Gilbert Ekugbe
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has stated that plans are underway to enforce and restrict Illegal and unlawful entries into the nation’s seaports.
The Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko who stated this during a tour of the TinCan Island Port, Apapa at the weekend, said to achieve this feat, the authority has awarded the contract for the concrete fencing of Tin Can ports in its bid to keep out miscreants and thugs who do not have businesses in the ports.
According to him, the move would also help the authority enforce the usage of the automated control gate while also reducing pilferage and theft to the barest minimum.
“This is just to look at the operations of the ports to see what we have achieved so far in terms of improving sanity and ensuring that only people that should be in the ports get into the port. We will keep enforcing and restricting entry into the ports to only individuals that have businesses in the ports, “he assured.
He also stated that to combat crimes on the coastal areas, the Authority has also increased patrol on its waterways, stressing that it has bought security patrol boats along the waterside and also working with the Nigerian Navy within the ports in Lagos to increase patrol to ensure safety of lives and vessels.
“There are some parts of the ports that we felt we should also fence, but that is being looked at and we are looking for the best option and structural engineering due to the area, but if we cannot fence the water front, we will restrict access into the ports from the water side using patrol boats and surveillance. Our security officials are up to the task and we are supporting them with all the tools they need to improve their communication as we are going to buy more patrol boats to ensure that the water front is also secured, “he added.
In his words: “We keep complaining about the roads leading into the ports which is the responsibility of the federal government through the federal ministry of works and we also felt that the roads within the ports are also in good state because it is going to start raining. I came to look at the level of execution of the contract we awarded. This section of the road will be completed in two weeks time and we will ensure that this is done and we know that there are issues of flooding in this location. So we have created drainage outlet into the main creek to ensure that there is evacuation of water and we are doing this at other port locations also.”
“We are doing this in Onne, Calabar and Rivers ports just to ensure that the roads within the ports are in very good state. Tin Can has now been fenced using concrete walls from the outside. The essence is to secure the ports not just for safety, but also restrict entrance and by reducing the number of persons we are ensuring that we reduce pilferage and theft, thuggery and miscreants coming into the ports which would in turn create an enabling business environment within the port locations as required by International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
