By Uzor Odigbo
There is looming danger over the state of infrastructure at the Lagos Port Complex as a section of building warehousing government officials may collapse any moment.
Investigation reveals some buildings at the Bullnose (as the section of the port is called) where officers and men of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos Seaport Command, Police Anti Bomb Squad and Nigerian Port Health at the LPC, are now under imminent danger of collapse.
A visit by our correspondent revealed that the buildings are so ramshackle that the officers have to improvise by using woods to support some falling ceilings.
This has created panic among the officers who have no choice of where to relocate as alternative offices.
Considering the nature of their jobs, the officers have to obey the last order by their superior, hence they are compelled to continue to work in the life-threatening buildings.
It was further observed last week that a section of the ceilings of the facilities have collapsed even as some of the officers have employed the services of carpenters to wedge the ceiling of one of the offices from collapsing over their heads.
Specifically, the ceilings of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD), and the Commissioner of Port Police Monitoring Unit departments, already have been abandoned, as some officers are afraid for their lives.
It was also gathered that personal funds have been committed by officials of these agencies in fixing some of the failed structures but not enough to stem the decay.
At the Immigration wooden offices, some sections of the cracked walls are threatening to go down any moment, even as the electricity sockets are exposed without any form of protection.
While officials at the poorly structured accommodation declined to respond on the looming danger ahead, it was gathered that series of letters had been written to both management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Port Authority Police Commissioner in charge of Western Ports, Hadiza Bala Usman and Mohammed Kura respectively, without positive responses.
Sources however, disclosed that the current situation of accommodation for officials at the Lagos Port Complex can best be described as an eyesore to the international community, considering the peculiar duties of the Immigration officials.
“The situation has lingered for a while and that is why the morals of the officers are indeed very low.
“They don’t have anything to say because already letters have been written to the NPA but it appears the Authority does not understand the gravity of what is at stake at the port.
” Looking at these exposed junction boxes in this office alone would show that nobody cares about the condition of the environment we work in and this exposed electrical cables or wires can be described as a time bomb.”
But reacting ,on the development when contacted , General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication , Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Mr Alex Jatto via the telephone, assured that plans are ongoing to repair the dilapidated buildings.
Jatto said that the Authority was set to commence work on the said infrastructure, adding that NPA is a responsible organisation that will never endanger the life of anyone.
