By Aisha Saleh
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reached an agreement with the Lagos State government to streamline checkpoints along the corridors and feeder routes.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Oluwatoyin Fayinka, who stated this during a stakeholders meeting with transport unions, also explained that with the agreement in force, illegal extortion points would be disbanded.
Under this new arrangement, some checkpoints would be manned by NPA personnel alone, while others would be assigned to NPA and the Lagos State Government respectively for joint operation.
In preparation for kick-starting the whole process, checkpoints at Apapa and Tin Can axis have been assigned to specific agencies as part of efforts by the Lagos State Government to eliminate gridlock and curb illegal extortion.
Also, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rapid Response Squad (RRS,) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) will manage some points independently without interference from other agencies.
Fayinka promised that the state government would enforce zero tolerance on illegal extortions and activities of miscreants along the corridors through special mobile courts.
The agencies charged with the role of managing traffic flow along the axis, he said, have been clearly defined and assigned to prevent any illegal activity that would hinder smooth port operations.
With this structure in place, trucks would no longer be stopped for ETO at Ijora Badia (LPC axis), Mile 2 under and over the bridge, and UBA (TCIPC corridor). Also, truck movement would not be interfered with at NAGAFF, Area B, RRS Marine Bridge, 7Up, Fidelity Roundabout, Etisalat Roundabout (LPC axis) and RRS (TCIPC corridor).
The current leadership of NPA has intensified efforts towards achieving all-round operational efficiency within the Nigerian Maritime space. Mohammed Bello-Koko, who is the Managing Director of NPA, said the effort is aimed at reviving activities and growing traffic at ports in the eastern parts of Nigeria.
Just recently, the agency successfully berthed a vessel, MV Lady Jane, at Onne Port Complex in Rivers State. According to NPA, the vessel with an overall length of 295 metres and a draft of 12 metres berthed at the West African Container Terminal of the Port.
The vessel, which sailed from Majuro in the Marshall Islands, discharged 840 TEUs and loaded 1,060 TEUs, 50 per cent of which were agricultural commodities, including cashew nuts, sesame seed and cassia tora seeds, among other items.
In Bello-Koko’s words, “what this milestone signpost means is the fact that the initiatives of the authority geared towards repositioning the eastern ports for productivity are yielding results and that Onne Port Complex is fast becoming an attraction for container vessel traffic.
“However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels; we must continually strive to surpass stakeholders’ expectations.”
He also commended the sailors for the professionalism, which was demonstrated in the safe berthing of the vessel, while also assuring that the management would ensure full-scale rehabilitation of infrastructure, as well as the improvement of port security through illumination and deployment of access control to check unauthorized entry.
When he took over the reins at NPA this year, Bello-Koko said reviving activities at the eastern ports of Nigeria was a top priority of his own administration.
“We will not relent on our core mandate — trade facilitation, easing gridlock in the ports corridors, and encouraging the full utilization of the Eastern Ports,” he said.