The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has uged the the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to fumigate the ports and its environs, even as it lauded the agency for the steps taken towards curtailing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a letter that was released on Friday and addressed to the Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman and signed by the Secretary General of NAGAFF, Dipo Olayoku, NAGAFF pleaded with the NPA Managing Director to cause an action for the seaport and its environs to be fumigated.
Olayoku explained that there have been reports of one or two infected individuals who had visited the ports in Nigeria.
"We never can tell perhaps there are still be some cases of infected individuals around our ports but which have not been discovered. It is for this reason that the fumigation of the ports and its environs are pertinent", the letter pointed out.
He also said that the association's call for the fumigation of the ports is to ensure the safety of visitors to the nation's ports and thereby curtailing the spread of the virus in the country.
The association's scribe maintained that the advice to fumigate the ports and environs is borne out of the concern for freight forwarders and visitors in general, to the nation's ports.
"It is also in fulfilment of our pledge to always support your administration through constructive engagements that will assist you in discharging your statutory function in port industry", the association said.
Olayoku however urged the agency to address the issue of assess to the ports.
He said there is need for NPA to work with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to close ranks for proper identification of freight practitioners cannot be over emphasized.
"It is now most critical that access into the ports should be addressed. The need for your office and that of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to close ranks for proper identification of freight practitioners cannot be over-emphasized, without prejudice to the fact that Ports are commercial areas but at the same time a restricted area for security reasons"
"In addition, your agency’s role in ensuring the waiver palliative for shippers from March 23, 2020 to April 26, 2020 was of immense impact in reducing the suffering on the part of Ports users and Freight Forwarders during this period" he concluded.
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