The shutdown was caused by tankers and trailers that seized the major economic artery of the country. All law enforcement agencies pleaded helplessness yesterday with the policemen disappearing from the roads completely leaving trapped motorists at the mercy of thieves.
The situation was compounded by the ongoing slow paced construction work on the road by Julius Berger. The mayhem was justified by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday.
A source told Vanguard that the blockade was caused partly by a directive from the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, who reportedly gave a 48-hour deadline to Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and oil marketers to clear the long queues at filling stations and end the lingering fuel shortages.
To meet the deadline, PPMC, said it will inject additional 110 million litres of petrol into the market this week.
Lagos State government, in its reaction to the development, urged motorists and residents of the area to be patient, admitting it lacked the wherewithal to enforce the law to the letter on the axis without federal agencies’ support. This came as NUPENG blamed the development on the fact that tanker drivers from all parts of the country converged on Apapa to take delivery of the product, as that was the only place in the country fuel was available.
Naval authorities give assurance Although the naval authorities assured last night that its personnel were on their way to clear the tankers off the road, the situation at press time, remained the same with no respite for motorists and other road users.
The expressway was completely shut down, Friday, as movement was brought to a halt. The tanker drivers abandoned their vehicles on the road as late as 1.00am. The situation grew worse yesterday.
When contacted, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, lamented the situation, saying the federal agencies had to do the needful to help traffic situation at Apapa.
Opeifa said, “We have called several stakeholders meetings on how to keep Apapa moving even during scarcity but the oil unions have not kept to their own side of the bargain. The problem with Apapa has to do with the influx of articulated vehicles, both tankers and containers, heading for the port to load goods.
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