Harboursandport.com: Lagos --- The Apapa Local
Government Chairman, Hon Elijah Adele has lampooned shipping companies
operating in Apapa, saying that they are responsible for 70% percent of the
traffic congestion experienced at the port.
Adele while fielding
questions from executives of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria
(MARAN) who paid a working on his office alleged that many of the shipping
companies do not have holding bays.
According to him, the
shipping companies are driven by greed; he noted that most of them deliberately
keep trucks bearing empty containers lined up on the road in order to deplete
container deposits paid by importers.
The Chairman said many
residents of Apapa have been adversely affected by the traffic situation, even
as he lamented that the revenue collection of the local government has dwindled
because most business owners have closed shop.
Adele told the
journalists that this was main reason why he decided to errect barricades,
thereby restricting trucks from accessing the inner roads and residential areas
in Apapa.
The Chairman also said
that it is regrettable that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) who is saddled
with the responsibility of inspection of shipping companies and their holding
bays before renewing their licenses has failed to do their job.
"The major
challenge of the trucks on our roads are the shipping companies, 70% of the
traffic situation in Apapa is caused by the shipping companies, they supposed
to have holding bays or bonded terminals, it is just as if you are bringing in
a car from abroad, but instead of you to have a car park, you decided to
park on the main road"
"We have
government officials that renew their (shipping companies) licenses and one of
the conditions that needed to be fulfilled is that you need to inspect their
bonded terminals to be sure that they have a place for empty containers, but
here, the reverse is the case"
"The shipping
companies are doing this because they usually collect N250,000 as demurrage
(container deposit)
"Because of
exploitation, they allow truckers to be on the main road, journey of five day
would now take you two weeks. On each day, for one empty container, they charge
about N9, 500 as demurrage, some container can stay on cue for a month,
it then means that the N250,000 is gone"
"When I resumed
here newly, I talked with the truckers, NPA, APMT and other
concessionares, and I also talked with some of the shipping companies, but they
have this confidence that no matter how you try, you would not break through,
so I was challenged" Adele stated
He noted that the
barricades on the Apapa inner roads are movable, but any company that needs to
receive a container must inform the government 12hours ahead in order to have
access. On weekends, he said they need to inform government 48hours ahead
so that her officers can be on ground.
He assured that the
local government area wants business owners within the inner roads in Apapa to
be able to do their businesses without stress.
"Revenue
generation in Apapa has declined and it is only those that are rugged that are
still in Apapa, but by the time you meet them, they would tell you their
side of the story that for one month, customers find it difficult to
access their place"
"As for the
trucks on the Apapa Bridge, we have already moved they out, the
strength and expiration date of the bridge have already lapsed, some of them
have spent more that forty years, it is only the grace of God that has been
sustaining that bridge, not to talk of bow adding more load on it. The
bridge is supposed to be for transit and not for cargoes not to be personally
situation"
While reacting to the
high level of refuse that have taken over Apapa port and inner residential
roads, Hon Adele said that the local government is financially handicapped.
He admitted however
that "One of the primary responsibilities of the Local Government is to
clear refuse and it has to be based on the resources that you have, for now I
have two compactors, one of them is as good as gone, the second one is still
Ok"
"I am planning to
buy a second hand tokunbo compactor for N18million, but where am I going to get
the money?
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