NAN-HE-4
Road
By Uchenna Eletuo
Lagos, Oct. 3, 2017 (NAN) Mr Godwin Ikeji, the Secretary of Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) on Tuesday called for quick completion of ongoing rehabilitation of Apapa Ports access roads to facilitate trade.
Ikeji, who expressed satisfaction on the quality of the works, said that low maintenance culture had been the bane of the nation’s moribund infrastructure.
The JCOST scribe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that maritime stakeholders were excited as repair works began on the roads.
“The quick completion of the roads will bring relief to the emasculated maritime sector as many have closed shop because of the dwindling fortune caused by traffic.
“The monitoring authorities should be at alert to ensure that the construction firms do not cut corners both in the quality of the work and time frame.
“It is disturbing that the truck holding bay at Liverpool Apapa that is near completion for two years now, is still lying fallow while truck drivers use the major roads as parks,’’ Ikeji said.
“The provision of truck bay is very essential if we must check traffic congestion on the roads,’’ he said.
Ikeji called for regular maintenance of the nation’s economic infrastructures as bait to encourage foreign direct investment in the non-oil sector.
He also decried lack of trained truck drivers in the sector, adding that most of them only learnt on the job therefore lacked the skills.
He, however, called for the establishment of a truck driver’s school to enable would-be-drivers and the existing ones update their skills for efficiency.
Ikeji also identified the imposition of payment for stickers by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the high fines imposed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as impediments to ports operations.
He noted that with the concession policy, operators expected improved services, adding that the bad roads linking the ports had become a source of concern to operators. (NAN)
EUC/FLP/GY
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Grace Yussuf