
Federal Government (FG) to act swiftly on the dilapidated access road, by
granting terminal operators opportunity to repair the roads.
They noted thattas a result of the importance of the sector to
the economy and lack of government funds, the terminal operators are not only
willing but would be able to fix the failed port access roads faster.
According to them, granting them two to three years tax holiday
as a way of compensating them for the cost will go a long way in helping to
stabilize the sector as the economic hub of the country.
Thousands of Nigerians have their daily job in this domain, with
many business concerns located in the area. They decry the fact that the roads
have been left in shambles
and utter neglect over the years.
Speaking on the condition of the roads, Corporate Affairs
Manager SIFAX Group, Mr.
Muyiwa Akande, noted that the deplorable state of the Apapa and
Tin Can Island roads has frustrated efforts of terminal operators on
the Ease of doing Business initiative of the government.
He said, “issues of the port access road have become a nightmare
because of the comatose road and traffic gridlock experienced to and fro the
environment.
“And this has made effort of the terminal operators on the ease
of doing business imitative difficult, because at times it takes weeks for
truck to get to the port and weeks to get out.
“In fact many trucks owner doesn’t wish to come to the port any
longer as a result of the state of the road, except if they don’t have any
other business to do that is when you see them in the port, this is bad for the
economy looking at how much government earns from the port," he
said.
Similarly, the spokesman for the National Association of
Government Approved Freight
Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Stanley Ezenga said that granting
terminal operator’s tax holiday as rebate for road construction will help in
solving the menace and debt incurred by business owners in the vicinity.
“The concessionairing agreement did not favour the terminal
operators, looking at the deplorable state of the road. But since government
has failed in that regard, of course let them give an incentive for terminal
operators to fix the road and then grant them tax holiday so that we will not
be waiting for government, to do everything for us.
“ This is because the government will continue to shift blame,
the state government will say it’s a federal road while the Federal
Government will says it is not captured in the year’s budget
leaving the commuters and business owners to suffer and bear the loss.
“So, I believe if FG can grant the terminal operators the
opportunity to repair the roads, it will go a long way to ease the pressure on
the government he said.
However, the Chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners
(AMATO) Chief Remi Ogungbemi held a contrary view as he opined that it is
the function and the responsibility of the government to fix the roads.
“To the best of my knowledge, granting terminal operators permit
to repair the road is not the best. I believe government should empower the
Agency in charge of the road to rehabilitate the road. I see it as a
decolonization and this is not the best at all, government should wake up and
do the needful,” he added.
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