Apapa port congestion man-made –Minister

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, declared, yesterday, that the perennial gridlock in Apapa is man-made.
The minister admitted this when he met with the newly-inaugurated board members of the Nigerian Railwa Corporation (NRC). He tasked them to ensure that government’s plans, of linking the port with railway, to ease the gridlock, are implemented; and not slow down the work of the ministry, in the execution of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s strategy for rail development in Nigeria.
The minister also told the Ibrahim Alhassan-led NRC board members, in Abuja, yesterday, that, “we should continue from where the last chairman stopped. With him and the NRC managing director, we were able to effectively tackle critical problems, such as the pipe borne water, gas, as well as sewage lines that were obstructing construction on the Lagos axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project. Please, don’t slow us down.”
He further stated that as construction of rail lines continue, the track laying would be completed between the end of this month and December.
“The congestion being experienced on daily basis, at Apapa Ports, are ‘man made’ and, as soon as the Lagos-Ibadan extension to Apapa Ports is achieved, all the cargoes coming through Apapa, into the country, would now be transported through the rail line and this will automatically terminate the perennial gridlock at Apapa Ports. As governing board members, you are responsible for setting out the parastatal’s economic, financial, operational administrative policies in accordance with government policy directives aimed at assisting the Corporation to achieve its mandate.
“You are also charged with the responsibilities for measuring performance against targets and introducing broad policy measures that will curtail any deviations to ensure that the targets are achieved,” he said.
He cautioned the board members not to involve themselves in NRC’s day-to-day management nd enjoined them to engender harmonious working relationship with management.”