FG steps in to rid Apapa of traffic jam

 The Federal Government said it has taken steps to tackle the traffic gridlock, which has bedevilled the Apapa area of Lagos in the last five weeks. The Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, commended the Nigerian Navy and other maritime stakeholders and security agencies for ensuring free flow of traffic in the Apapa area.He said: “There is a significant improvement in terms of vehicular movement in and out of the port and that is largely due to the effort of the Nigerian Navy and I am happy that they have also engaged all the stakeholders, because sometimes when you do a solo effort, you run into some difficulty, but because it is a joint effort, things went on smoothly.”

He explained that ensuring free flow of traffic within the Apapa area was one of the messages  the Federal Government adopted to  check the  threats by Boko Haram insurgents. He said security threat was the main reason the Nigerian Navy was getting involved in clearing the traffic gridlock in the Apapa area.

Senator Obanikoro dismissed the claim by the Lagos State government that the Federal Government was the cause of the gridlock in the Apapa area, saying: “Sometimes, blame game doesn’t solve issues and I want to commend the head of our team in the Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Alade for bringing stakeholders together to resolve the traffic problems in Apapa. This has further enhanced the sense in partnership. I am not going to join Lagos State in the blame game, what is important for me is my responsibility to the good people of Lagos State . I implore Lagos State government to join hands with the Nigerian Ports Authority to find a lasting solution to this problem.”

The Nigerian Navy had a fortnight ago taken steps to clear the traffic jam in the Apapa area for easy entry and exit.

The navy said it had deployed a sizable number of its officers and men to work along with other security agencies to ensure free flow of vehicular movement.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alade, said the operations earlier launched to rid the area of the unending traffic jam were continuing.

He said the areas where the force would deploy its personnel included Mile 2, Berger up to Tincan Island, Ijora, Liverpool, Marine Beach and all the adjourning roads leading to Apapa.

He said vehicles that deliberately blocked the road and prevent-ed easy flow of traffic would be towed, adding that the Ni-gerian Navy was working with officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) to ensure obstruc-tions on the roads leading to Apapa were removed.

He said the operations to rid Apapa of gridlock would be sustained in the first instance for seven days.