INVESTORS at the Lekki-Epe Corridor have withdrawn from the various truck parks projects following the inability of the Lagos State Government to streamline policies that are investment friendly.
It was gathered that a lot of investors are redirecting their investments away from the Lekki-Epe corridor because they have lost monies due to the government’s inability to coordinate itself and other stakeholders in that axis.
It was also learnt that some investors in the various truck park projects who secured loans from banks are also expressing concerns over the deadlock between truckers and the management of the call-up system, which has resulted in the suspension of the system by the state government.
Speaking on the development, Hon. Lanre Ope, Managing Director, Tal Concept, one of the major investors in the truck parking facility in the Lekki-Epe corridor said that all the government is trying to do is avoid a repeat of the nightmare that happened in Apapa area of Lagos.
Ope also said that as Lagosian, he is working round the clock to ensure that every business owner in that axis and the Lagos State Government are on the same page moving forward.
Ope also said that investors have the right to take whatever decisions with regards to their investment adding that efforts are being made to bring everybody to the table to dialogue.
He explained that as a Lagosian, development of the state comes first while ensuring that businesses thrive.
He said: “I am from Lagos State, so head or tail, I am a stakeholder in anything that has to do with the development of my state and when you have a problem, I will want to look at it holistically
“From the angle of Lagos State Government, and the interest of the government you saw what happened in Apapa, we are not going to open our eyes and allow a similar thing to happen in the Lekki-Epe axis.
“For me, that is a concern as a Lagosian, while others are considering pulling out their investments, I have to exercise patient and get all the parties involved to do what we need to do for all of us to be on the same page.
“Because this is part of the development effort of the present Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, so it is about Lagos for me and at the same time, it is about business. Having invested so much on that project and when you consider what the Banks are charging as rates, investors are not smiling.
“So I sympathize with my colleagues who are truck park owners, they are right to take any decision they want to take but I can only appeal to them for us to continue to engage every other stakeholders to be able to get to where we are going in the best interest of all of us.
“And I know that it is a matter of time and I have also reached out to some people in government to let them know the need for them to be very forthcoming on the matter and I am sure very soon we will get over the problem. It is not possible for anybody to accept N2,500, if they do not want to pay N12,500, we will to seat down and negotiate it. So everything has to be dialogued.
“Very soon, the engagement with Lagos Government will happen because we are trying to reach out to them and I also want to appeal to you to highlight the problem and bring them to fore so everybody can know what is going on.
“The government has a lot more to do to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive because if this project fails, it means the government has failed too.
Similarly, another truck park investor, Mr. Tunji Baale, Managing Director, Diamond Star Limited, Operators of the Diamond Star Export Processing Terminal at LilyPond in Apapa said that his Company has redirected its investment to other areas.
Baale also disclosed that the current development impasse between the truckers and other stakeholders has led to huge loss of investment in office accommodation, residential, electronic barriers, setting up of Information Communication Technology Centre have been lost.
He disclosed that the Lagos state approached investors in truck parks and assured them of its support and companies came and expressed interest only for them to be regretting investing in the truck park business.
He explained that investors put in so much in the various parks because of the understanding they had with the government.
He said: “We have lost huge sums of money there, getting the premises ready for the intended purpose, setting office accommodation, putting lightening facilities, ICT facilities, setting up digital barriers, we have spent a lot of money we would have used for other purposes.
“God’s willing, we might have to redirect investment for other purposes because the way it stands now, it is a sad story for everybody.”
It was also gathered that Sifax, one of the truck park investors has also pulled out of the area following the government’s unfriendly attitude.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman, beju-Lekki Local Government Council, Mr. Sesan Olowa said that a new system will also face challenges and what the Call up system is facing currently was not surprising.
Olowa also said that these challenges can be resolved adding that the Lagos State Ministry of Transport is working round the clock to ensure that every stakeholder operating in that axis is brought on board upon the call up system.
He explained that both businesses and residents in that corridor need the call up to bring sanity to the area adding the chaos being experienced will continue.
He said: “ When you are to introduce a new system, you expect these kinds of challenges from the parties involved and these are things that are being worked on and I know the Lagos State Ministry of Transport is doing all it can to resolve all the grey areas and ensure that the call up system is operational.
“We need the call up system to bring sanity to this place otherwise we will continue to experience chaos, you need to come around here and see the way and manner things are currently going. If we do not manage and control the traffic, we may be having another Apapa in Ibeju-Lekki which we are very confident that the call system will address.
“As at last week, the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO and members of the National Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG met and reached out to the state government and requested for more time for their members to on board on the scheme.
“If there are arguments over tariffs, it is normal but I believe the parties will come to an acceptable figure that will be agreeable to all stakeholders. For us, we look forward to the commencement of the call up system and we are fully in support of the scheme.
“The Local government on our part has secured a major trailer park to support the call system, we are very excited about it and whatever the issues are currently preventing the commencement will be resolved in no time.”
On investors pulling out of the axis, Olowa said that the state government has not left investors in the dark adding that about three weeks ago, the Commissioner and some officers from the Lagos State Transport Management Agency, LASTMA did a test run of the call up project.
He also said that if the government was not committed to the project, it will not expend its resources on it advising investors to be patient while the state government continues to negotiate with the truck owners.
A resident and representative of Lekki Estates and Stakeholders Association, Mr. Wale Aderoju said that the residents of Ibeju, Etiosa and Lekki area have witnessed unprecedented traffic in that axis due to the unregulated movements of trucks, tankers and other articulated vehicles, a development that has led to the deaths of 22 residents in the last 12 months.
Aderoju also said that the unregulated movement of trucks along the Coastal road where the Lekki Deep Seaport, and the Dangote Refinery is located has caused a lot of inconvenience for residents in that area.
He explained that most times these vehicles are not supposed to be on the road because of the components on the vehicles. Sometimes their trucks have no headlights even when they move at night.
He said: “Also on the long bridge at Ibeju, they will occupy two sides of one lanes leaving residents to pass through a narrow area. Most of the infrastructure put in place by the Lagos State government have been damaged by these trucks and they run away because there is no body to hold them to account.
“If you are taking a child to school or returning from work or there is an emergency, how would you survive.
“The electronic call up being proposed by the government is the solution to the unregulated movement of trucks in that axis for us. Without the electronic call up, the Apapa port gridlock will be a child’s play compare to what will happen in Ibeju Lekki.
“So we want it well planned, we are not saying trucks should not move, we are saying fuel tankers should supply their products, all we are asked is that they should be properly organized into truck parks and garages such that when it is your, you are called in to pick up products or containers. You just do not move on the roads and endanger the lives of residents in that area.
“So these are things we have encountered and we just hope that it does not become another Apapa gridlock.
“Yes, we have lost 22 residents to accidents caused by truck drivers, you can confirm this from officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, who have been doing their best to manage the traffic situation in that axis.
“We have had cases of hit and run and we have to call Health and Safety department of the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council to help us evacuate corpses from the roads.
“The commencement of the call up will be welcome as it bring sanity to the area.”
Meanwhile there have been mixed reactions from the Lagos State Ministry of Transport as both the Permanent Secretary Mr. Olawale Musa and Director of Transport Engr. Olasunkanmi Ojoowuro have expressed different views on regulating the movement of trucks in corridor.
While Olawale Musa told Vanguard that the commencement of call up in Ibeju Lekki remains suspended until all issues are resolved, Ojooruwo said that the commencement of call up will be announced soon.
