From left: Vice Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Apapa Gridlock, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Director Legal Services, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. Samuel Vongtau and Director, Inland Transport Services of the council, Mr. Akintunde Makinde during the meeting in Lagos, Thursday.

The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Shippers Council and the Nigerian Ports Authority to work with other relevant organs and agencies of the government to ensure that truck drivers fully complied with the directive to vacate seaport access roads in Lagos.

Recall that President Muhammadu had given truck divers 72 hour-ultimatum to vacate all access roads leading to the seaports or face dire consequences, a directive that expires mid night of Saturday, May 25, 2019.

Vice President and chairman, Presidential Task Force on Apapa gridlock, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who gave the directive during a meeting with stakeholders at the Apapa headquarters of the council Thursday, said council and the NPA should assist in the implementation of the Presidential Order issued to truck drivers to vacate ports’ access roads within 72 hours.

Represented by the vice chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the Vice President insisted that the Task Force was set up by the Presidency to proffer lasting solutions to the perennial gridlock in Apapa and its environs within two weeks.

According to him, the new directive mandates the immediate removal of all trucks from ports access roads in which the NSC and NPA are key agencies that will play crucial roles in the achievement of the mandate and therefore to rally round the task force.

It was however gathered that the various transport unions including the Association of Maritime Truck Owners AMATO and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria RTEAN, have commenced plans to ensure full compliance with the 72-hour directive in order not to incur the wrath of the government.

Investigations showed that many of the truck owners have concluded plans to take their trucks to private terminals pending the completion of the work of the Task Force within the next two weeks to forestall regrettable consequences.