By Uzor Odigbo
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) Hadiza Bala-Usman has reiterated that the electronic call up system introduced to facilitate cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports has not been hacked.
Speaking on a radio programme, on Monday, the Managing Director acknowledged that several people have tried to circumvent the system however, she stressed that the authority is working on how to forestall any hijack of that manner.
“The aspect of hacking is incorrect. The e-call up has not been hacked, The aspect of people trying to fake the call up system is part of how people always try to do but we have strengthened our mechansm so that it does not work. We have noted all manners of people trying to circumvent the call-up and we resolved to concentrate on it.”
Bala-Usman said that the authority has suspended the trucks accessing the ports that have export cargo with effect from Monday. She stressed that all export cargoes for two weeks will not be allowed access into the ports as a backlog of 600 trucks had already been created on the truck access roads.
She said, “We have a backlog of over 600 trucks that approached the ports, coming out of the truck parks and are currently in that location within the port corridors and Lilypond. So we are suspending all export cargoes. We have noted the challenges we have with export cargoes resulted in this congestion
“We found out that a lot of export cargoes start approaching without documentation and this has been challenging for us in terms of readiness of the terminal operators to receive them. They also have several customs certificates and Central Bank documents they need to complete.
“Recognising that as a problem and we are inviting Nigerian Export Promotion Council to join us this week to meet with the exporters and make them understand the procedure as relates to the documentation and if your documents are not ready, you should remain in your location and not start a journey to the ports.”
The NPA boss said that port clearing process are being improved as the authority has identified the problem with export cargoes as a challenge. She said reefer trucks (perishable goods) would not be restricted entry for the two week period.
Commenting on the Oshodi-Apapa stretch of the road under construction, Bala Usman said she spoke to Minister of Works and Housing to hasten the work on the road. She said intermodality which consists of rail and inland water cargo movement would be helpful in sustaining road durability.
She said the authority has had meetings with Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority on barge operations from Lagos to Onitsha as well as Onne to Onitsha. She stressed that tank farms should evacuate their liquid with pipelines.
Meanwhile,following increasing reports of abuses of process in the operation of barges and private jetties, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has clamped down on unseaworthy barges while three illegal jetties have been sealed
A statement issued by the Authority in Nigeria on Monday , said that the decision followed the establishment of an inter-agency committee comprising of representatives of the NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Inland Waterways Authority (LASWA).
In addition, the statement, signed by Ibrahim Nasiru, Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications at the Authority, informed that the committee is spearheading the “clearing of the waterways of lay-by barges and tugboats along Ibeji/Ilashe axis and as far as the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal and Mile 2 Bridge, as well as the removal of wrongly anchored barges that are obstructing visibility along the Kirikiri channel.
While soliciting for the cooperation of stakeholders at ensuring that barge operations are executed according to laid down regulations, the committee expressed its commitment to sustaining the current tempo of enforcement until operators totally comply with all laid down regulations
