 |
| Olikuntuyi making a point |
A maritime
stakeholder and Chief Executive Officer of ADLAD Group of Companies, Prince
Aderemei Olikuntuyi has condemned the continuous collection of Wharf Landing
Fees by the Apapa Local Government on roads leading into the port.
stakeholder and Chief Executive Officer of ADLAD Group of Companies, Prince
Aderemei Olikuntuyi has condemned the continuous collection of Wharf Landing
Fees by the Apapa Local Government on roads leading into the port.
He said that the
money is not being utilised for the purpose it was meant for.”
money is not being utilised for the purpose it was meant for.”
Olikuntuyi, who
claimed to be the originator of the Wharf Landing Fee idea and had purportedly
introduced it to the former Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Senator Muniru
Muse, argued that the collectors of the money had derailed from the original
concept of the Wharf Landing
Fees.
claimed to be the originator of the Wharf Landing Fee idea and had purportedly
introduced it to the former Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Senator Muniru
Muse, argued that the collectors of the money had derailed from the original
concept of the Wharf Landing
Fees.
According to him,
the Lagos State Government should have used a part of the proceeds from Wharf
Landing Fees to fix the dilapidated portions of the access roads leading to the
port where the money is being generated.
the Lagos State Government should have used a part of the proceeds from Wharf
Landing Fees to fix the dilapidated portions of the access roads leading to the
port where the money is being generated.
He, however,
lamented that the money which according to him, had ran into trillions of Naira
is currently going into the pockets of very few corrupt individuals.
lamented that the money which according to him, had ran into trillions of Naira
is currently going into the pockets of very few corrupt individuals.
Olikuntuyi
claimed that he had copied the concept of the Wharf Landing Fees from
Gatwick Authorities in the United Kingdom where the magnitude of trailers
coming to the area deprives the citizens of social life.
claimed that he had copied the concept of the Wharf Landing Fees from
Gatwick Authorities in the United Kingdom where the magnitude of trailers
coming to the area deprives the citizens of social life.
Speaking, he
said, “if I told you that I brought Wharf Landing Fee you will not believe
it. This is the idea I brought to Alhaji Muse my friend and I told him that it
will be broken into three parts, one for the local government, one for the
state government and one for the association of freight forwarders”
said, “if I told you that I brought Wharf Landing Fee you will not believe
it. This is the idea I brought to Alhaji Muse my friend and I told him that it
will be broken into three parts, one for the local government, one for the
state government and one for the association of freight forwarders”
“The money
was supposed to be applied on the bad state of the roads as we are seeing it
today”
was supposed to be applied on the bad state of the roads as we are seeing it
today”
“The wharf
landing fee would also have been a soccour for the communities that are closer
to the port because the presence of the traffic to the port would have deprived
them of so many things, including social life.
landing fee would also have been a soccour for the communities that are closer
to the port because the presence of the traffic to the port would have deprived
them of so many things, including social life.
“Wharf
landing fees would have been to help the communities but I modified it that,
because of our own environment and system, I said that he should be broken into
three so that the association of forwarders can also benefit.”
landing fees would have been to help the communities but I modified it that,
because of our own environment and system, I said that he should be broken into
three so that the association of forwarders can also benefit.”
“The money
today is being pocketed by few people today and the government have derailed
from the original plans” he said
today is being pocketed by few people today and the government have derailed
from the original plans” he said
He, however,
challenged the Federal and State Governments to jettison calls by truck owners
including Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) and National
Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) stressing that it is an aberration
for government to provide parking spaces for truck owners.
challenged the Federal and State Governments to jettison calls by truck owners
including Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) and National
Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) stressing that it is an aberration
for government to provide parking spaces for truck owners.
He challenged
maritime truck owners to acquire a parking space for the trucks before going
into the business and that they should stop constituting a nuisance at the
ports.
maritime truck owners to acquire a parking space for the trucks before going
into the business and that they should stop constituting a nuisance at the
ports.
“The
government today does not pay for the office where I am using, why should truck
owners be demanding parking space from government?
government today does not pay for the office where I am using, why should truck
owners be demanding parking space from government?
“Before going
into the business, you must have understood the environment and procure a
parking space for you truck, you intend to make money from it, so why should
they be blaming government,” he added.
into the business, you must have understood the environment and procure a
parking space for you truck, you intend to make money from it, so why should
they be blaming government,” he added.
He also said that
the traffic at Apapa port was not caused by bad roads alone, but by the corrupt
practice of demand for money at the entrance into the Apapa port gate.
the traffic at Apapa port was not caused by bad roads alone, but by the corrupt
practice of demand for money at the entrance into the Apapa port gate.
