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*charges Customs to be more proactive in cargo delivery and decongestion of the port.
The board of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, has expressed concern and worry overtime cargoes mostly chemical explosives and liquors abandoned in government facilities in Lagos at Ikorodu Lighter Terminal
The abandonment which the board has described as a time bomb waiting to explode if urgent and pragmatic measures are not taken to arrest the situation might have costly consequences to the nation.
At an interactive session with management of Tin Can Island Port Complex TICPC, in Lagos on Tuesday, Chairman of the board, Mr Emmanuel Adesoye lamented that some of the consignments have spent close to 44years at the Ikorodu Terminal adding that some explosives consignments are still awaiting clearance.
He stressed the need for the Ministry of Transportation and management of NPA to engage the Finance Ministry or management of the Nigeria Customs Service as part of measures to evacuate such dangerous cargoes.
Adesoye charged the customs management to be proactive and quick in response to goods evacuation from the facility before any possible catastrophe that might arise due to unnecessary delay of overtime cargoes.
According to the board chairman, a BMW that was imported in 1977 for the sole aim of Festac 77 was spotted at the facility, pointing out that the situation of overtime cargoes at Ikorodu Terminal calls for concerns by all parties involved in the cargo clearance processes and revenue generation for the federal government.
Adesoye also spoke on the need for management of the service to evacuate the long-awaited cargoes at the Ikorodu pointing out that such consignments are a looming danger to government assets.
He added that “So since we were there three years ago up till now nothing has been down by the customs to evacuate those overtime cargoes?”
“There was a BMW imported for Festac 77 celebration. Then, we all know what happened in Lebanon where items of this nature caused serious problems for the government.
If there are chemicals as overtime cargoes in that facility that have stayed for so long can lead to an explosion.
Honestly, the customs should do something urgently to dispose of all those overtime cargoes because the way it is for now we need to engage the customs management on the need to evacuate most of the overtime cargoes.” he said.
Earlier, Port Manager TCIPC, Engr. Ibrahim Anji highlighted challenges faced by the management of the port with the operational activities at the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal.
Anji expressed worries over the congestion at the lighter terminal at Ikorodu, stressing that the terminal is saddled with the responsibility of handling overtime cargoes at the port terminals.
Speaking on the disappearance of gridlock along the port access road, Anji said the port management decided to tow trucks broken down along the corridor to an open space created by the port and make the drivers pay for the cost of towing it
This, according to him scared them from bringing their trucks to the roads when they don’t have any business in the port.
He maintained that the electronic call-up system was part of the strategies that put paid to the influx and congestion of the roads with trucks on the port access roads.
