Truck Owners Appeal To New NPA Board To Address Porous Port Corridors

Transporters in the maritime sub sector have advised the newly-constituted Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to swing into action by ensuring that all roads linking the seaports in Lagos are fixed. 

The transporters who spoke with Auto Port Weekly in Lagos lamented that there is the need to draw the attention of the board executives of the agency, saying that it time the appropriate time to seek audience in ensuring that the roads are repaired for smooth port operations.  

Vice Chairman, Wet Cargo Unit ,Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) ,Alhaji Abdullahi Inuwa stated that for the board members to make a name for themselves, there is the need to fix the roads connecting the ports. 

Inuwa added that the activities of shipping companies need to be addressed, calling for the board and the management team to work towards ensuring that activities affecting transportation improve. 
He also commended the Managing Director of NPA,Ms Hadiza Bala Usman for  the recent shake-up in agency, saying that it will help in the area of ports access roads rehabilitation. 

Inuwa called on the NPA to get intelligent official to monitor any form of contracts on the roads projects linking the ports because according to him, may lead improvement in port services. 

Also speaking a top official of Joint Council of Seaport Truckers, (JCOST), Alhaji Isiaka Olalere expressed satisfaction with the appointment of the NPA's board,  but appealed to the new board members  to proffer solutions to the poor state of the roads connecting the seaports. 

"What we want in Nigeria today is change and change for the better. I believe the president wants port operations to witness change and our expectation is for change to be in the ports"

"We want the boards to look at how best they can put in place measures for cargoes to leave the ports under 24 hours, "he added. 

Olalere added that trucks doing business at the ports can no longer lift the required cargoes, because of the port states of the roads linking the ports.