Buhari kicks as Apapa gridlock persists despite FG’s intervention

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday decried the persisting Apapa gridlock in Lagos state.

The Presidency had on May 22 this year ordered the immediate decongestion of Apapa ports and its environs.

Sequel to the order, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced the constitution of a special task force to, within two weeks, clear the traffic gridlock. The deadline was further extended by two weeks.

Daily Trust reports that one month after the expiration of the extension, the gridlock still persists.

Hosting members of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari admitted that the Apapa gridlock still remains a challenge.

“It saddens me that businesses have had to suffer as a result of this. We are doing our very best working with the Lagos State Government to bring an end to this issue,” he said.

He said in the last four years the government had invested on infrastructure and supported banks to provide loans to traders.

“The consultative approach Nigeria took on the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is just another example of our desire for sustainable and inclusive growth. The team visited all the geopolitical zones. We met farmers, commodity traders, manufacturers, bankers and stock brokers. And we listened and made note of their views,” he said.

LCCI Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase commended the federal government for making moves to decongest the Apapa gridlock.

“We commend your intervention to resolve the traffic gridlock around the Lagos ports in Apapa. We have experienced partial decongestion of the roads but the problem is still not over. We urge you to please sustain your interest in this matter to ensure that it is fully resolved,” he said.