The Senate has directed relevant government agencies to immediately begin the decongestion of the gridlock in Apapa, Lagos State.
The Senate particularly directed the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to immediately begin the process of removing structures on rights of way and other locations impeding smooth traffic flow across the country.
It insisted that the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government should immediately resume the rehabilitation of the roads leading to the nation’s main ports in the Apapa area, with a view to tackling the gridlock menace there.
It also said that port concessionaries and tank farm owners should be directed to provide ample parking space for their trucks and carry out development in accordance with their lease agreements.
The directive was the fallout of investigation of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, on Apapa Port gridlock, following the resolution of the Upper Chamber in a motion sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, APC, Lagos Central, and 106 others on the Apapa Port gridlock, in December last year.
The committee said the two construction firms handling the rehabilitation of the main road leading to Apapa Port left the site because the Federal Ministry of Works was owing them N11.7 billion.
The committee, in its report also claimed that the contractors handling the construction of the Trunk Holding Bay also left the site because the firm was being owed N1.5 billion despite the fact that the project was about 90 percent completed.
Apart from this, the Upper Chamber directed the tank farm owners to, within the next six months, develop loading bays for trucks while the Lagos State Government, should expedite action on the loading bay being planned for the trade fair complex.
- Vanguard