Lagos settles, Dangote refinery, park operators’ crisis
Tony Folarin
Lagos State Government says it has settled the misunderstanding between the Dangote refinery and the e-call-up parking operators.
Recall that the e-call-up initiative is a parking idea supported by the Lagos State Government to stop trucks from parking indiscriminately in business-focused areas.
The initiative is run by a private company to ensure trucks that are not scheduled to load petroleum products or scheduled to be in the area are not allowed to come to the vicinity. It was learnt that the idea was to prevent replication of the Apapa Road logjam.
Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the state government wanted to onboard every stakeholder operating in that Lekki free trade zone on the call-up system initiative, which would allow the parking companies to handle the parking and movement of trucks within the free trade zone.
Dangote Group, however, said it could not come on board because the government did not provide adequate truck parking capacity for its trucks.
The commencement of petrol loading at the Dangote Refinery two weeks ago has led to a significant increase in trucking operations at the Lekki Free Zone, where the refinery is located.
Dangote Refinery told a local paper that it could have provided adequate truck park capacity before commencing operations, according to the initial plan it had, but lamented that the state government dissuaded it on the grounds that the state was already set to provide the facility.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Olawale Musa, stated that the e-call-up company had commenced work after a tripartite meeting between the government, Dangote Group, and the park operators.
Musa described the scuffle between Dangote and the e-call up company as a misunderstanding that had been resolved by the government.
He insisted that the call-up system must be adhered to to guide against attempts by some truck owners to park on the road or any other form of disorderliness.
His words, “In clear terms, what happened is that the Dangote Group thinks that the park arrangement being provided by private individuals may not have the capacity to contain their trucks/ vehicles, but honestly, the park and its operators have shown the capacity, and we have opened talks with the Dangote Group and the issues have been resolved.
“At a meeting of all stakeholders held on Thursday, 19th September 2024, this issue was tabled along with other concerns and a resolution was made by all stakeholders, including Dangote, that the e-call up must commence as scheduled to avoid disorderliness in that axis.
“We don’t just want a situation where unwanted trucks come to block our roads in Lagos, especially in that busy area, because of the business interest in that place; we don’t want a repeat of the Apapa debacle. We are taking proactive measures, and in the end, it will be for the good of all Lagosians.”
Efforts to reach both Dangote and the park’s management to comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
