Apapa gridlock: Residents want FG to relocate tank farms

Residents of Apapa community have called on the Federal Government to relocate the tank farms on Apapa Wharf Road to reduce the traffic gridlock on the road.
They also demanded that train services should be deployed  to freight fuel out of Apapa as part of measures to avoid trailer accidents and blockage.
General Secretary of  Bible Society of Nigeria, Dare Ajiboye,  who spoke on behalf of the residents   also expressed fear over what will become of them during this year’s rainy season as the roads leading to the Apapa Wharf are in deplorable conditions.
According to him, because of the  condition of the roads, trucks laden with containers fall on the residents. Also, many of the residents  fall ill because of long stay on endless traffic.
He lamented that motorists are attacked by hoodlums on the long traffic and the government loses money because some containers cannot come into Apapa. When containers cannot come in, he said,  the government equally loses  taxes.
Dare noted that the two major access roads to Apapa,  namely Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and Ijora-Apapa Road  are in decrepit situation, replete with deep gullies at various sections of the road from West Minster up to First Gate Bus Stop.
“The road  from Coconut Bus Stop is blocked daily by trucks and fuel tankers make it impossible for Apapa-bound vehicles to move. The gridlock is compounded by gullies on both the Oshodi and Apapa-bound carriageways between the Tin Can First Gate and Second Gate Bus Stops. Most people have for a long time abandoned this road because of its terrible state and this has increased the pressure on the Ijora/Apapa Road which is the second access road to Apapa” he said.
The General Secretary noted that last year,  the Apapa Customs declared more than N229.9 billion revenue,  adding that the revenue would have increased if the roads were fixed.
“Foreigners who come into the country through the ports will not see these roads and give us the respect that we deserve as a nation. The Apapa  Customs command realised over N229.9 billion in 2016 while Tin Can Command has been generating  a daily revenue of N1billion since the beginning of March this year” he noted.