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By Steve Agbota
Following an exposé by The Sun, the Federal Government and Lagos State Government have commenced clearing heaps of solid waste impeding the free flow of vehicles along the port access road.
Residents, miscreants, traders and trailer drivers have turned nearly all access roads leading to Tin Can Island ports complex and Apapa Wharf into refuse dumpsites.
As the port users applauded the evacuation the refuse, they urged the federal and Lagos state governments to also embark on aggressive eviction of traders, commercial motorcyclists, miscreants and other non-state actors constituting nuisance on the Port access roads especially on the Mile 2 Bridge to Tin Can Island Port corridor.
They said that the illegal occupants have snatched the port access roads from motorists, thus causing hellish gridlock on a daily basis.
Speaking with Daily Sun on Wednesday, a port user, Kunle Osho said that there was an urgent need to remove the traders and okada riders from the Mile 2 Bridge because they have taken the better part of the road, which is hindering the movement of vehicles along the port corridor.
“Imagine, people turning the nation’s economic gateway into a market place where they sell all manners of things. You see people selling banana, groundnut, fuel in Jerry cans, slippers, alcohol and roasted plantain on that Mile 2 Bridge even in front of Tin Can Island gate.
“The hoodlums have now built shanties, with their wives and children, all living on the port access roads.
This is a national embarrassment, and this can never happen in any of the neighbouring ports,” he said.
Also speaking with Daily Sun in Apapa, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalitions (SNFFIEC), Osita Chukwu, said government knows what to do if it truly wants to deal with the issue.
“Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, once ordered these people to leave but they don’t want to leave. The enforcement agencies are not doing their work. They are the one causing this problem. Work is being shared. Governor cannot be in government house and do the work of Police or other security agencies.
“Set up a task force to clear the road. But the issue still boils down to the Chief Security Officer of the state. If you think the person that supposed to do that job is not doing it, remove him and put someone else.
“It is total negligence. Task force went to remove some of the things armed robbers used to terrorise motorists and road users in the afternoon and night at Mile 2, they went and start moulding it back. Something needs to be done about it,” he added.
He urged Sanwo-Olu to replicate what he did at Oshodi, Okomaiko, Yaba and CMS, at Mile 2 Bridge to dislodge the traders and okada riders.
