Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
The Lagos State government has disclosed that it is working with the federal government to finding a permanent solution to resolve the Apapa crisis, which according to him is more than just traffic, but a national issue that must be addressed as such.
Ambode who made the disclosure while giving an assessment of his administration’s progress in the last over 3 years at the 12th edition and 3rd quarter Town Hall Meeting in Ibeju Lekki, said, “It will be very unfair for Lagosians if I do not talk about issues relating to traffic management and integrated transport management in the State, especially with what we have experienced in the last one week with the Apapa gridlock”.
According to him, the Apapa gridlock has become perennial and in the last 6 years it goes and comes but the challenge is to be able to give a permanent solution which was why the President sent the Vice President to come assess the situation and to actually proffer a permanent solution.
“We believe that every layer of government should collaborate to be able to resolve this Apapa crisis. We’ll like to let Lagosians know that the case with Apapa is more than a traffic issue. That is where all states in the country actually generate money through customs for sharing and the federation account, so if anything goes wrong there whatever they get on a monthly basis reduces”.
The governor expressed his displeasure at the fact that there are too many agencies and establishments disturbing the fundamentals. “It is bad enough that we’re using trucks to take these products from Apapa to other places but fundamentally, other ports in this country must work. We’re not averse to allowing others ports to function so that they can decongest Lagos”.
“We believe strongly also, that whatever it is that has led to that usage of truck which is the vandalisation of pipelines must be addressed immediately so that our roads can be free. We don’t need to use tax payers’ money to continue to rehabilitate roads destroyed by tankers”.
“We will sit and discuss with the minister of Petroleum and the DPR that something should be done because we do not need tank farms in Lagos anymore. There are 68 tank farms in Apapa axis and that is one serious danger waiting to happen. We also approved tank farms in the Ijegun axis and that is where people are populated”.
He further gave the assurance that in the next two weeks the reconstruction of the Apapa/Oshodi expressway will begin by the federal government. “If we don’t clear the Apapa axis it will be totally unfair to close the third mainland bridge and for that reason it has been shifted to August 24th instead of this weekend, he said”.
He however added that everyone is welcome to Lagos because it is a metropolitan State, but that this is affecting the infrastructure in the State in terms of transportation. “On Friday we’re going to have a water transportation roundtable to see that in the next 6 months we’ll provide world class water transportation channels”.
“The future of Lagos is in the Eastern and Western axis of the state; that is where the prosperity and commercial we’re trying to build will be put in place. It is not about the benefits now but about the future of our children. We’re on track with the Epe airport and all those affected by the various constructions going on around Epe and environs will be compensated by the end of the week”.
“We promised an inclusive government and that is what we’re trying to do. When we look at our scorecard which is to keep Lagos State on a trajectory of growth and development, we believe we are on that track”.
