As Hope Rises on Lifting of Ban on Vehicles, Rice Imports, Shippers, Freight Forwarders Cry Out Over Seme Border Road
TRUCK STUCK AT SEME BORDER ROAD
By Francis Ugwoke
Ahead of optimism that the federal government plans to reopen the borders for vehicles and rice imports, shippers and freight forwarders weekend lamented over the increasing poor state of the road leading to Seme Border.
The dilapidated road has continued to cause damages to trucks involved in movement of imported goods coming to Nigeria or those leaving the border.
The Seme Border road has been under reconstruction for some years now with many wondering when the project will be completed.
Our Correspondent who visited the Seme border last week noticed that some trucks were trapped on the road as the situation worsened due to the rainy season.
It was also gathered that it takes almost a whole day for trucks leaving the border station in Seme to arrive Lagos destination.
It is also the same for trucks going to Seme Border from Lagos.
Passengers on the road also spend about five hours on the road before arriving their destination.
The worst area on the road is around Agbara as every vehicle and big trucks struggle for passage in one lane of the road.
A customs agent, Mr Raphael Adelani who spoke to SHIPPING DAY said the biggest problem for them has been the bad state of the road.
Adelani said some trucks either going to Seme or to Lagos spend almost a whole day before arriving their destination.
He added, “it is a nightmare passing this road with goods. Sometimes the trucks are suck on the bad road because everyone is using one lane after Agbara. What is painful is that this road has been under reconstruction for years”.
A truck driver, Mr Nasiru, who spoke to our Correspondent said his experience has been terrible on the road, adding that many trucks breakdown on the road.
Other customs agents who spoke to our Reporter called on the present administration to do something urgent so that the road reconstruction can be completed.
According to Adelani, the federal government has to speed up on the road project with speculated plans to reopen the border to vehicles imports.
The speculation for the reopening of the border was fueled last week.
Ends..
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