The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has lamented that conflicts of interest among police formations and commands in Lagos State could be attributed to the high level of corruption along the Lagos port corridors. This is even as the agency frowned at the multiple units of Customs checkpoints along the ports corridor.
Port Manager, Lagos Ports Complex (LPC) Mrs Olufunmilayo Olotu, disclosed this at a programme held in Lagos recently.
The event was put together by the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) of the Nigerian Port Manual Process (NPPM) with the theme, ‘Operations Open Port Corridor’.
The Port Manager maintained that the Tin Can Island Port corridor calls for national concerns, saying the issues of extortion and corruption along the axis can only be nipped in the bud when all the agencies of the state and federal government work with sincerity of purposes in curbing the gridlock and easing the movement of cargoes in and out of the ports.
Olotu further revealed that the port corridors also suffered setbacks due to inter-agencies’ disagreement despite the deplorable state of the Tin Can Port corridor.
She noted that at the beginning of the electronic call-up system for trucks, there was a free flow of traffic in and out of the corridor for about two weeks but added that such effort was frustrated due to the multiplicity of interest among government agencies deployed to the corridors.
“For the police, the conflicts of commands and formations have affected the flow of traffic inward the seaport. But I dare say that the Apapa port corridor has tremendously improved from where we are coming and where we are going.
“When Eto came in, for two weeks, everywhere was free, but all of a sudden, the situation changed,” the Lagos Port Manager lamented
She called on the Chairman, Apapa Local Government Area to stand firm by not allowing the diversion of truck laden containers, appealing that there should be sanity within the corridors.
She frowned at the multiple checkpoints by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service at the ports and along the corridors urging the service to streamline its activities in the supply chain service.
While expressing worries about extortion by hoodlums and security operatives along the corridors, Olotu called on the government to identify the grey areas in order to find lasting solutions to the problems affecting the movement of cargoes.
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