1YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Maritime Stakeholders Score Sanwo Olu Low, Query Wharf Landing Fee Collection

 

Maritime stakeholders have scored the performance of Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos State low in the last one year in office over failure to concentrate on port city development.

The maritime players , while evaluating the performance of the Governor in the last 365 days in office, asked about the impact of wharf landing fee in the development of maritime industry and Apapa community in particular.

While some expressed dissatisfaction of the governor’s neglects to Apapa development ,others advised him to focus on refuse evacuation from port community.

They also described Apapa as the dirtiest city in Lagos State, calling on the Governor to deploy standby officials from the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to manage and control refuse disposal in the local government area.

Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition ,Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick in a chat on Friday, called on the Sanwo Olu led government to give account on the monies collected from operators in Apapa and of what value it has added to the port city.

Osita lamented that the Governor has failed to live up to expectations as promised during the electioneering period.

He recalled that the Governor had promised to clear Apapa from the infamous gridlock but maintained that failure on his part should be a minus to his administration.

Osita who also doubles as the Chairman , International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA),Apapa Chapter , noted that Apapa has been marginalised under the Sanwo Olu administration ,calling on him to focus attention to a city where the nation’s and state wealth emanates from.

In his words: “Apapa is the dirtiest local government in Lagos, the Governor doesn’t care about what goes on in Apapa and if am to score his performance in the last one year in office I will say it’s less than 25% because this city is the heartbeat of the nation and Lagos is not exception.

“In fact Governor Sanwo Olu does not exist in Apapa in anyway because the little we have seen in terms of development is the handy work of the federal government.

“Apapa has been marginalised under Governor Sanwo Olu and I believe this will be an eye opener for him to focus on the port city development. Let him come out and tell us what he has done for Apapa. Look at the road infrastructure in Apapa , look at the General Hospital for instance; right beside the hospital and Postal office you will see heap of refuse smelling and you have sick people admitted in that hospital.

“The bottom line is that Apapa has been marginalised under him and that is a known fact.

Similarly, Public Relations Officer, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA),Tin Can Island Chapter , Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme called on Sanwo Olu to X- ray monies collected from Wharf landing fee in the last one year and analysis its contribution to Apapa local government.

Onyeme noted that traffic management suffered setbacks in the last one year, as officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority( LASTMA) were not properly monitored in their activities .

In the period under review, the customs brokers , noted that the last two administrations were able to manage traffic situation with checks and balances adding the current Governor failed in that aspect.

He stressed that Apapa city became dirtier under the Sanwo Olu administration in the last 365 day pointing out that the port city was neglected by the governor.

While giving credit to the Governor, he also appreciated Sanwo Olu performance on the inland water transportation system, saying ” This is one area I can commend the Governor because he has been able to compete with the federal government on this mode of transportation.

Harping on how to develop the port city Onyeme , reiterated that “Sanwo can make a difference if he considers the maritime industry important to his administration.

 

By Roland Ekama