Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this during a fact-finding visit to the Apapa Ports to ascertain the reason for the incessant congestion in the port area, in spite of providing a park for the articulated trucks.

Sanwo-Olu said that a special team would be set up by his administration to takeover traffic management in the area.

He also said a stakeholders’ meeting, involving representatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), haulage transport unions and port operators, among others would be convened.

According to him, the meeting is to work out means of solving the protracted traffic gridlock in Apapa, as well as having more efficient, effective port operations in the general interest of the public.

The governor decried the level of indiscipline among port players and promised to tackle head-on, the menace of extortionist tendencies levelled against security personnel in the Apapa environs.

“This is not the first time, certainly not the second and in fact this is about the third or the fourth time in my government, that we are trying to see how we can bring an enduring solution to the Apapa gridlock.

“On all of the times we have come, we knew that we are having a road construction, but you can see now that inside Apapa, there is significant progress. A lot of roads have been done.

“Today even being public holiday, it is even difficult for us to say that we have achieved a 100 per cent traffic free flow into Apapa,´´he said.

Sanwo-Olu added that there had been accusations over a cabal collecting money from operators and there were also counter accusations.

“You are aware that since last year the presidential task force had been working. Now, there is a process that is starting, in which the state government needs to take over that task force.

“One of the reasons for this trip is to start that process, to see things for myself.

“The state government is to set up a seamless operation to have a team of LASTMA about 400 to 500, dedicated to Apapa gridlock.

“To also have a team of policemen from Area B dedicated to the same gridlock. Understand what the airport police command is doing, because they are also part of the problem,” he said.

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Our correspondent reports that the agenda of the meeting is unknown to newsmen as at the time of filing this report.

It was, however, gathered that Jonathan would update Buhari on his recent international assignment in Mali.

Jonathan headed the mediation team of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Mali’s lingering political crisis.

It was also reported that Jonathan may use the opportunity to condole with the president over the death of his friend, Ismaila Isa Funtua, who died of cardiac arrest on Monday night.

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The purpose of the visit was however, not disclosed but the two governors later held a closed-door meeting at the Government House.

It was reported that Obaseki’s visit to Wike is coming on the heels of the disqualification of the former from contesting the upcoming Edo governorship election on the platform of the APC.

The APC had approved its screening and appeal committees’ reports which disqualified Obaseki and two others from participating in the June 22 governorship primaries in Edo.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by its National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, announced Obaseki’s disqualification on June 13 at a news conference in Abuja

Oshiomhole said the NWC, which reviewed the two reports, noted with satisfaction that members of the committees were unanimous in their decisions.

The appeal panel, headed by Prof. Abubakar Fari also upheld the outcome of the screening committee, while presenting the report to Oshiomhole at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

Political observers in Port Harcourt said that Obaseki’s visit to Wike might not be unconnected with his disqualification by the APC from participating in the party’s governorship primaries and that he might be seeking to join the PDP to contest the governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has slated Sept. 19 for the governorship poll in Edo.

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They told our reporter in separate interviews in Lagos that it would also boost the positive image of the country’s culture, music and arts before the outside world.

Mr Ikechi Uko, the founder of AKWAABA Travel Tourism Market said to have a president of a country like France that can attract lots of visitors to Africa would place the African Shrine on a global map.

He said it was a massive move for Lagos State as the visit would be covered by French media and some other international media organisations and wire agencies.

”It is a good development for Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole because we are going to experience a boost in inbound tourism.”?

He expressed excitement that most tourists were beginning to reinforce and confirm Nigeria’s position as the entertainment capital of Africa.

He said before now, tourists visited the country due to oil, banking and business purposes.

They had now begun to show interests in Nigeria’s culture which is a testimony of how far the nation had gone.

”Lagos State must be commended for all the facelifts within the state, the murals, statues and all, Lagos is already on the path to greatness,” he said.

Also, Mr Adeniyi Ologun, another stakeholders in the hospitality sector, said that President Macron’s proposed visit would give Nigeria more recognition in African music, arts and culture
Ologun is the the Executive Secretary of the Hotel and Personnel Services Employers’ Association of Nigeria (HOPESEA).

He said that there should be hope of some musical collaborations coming up between Nigerian musicians and those from France.

”For the French President to deem it fit to visit Fela Shrine, it means that he has some regards for Nigerian culture and music industry.

“We congratulate the Lagos State Government and the family of Late Fela Anikulapo and we wish them a successful hosting.

“We hope this will be the beginning of new outburst of musical collaborations between Nigeria and France,” he said.

Mr Bankole Bernard, President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) said President Macron’s planned visit was an initiative of the Lagos State Government.

Bernard added that it would showcase the state’s art galleries, culture and entertainment to the rest of the world.

Bernard said that the Lagos State’s film industry was growing rapidly so it was trying to ensure investments and fresh ideas come to the sector.

He said this would be an eye opener for Nigerians to appreciate the potential in their culture, music and arts.

”For the first time, Lagos State is taking tourism to another level which is the vision of the government and I quite applause the state governor for that.

”This will help Nigerians to appreciate what they have.

“It will also help to minimise the rate at which they travel for leisure abroad because they can see that President Macron values what we disrespect which is our culture, ” he said.,

He urged other state governments to take a clue from this rather than waiting for monthly subventions from the Federal Government to groom their tourism sector.

He also called on the Federal Government to stop paying lip service to tourism development in the country.

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Armed security personnel were seen deployed to strategic areas in Makurdi while others were seen patrolling streets in armoured tanks and vehicles as part of measures to boost up security in the state.

It was also reported that patrol officers with sniffer dogs were also sighted along busy streets and highways in the state capital while a military helicopter was sighted conducting aerial surveillance.

Similarly, siren-blaring police patrol vans conveying armed security personnel decked in bullet prove vestments were seen patrolling the streets.

Buhari is expected in Benue to condole with the people of the state over the deaths of local farmers killed by suspected herdsmen on Jan. 1 in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas.

Scores of other villagers were also reported to have been killed at Okpokwu, Logo and villages in Guma since the Jan. 1 massacre.

Part of the president’s itinerary as released by the Benue Government included a courtesy call on the fifth Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, at his Makurdi residence.

According to the release, the president will have an interactive session with selected Benue indigenes and visit the IDP camp via helicopter.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Fatayi Owoseni, and the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Yamu, were yet to respond to phone calls put to them by our correspondent as they were said to be working to firm up the security arrangements.

However, a cross section of Makurdi residents commended security agencies for the tight security measures put in place.

The resident hoped that the visit would tackle the mounting security and development challenges of the state.

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