Written by Dirisu Yakubu
In an attempt to clear the stalemate on Tin Can Island and the Apape area of Lagos, the federal government intends to deploy 200 security personnel to enforce compliance with heavy trucks not to park along the road, Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi said.
Amaechi revealed this on Wednesday during a meeting with maritime stakeholders and the Nigerian Maritime Workers Union, MWUN, in Lagos.
Vanguard recalls that the union threatened a strike if the government failed to resolve the stalemate on the route.
However, the Minister mentioned that the Management Board, headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Magdalena Ajani, will meet monthly until the challenges are overcome.
Nigerian port authority, NPA, Nigerian Shipping Council, NSC, MWUN, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC and Lagos State Government are expected to receive board members.
Amaechi instructed the committee to write to the Inspector General of Police about the possible deployment of more officers for the task.
“The issue of traffic on these routes is because we do not discipline people in Nigeria. People do whatever they like, even when it’s wrong, because there are no consequences to our actions. We need security officers to enforce the rules about trucks blocking the road.
“200 people will be accommodated there every day in Tin Can and Apapa because Nigerians do not listen to it until there are consequences for the actions. NPA, the Shipping Council must have the level of resources to address these challenges.
“We need to talk to shipowners and traders, especially those around Warri, to see how they can use the port of Warri so that the ports in Lagos will be congested, we can get cargo tracking insurance to that area so that traders from Abe, Onic who are ready to use that port I can go there, ”he said.
Also speaking, MWUN Deputy Secretary General Abudu Eroje said he was ready to strike because of the hard workers who faced going to their offices as a result of the standstill.
According to him, the union is now part of an enforcement committee that has decided to send letters to relevant stakeholders directing trucks to move to the parks.
Eroje assured that before the electronic system, a manual call system would be started to allow access to the tin tin.
Vanguard News Nigeria