By Tola Adenubi Lagos
THE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that the concrete fencing of Tin-Can port would help enforce the usage of the automated access control gate
Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, NPA said this during a tour of the Tin-Can port to ascertain the level of execution of contract awarded.
Bello-Koko noted that the tour was to look at operations at the port to see what they had achieved so far in terms of improving sanity and ensuring that only people that should be in the port had access.
“We can see that Tin-Can has now been fenced using concrete walls from the outside. The essence is to secure the port, not just because of safety but also to restrict entrance.
“There are individuals that just wake up in the morning and want to come into the port with no business in the port.
“By reducing the number of persons, by restricting entry into the port, you are ensuring that we reduce pilfering and theft; reduce thugs and miscreants into the port.
“Then it will create an enabling business environment within the port location as referred by the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code,’’ he said.
He noted that fencing of Tin Can would ensure individuals who had no business in the ports are kept out and in that, way they would enforce the usage of automated access control gate.
The NPA boss noted that as regards safeguarding the waterside, what had been done was to increase patrol.
He said that the authority had bought security patrol boat for the waterside and they are working with the Nigerian Navy within the ports in Lagos to increase their own patrol.
“We are working with the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft and there are parts of the port along the waterway that we felt we should also fence, but we are looking at the best option due to the soft nature of the ground.
“So, if we can’t fence the waterfront, what we should do is patrol it, restrict access into the port from the waterside using the patrol boats and surveillance.
“Our security men are up to the task and we will keep giving them the entire tool that they need to improve their communication. We will keep improving it and we will buy more patrol boats to ensure the waterfront is also secured,’’ the NPA MD added.
He added that the rehabilitation of internal roads in the port across the country was ongoing and was aimed at reducing the complaints of users of the port.
The NPA MD added that the contractor, Avalon Intercontinental Nigerian Ltd, assured him that the section of the contract of the road would be concluded in two-week’ time.
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