Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, assured that the traffic gridlock being experienced on the Apapa Oshody Expressway would ease in the next one week. He also appealed to tanker drivers to transport their product at night, saying “It is easier to move at this time.
Fashola gave the assurance while inspecting some failed portions of the ever busy expressway and the ongoing expansion works on the 10 lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Ganiyu Johnson and the South West Public Relations Officer of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Mr. Tayo Aboyeji among others.
The governor said, “They (PTD officials) have assured me that in the next one week, things will change for the better and we are accepting that from them. It is easier for the state to accept their commitment but if we do not see the change we expect, we know what to do on behalf of the residents. One business cannot disturb the other. This is only a temporary measure, the Federal Government should also visit Apapa, to see the pains residents and owners of business are going through daily.
“There are many questions we must ask ourselves, why is it that this is the only place where fuel is being distributed and it is distributed at so much pain? Where is the money made from the ports annually? I remember that we were told that these ports made N1.4 trillion in six months. Why is the money not reinvested in the port? About 3, 000 trucks load from the ports. I hope that the owners of the oil companies will also leave their desk and visit this place as a group to see how they make profit and the cost of that on the citizens. Once they see this, there will also be more improvement.”
The governor however, appealed to the tanker drivers to transport their product at night, saying “It is easier to move at this time. This is another way to transport fuel without inflicting pains on the residents. Doing this, it will suit both residents and the fuel operators. When you do this, resident will have opportunity to do business. It is not about enforcement but about doing business with compassion.”
Fashola lamented that many businesses had shut down and thousands of people laid-off by their employers because they could no longer operate effectively.
On the ongoing expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the governor said traders had converted the road to market, regretting that “such act is another problem impeding the ongoing constriction works.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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That would be a good welcome development, we are going through and undescribeable pains on Apapa road, i've being asking questions the money Federal and State government are making from this Apapa Port, how is it affecting the masses, and why should we suffer and pay for more transport to reach our places of work due to Tankers and Trailers owns by some of these top government officials, why should the poor trying to survive be paying much on transportation and go through serious stress in reaching their places of work both going and coming to work? if government is ignoring the people by adding more pains to the poor they should remember that if nobody is being held accountable for this, God Almighty will definitely asked them questions, they should take a day off their office and visit Apapa road, peoples' lives is on risk day-by-day, you will trek and trek till you are tired of trekking still you will still pay high fee for transport to your working place or back home. Government why are you people increasing the suffering of the poor ones'? were is your services to the masses? why???????.... and if things continues like this, i wonder what would become the fate of this country in two years to come?. As for me i feel the government should be wise in tackling the need of the masses in order to aid and avoid untold stories and unforeseen future problems. Let government and respectable leaders of this country think about this? May God help our leaders to lead Nigeria right!
ReplyDeleteits just appauling
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