Indiscriminate dumping of waste delays beautification of Tin-Can Port access road – Official

The Tin-Can Island Port (TCIP) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) over the weekend expressed dismay over indiscriminate dumping of waste along the Tin-Can Port access road.

This is even as the government agencies revealed that the contractors of the road beautification of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway are currently unable to commerce work side by side with the construction due to indiscriminate dumping of all manners of waste along the Berger Auto market down to – Liverpool axis.

The government institutions lamented that the waste disposal along the road has affected the proposed beautification of the corridor which was in the original master plan of the construction work as executed by Messrs. Dangote Limited.

Speaking at a joint inspection of the port corridor at the weekend, Port Manager, TCIPC, NPA, Mallam Buba Jubrin told newsmen that all hands must be on deck to address the anomalies noting that the road must be completed on time.

The Port Manager assured that the Managing Director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko will be notified in furtherance to act swiftly to clear the refuse from the road in conjunction with the relevant bodies of the State government.

According to him, NPA will work closely with the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government in addressing the bad condition of the corridor.

He noted that the setbacks can be attributed to lack of collaboration between the contractors and NPA, adding that the Port Authority was not carried along in the ongoing project.

The Port Manager also noted that since the elections are over, the next line of action should be the completion of the project.

He stressed the need for the government officials and the various contractors to make progress on the road, adding that the synergy would solve the anomalies.

On his part, Director, Highway, Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Engr. Umar Bakare noted that the project runs from Gbagada, hence progress has been recorded in that axis.

Bakare added that the projects are in phases but maintained that the port corridor has been discouraging with the arbitrary disposal of refuse.

Also speaking during the inspection, CEO, Arabella Landscape Ltd, Babatola Akinkugbe, noted that the general state of the port corridors was not impressive, adding that indiscipline and abuse on the road by Nigerians over waste disposal was responsible for the present condition of the road.

He added that the indiscriminate refuse dump along the road was an eyesore, even as he further stressed the need for law enforcement agencies to arrest anyone found dumping refuse along the corridor.

Akinkugbe expressed optimism that “If Oshodi is cleared by the government, then the port corridor wouldn’t be an issue.”