Apapa gridlock: FG should demolish buildings to create spaces ―Operator

CHAIRMAN of Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd and Ceo of Genesis Worldwide Shipping, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho has advised the Federal Government to knock down old and obsolescence buildings in Apapa in order to expand the port access road and create truck marshalling yards. Capt Iheanacho who is spearheading the Tomaro Industrial Island modular refinery project gave the advice at a roundtable meeting with maritime journalists in Lagos recently

He warned that there would be an adverse effect on Nigerian economy if Nigerian ports are not working efficiently.

He added that if the challenges are not addressed, tank farm operators might begin to have challenges in distribution of fuel across the country.

He advised that a commission should be set up to cut across all port operators including shipping companies, regulators, customs, and immigration among others.

According to him, such commission should also be assisted with the availability of empirical data on the throughput assumptions when the ports were constructed several years ago.

He noted that the traffic situation on access roads to the port is abysmally bad and the ports are currently choked to death. According to him, there is a deficit in terms of the roads available and the traffic that goes into and out of the ports

In his words, “The roads were built so many years ago. In relation to the traffic size, the traffic has since increased and there is need for policy planners to make adequate provisions for roads for various trucks.

“The problem has to do with the fact that we have not seen investment in infrastructures like roads.

Policy makers need to redesign the areas very close to the port. There are lots of obsolescence buildings around port environment that are not yielding any economic profits.

“It would not be a bad idea if we have people who are forward looking to look at the possibility of acquiring some of these building, knock them down and develop additional infrastructure by way of truck parks and access roads and the problem would be solved.

“It is not something we could endure forever and ever, it is something that a special task force should be set up to look at these problems and possible long term solutions to it” He said

The oil magnate however exempted petroleum tank farm owners from the cause of the traffic congestion at the port, explaining that the problem does not lie with the tank farms but with container trucks.

While addressing the absence of holding bays, Capt Iheanacho stated that, “Ownership of holding bays is not in the remit of shipping companies, it requires a regulator or an entity to look into the volume of cargoes coming into the port and make it easy for trucks to transit the port. I don’t like blame games, a shipping company is a shipping company the owners are there to make profit.

“Apapa port is the heart of the nation and without free movement of cargoes, Nigerian economy would suffer. If goods are cleared within 24hours and there is no road for them to pass, there is no way Nigerian ports can be a hub.

“Today you see rubbish heaps contesting for space with trucks, if foreigners come to our ports, they would not think highly of Nigerians in terms of the way we have not been able to organise the transit of goods into and out of our ports.”