The acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, on Thursday, called for the support of the Police and Navy to end the incessant attacks on vessels, barges, operators and port facilities.
The Authority has also charged the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the need to clear all impediments and bottlenecks that impede the free flow of traffic on all port corridors with a view to ensuring efficient and effective handling of cargo in and out of the nation’s seaports.
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Bello-Koko made the appeal on Thursday, during a meeting with the security personnel in Lagos.
He also sought the support of the newly-appointed Assistant Inspector-General Police in charge of Maritime in helping to address the persistent complaints by stakeholders over extortion, illegal mounting of roadblocks by uniform personnel from the security agencies, associations and unions that operate along the seaport corridors.
In another development, the NPA MD said the authority was willing to collaborate with maritime stakeholders to ensure the success of the electronic call-up system. known as the ‘Eto’.
While speaking during an interactive session with stakeholders at the authority’s corporate headquarters on Marina, Lagos, the NPA MD said security agencies, stakeholders and the Lagos State Government had agreed to streamline operational procedures to curtail extortion and sharp practices that hamper the enforcement of the truck traffic management at Apapa and the entire Maritime logistic Ring (MLR).
Present in the meeting were the AIG Maritime, Amadi John Ogbonnaya, officials of Lagos State Government, Commander of the NNS, Beecroft, Commodore Bashiru Mohammed who was represented by Lt Commander A.S. Manga and Sector Commander of the FRSC, Matthew Cyril Zango, among others and government agencies in the maritime industry.