Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has explained issues surrounding the rehabilitation of the Apapa-Ijora-wharf road which was stalemated due to corporate differences between Dangote Group of Companies and APM Terminals over which of the two companies, were reportedly jostling to bankroll the rehabilitation of the two kilometer road as part of their corporate social responsibility.
NPA affirmed that Dangote was the first to respond to its call for help and the first to mobilize to site for commencement of the repairs work, APM Terminals Apapa Limited and Apapa Bulk Terminals Limited, operator of Flour Mills later identified with the project and were all working towards the same goal of the port access road being built to international standard.
General Manager, Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi made the clarifications in his office when leaders of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) paid him a courtesy visit.
He applauded the corporate social investment of the three key port operators, even as he singled out Dangote Group (operators of Greenview Terminal) for its pioneering efforts at giving the ports access road a facelift.
Ajayi also said that contract for the rehabilitation of the Tin Can Port road had also been awarded, hinting that both projects would be completed as soon as the rain abates.
He said, “At the point, the ports access roads became an eyesore and official bureaucracy heavily weighed down necessary efforts to appropriately respond, our Managing Director and some of us became very worried. We tried to look inwards and we mooted the idea for industry intervention. We appealed to stakeholders to help out.
“Luckily, Greenview Ltd. responded positively by offering to repair one side of the wharf-Flour Mills-Ijora bridge axis. But like Oliver Twist, we again called another stakeholders meeting, many operators didn’t even attend, but again, when the chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote was briefed, again, he directed that Dangote Construction Company should rehabilitate both lanes of the road.
”He did not stop there, he directed his construction company to accede to our request to lay it with asphalt concrete. Concrete pavement wouldn’t take them time once they begin because Dangote Construction has the latest modern asphalt laying equipment. Because of the rains, they have decided to carry out palliative repairs, as soon as the rains stop, they will commence. The equipment can lay 850m per hour. So we have Dangote to thank,” he said.
He disclosed that the three companies were now working to have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the best way to go about the job at an agreeable cost.
”With regards to the cost, roles, contributions etcetera, my intention is to also get the Lagos State Government onboard. It is because the port access road is bad that road users suffer all kinds of exploitation,” he said.
On truck registration, Ajayi further said that despite the initial opposition, the Ports Authority’s decision to conduct an audit of the roadworthy trucks that haul cargo from the Nigerian seaports, about 11,000 of them have been certified and registered. This is even as the process is ongoing.
He said, “When the automation gets in full swing, it would engender public safety, encourage and improve the culture of road worthiness compliance and also eliminate criminality within the logistics value chain”, he said.
Chief Ajayi also explained that the regime of poor monitoring of trucking activities in the ports environment was over, together with the criminality that went with it.
“We are committed to having a proper data in place to identify truck owners. This is in the spirit of public safety and operational efficiency”, he added.
Mr. Ajayi said, “In an automated trucking system, a truck approaching the port already has its particulars on the radar, and the roadworthiness of the truck is also easily ascertained. At any point it loses its road worthiness, we insist on the required standard. From the clearing agents’ angle, some of their members have been arrested and taken to police stations when drivers disappear with importers goods loaded out of the port. It has been discovered that some of the trucks are fitted with commercial motorcycle number plate to commit theft.”
Send your news, press releases/articles to info@primetimereporters.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook at facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
