The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has moved to resolve all impediments to the smooth flow of traffic and effective security, within and around the TinCan Island Port Complex.
Its Acting Managing Director, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, said in a statement signed by Mr Olaseni Alakija, General Manager, Corporate &Strategic Communications, in Lagos on Saturday.
Bello-Koko made this known when he recently led senior officials of the authority on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the TinCan Island Port Complex.
Bello-Koko, who also visited the Sunrise Bus Stop area of the Apapa – Mile 2 highway which had become a failed passage, noted that the poor road situation within the corridor (the major artery in and out of the Tin Can Island Port) remains a huge concern to the authority.
According to him, the improved traffic situation along the Tin Can Port approach from what it used to be some months back is one of the positives from the synergy between the NPA and the Lagos State Government.
He added they also deployed the necessary security and equipment needed to check indiscriminate parking on the road as well as an end to the menace of touts and other criminals.
He observed that some of the internal roads within the Port Complex were in a state of disrepair.
He, however, assured that the authority in concert with other relevant agencies of government and the National Assembly, would mobilise resources as soon as possible to fix such roads.
Describing the Tin Can Port Complex as too porous, the NPA MD noted that the wire gauze perimeter fence installed as a means of preventing unauthorised access in line with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code recommendation, had been pulled down.
He noted that much stronger wall of protection must be put in place to keep off people who do not have any business having access to the complex.
He disclosed that upon a thorough security assessment, the management would be left with no alternative than to use prefab wall fencing, since the wire gauze type could not stand the test of time in view of how it was easily damaged.
He further said that the visit had availed the management an opportunity to evaluate where the access control gate should be mounted out of the three entry gates into the complex.
He noted that the authority working with the relevant authorities would move to fast-track the necessary public procurement processes.
Speaking on the objective of his visit, he said: “We are here because you recall that we met recently with the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the essence of the visit was to strengthen our partnership with the state government.
“This is toward reducing the heavy vehicular congestion, especially in Apapa. We also talked about the poor state of the road along the Tin Can Island Port corridor.
“We have pleaded with Hi-tech, the contractor handling the Apapa-Mile 2 highway, to ensure that the Sunrise Bus Stop end of the road is worked on speedily, even if it is palliatives to make it passable, that is why we are here.
“You can see that the Tin Can end of the road is now clear, that is the result of the collaboration between NPA and the Lagos State Government because we’re working together to ensure that trucks that are not meant to be here are not here.
“We want to consolidate on this and consistently ensure that trucks that do business at the ports, picking and dropping of containers, do so without encumbrances.
“We also came here to look at the Port environment, we noticed that the wire gauze fencing had been pulled down by people and we have done the risk assessment. The best thing for us is to consider prefab fences, which we believe will do the work on a sustainable basis.”
He noted that there had been reports of pilfering, stealing and vandalism of containers, which must not be allowed to continue.
He insisted that the management was poised to put an end to such criminal acts by moving to upgrade the authority’s security architecture.
He said that on the internal roads within the Tin Can Island Port, some of the roads within the Port had failed and the responsibility of NPA to fix.
He added that they would liaise with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the National Assembly to mobilise the required resources.
Bello-Koko decried a situation whereby it took several hours for a truck to access the ports because of failed portions of the internal port roads.
He cited several instances where container laden trucks fell while trying to manoeuvre within the port, a development he described as unacceptable.
On the deployment of the electronic call up system, code named “Eto”, he noted that the system was yet to be effective in the Tin Can Port corridor, due to the poor state of the access road.
He, however, noted that though he was not completely satisfied with the deployment of the “Eto” platform, but disclosed that the platform manager had been given up to the end of June to deploy necessary assets and human resources, to complement the reconstruction of the roads by government.
On port automation, he stated that the authority had directed all the terminal operators and shipping companies to embrace smart solutions to enhance service delivery.
“While many of them are making the right investments, the level of compliance is not where it should be,” he said.
He said there was the need for a Port Community System where every stakeholder including the NPA could interface with one another.
He added that although it takes significant resources and time to automate, but hoped all segments of the industry would automate their systems to make port operations timely and less cumbersome.
“Some of the deployed security operatives from the Nigerian Police, LASTMA, Nigerian Armed Forces and NPA security personnel have been found culpable of corruption and extortion,and strong disciplinary measures in line with public service rules are being taken against these bag eggs,” he said.
