The traffic gridlock that surfaced shortly after ports concession in 2006 in Apapa, and has endured till today will not end because of selfish and group interests. As a matter of fact, it is pecuniary gains that has sustained the notorious Lagos ports access roads traffic gridlock.
For many years now, journalists have been reporting how security and traffic agents who are supposed to bring sanity to the access roads turned the assignment into a money-making enterprise. The business has been boosted by government officials who are part of the business while pretending not to know what is going on. With the millions of Naira they rake in daily, it becomes difficult to make the traffic flow. They make rules and help the truck drivers to circumvent them. Sometimes, they stop trucks when the traffic is moving in a bid to hold the traffic in order to commence their extortions and illegal collections. They tactically fight any genuine effort to put an end to the traffic menace.
A recent Vanguard report detailed the various extortion points on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway –a distance of less than 10 kilometres. According to the report, there are 58 extortion points on the road manned by both state and non-state actors who collectively extort truck drivers going to the Tin Can Port and Apapa Port from Oshodi-Mile 2 axis money to the tune of N61, 000 from each truck driver daily.
The report which was corroborated by knowledgeable sources in the areas said there are no fewer than 58 extortion points mounted by the Police, Park and Garages ECOMOG, Oduduwa Boys, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Apapa LGA, and area boys among others.
The investigative report stated that going inward Tincan along the expressway, there are 25 points where each truck driver pays N61, 000. Outward Tincan, there are 12 extortion points and a fee of N25, 000. In the Apapa corridor, there are 19 points and a toll of N52, 000. In the case of outward Tin Can, FRSC and Navy officials are part of the extortion.
In the previous years, the media has reported how police, LATSMA and NPA officials have been extorting truck drivers and causing traffic gridlock at Tin Can Port gate. Even soldiers had been indicted for the same obnoxious activity on the Ijora and Western Avenue axis.
Very often, there are disagreements between the drivers and the extortionists, leading to fight and loss of lives. When it’s not fight and deaths that occur, heavy gridlock often ensues.
To maritime operators and observers, it is security, traffic and privileged government officials that have been sustaining the traffic gridlock. This was confirmed recently by the National Coordinator, Ports Standing Task Team(PSTT), Fadipe Moses, who said the previous efforts of the task team to clear the menace on the road were resisted by the agencies mentioned above, who claimed they had set up a task force to handle it.
“Remember, we keep talking about in-bound (trucks going to the ports). When we cleared the out-bound and wanted to move to the in-bound, it became a problem. What was the problem? The Lagos State Government, TTP, the operators of the call-up system; LASTMA and the police said they have constituted a task force to look into it,” Fadipe told newsmen.
“They said it is their call-up corridor and that they are the ones managing it, that PSTT has no business there. We tried to make them see reason but they refused. When we tried to go and dismantle it, it became a problem that led to clashes. A government agency clashing with another government agency!”
Thus it is clear that these agencies and government official have their own agenda. They are not interested in seeing the end of Apapa traffic gridlock. Hence they simply turned the attention of the task team away in order to continue with their business.
Fadipe said the PSTT has the capacity to clear the port access road if they can receive a clear directive from the Presidency.
Notably, the Lagos State government officials led by Governor Sanwo-Olu recently visited the troubled Oshodi-Mile 2 axis. The governor ordered truck drivers who were parking indiscriminately on the road and causing traffic chaos to vacate the place.
There has been partial compliance leading to a semblance of sanity. But that is not the first time there will be government directive and full or partial compliance for some days or weeks only for the trucks to return with renewed vengeance.
This is because those making money from the traffic chaos would want to see it back. For sanity to return to Apapa roads and Oshodi-Apapa expressway, therefore, all the security and traffic agencies must leave the roads. In other words, all the so-called checkpoints and all the extortion points must be identified and dismantled. A law should be enacted to that effect stipulating dire consequences for anyone who violates it.
