The work of the Presidential Task Team on Restoration of law and order in Apapa ended last month when the team submitted a report to the Presidency and returned responsibility on traffic management back to the Lagos State Government.
According to the report submitted by the Executive Vice Chairman of the now rested Presidential Task Team, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, the Lagos State Government would now take the task forward while the Nigerian Port Authority would fix its Call-Up System to effectively manage the movement of trucks in and out of the Ports.
Informed sources also disclosed that an urgent directive has been given Wednesday from the Presidency to both the Transport and Works ministries to address the current problems in Apapa where the cost of haulage is said to have risen sharply.
The Transport Minister is expected to visit the area before the week runs out at the head of an FG team for on the spot assessment and resolution.
Meanwhile in a media interaction Wednesday Mr. Opeifa described what it called coordinated negative media reports on the axis as the handiwork of those benefitting from the hitherto corrupt system in the nation’s busiest port.
Since November after the Opeifa team had vacated the area and submitted its report, there have been several uncorroborated media reports linking the former Presidential Task Team to tales of corruption and illegal tolls around Apapa. Opeifa dismissed such claims.
Speaking on the allegations of rising transportation bottleneck and cost of haulage on the axis, former Lagos State Commissioner and former Vice-Chairman, Presidential Task Team, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, said that genuine stakeholders on the axis are impressed by the level of restoration of law and order that has taken place on Apapa axis as far as transportation are concerned.
The former Taskforce Chairman said a lot of successes have been recorded on the Apapa axis with the removal of heavy-duty trucks, petrol tankers and containerised trucks on the roads and bridges leading to Apapa, adding that the roads that were initially in bad shaped are undergoing construction and near completion.
Recall that the Presidential task force started its work on May 24, 2019, following a Presidential directive issued for the immediate clearing up of the Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs.
The Task Force has since concluded its work in November and handed over the traffic management of the Apapa axis to the Lagos State government.
The former Lagos State commissioner added that the Presidential task team has delivered on its mandate to restore order in the Apapa axis, even as he urged the Lagos State government and stakeholders to take ownership and ensure orderliness in maintained.
