NPA MD, Port Managers bag Excellent Awards on trade facilitation

Maureen Aguta

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko and the Port Managers of Tin Can Island and Lagos Ports Complex (TCIPC) have received  Excellent Awards for trade facilitation in recognition of efforts made to decongest the Apapa-Oshodi axis of the port access road.

The award which was presented to them at the fourth JournalNG Port Industry Town Hall meeting specially recognised the invaluable contributions of Sylvester Othuke Egede, Port Manager of Tin Can Port and Charlesq Okaga, Port Manager of Apapa Port Complex in clearing the road that has been impassable by vehicles for 13 years.

The Apapa port traffic challenge had defied the very many attempts at solving it over the years as several federal government and Lagos State task forces failed to dislodge the very many extortionists and other criminal elements that entrenched themselves along the corridor.

Organiser of the award and Publisher of JournalNG, Ismail Aniemu said the trio in conjunction with the Lagos State Government showed unprecedented commitment and defied resistance from perpetrators of illegalities along the corridor leading to Nigeria’s two largest ports.

He commended the awardees for what he called unprecedented selflessness as they worked round the clock to gain the support of government and private sector stakeholders including haulage operators before the feat was achieved

According to him, they deployed a combination of experience and intelligence with the support of law enforcement agencies to ensure that the road becomes one of Nigeria’s hitch free transit zone for trucks going in and out of the port for import and export activities

Aniemu added that the ETO electronic call up system for trucks has been made more effective with the value adding free flow of traffic devoid of trucks parking along the roads to impede movements along the corridor.