Sale Isa Ibrahim (Maritime worker)
I believe the anti bomb squad is being proposed because of the act of terrorism happening all over the world, and you know the sea port is also one of the routes to international communities, so based on that I think it is very necessary that they come on board, especially if it will checkmate the terrorist acts or prevent it from happening in our ports. It should also be introduced into the air ports too; there is nothing bad in it.
However, there are many agencies in the ports which already stakeholders have been complaining about, but since this one has to do with a global matter, they can look at other agencies that are irrelevant and do away with them, in order for there not to be bottle necks in the system.
Usman Sanusi (National president, NAGAFF)
The presence of the anti bomb and anti terrorist squad in the port is long over due, the ports are highly vulnerable zones, so there is need for the police to be properly represented at the port because when you look at the current global trend in terms of terrorism, you will discover that the bomb disposal squad are very welcome in our Nigerian ports, in fact it gives us a feeling of more security not only for the ports but for the nation as a whole and their presence in the ports does not amount to duplication of government agencies in the port because there are other irrelevant agencies. Also if you come to look at it, we subscribe to the ISPS code and the presence of this squad in the port is in line with the tenets of the ISPS code, so every well- meaning Nigerian should be in support of it.
Their presence in the port will not be a hindrance to port operations in terms of the number of security agencies in the port, I don’t expect them to go into physical examination or to interfere in the cargo clearing process, all they need is to do their work, sniff around if there are explosives around and be at alert to make sure that there is no threat to the port system. Their functions do not have anything to do with the cargo clearance process, so I don’t expect them to interfere, it is when they start to interfere that it becomes a very big problem, so I will appeal to them to restrict themselves to their primary functions when they come into the port, they are very desirable not only in the seaport, but also at the airport as well as the land borders.
Sampson Chima (Registrar, NIS)
We were celebrating in Nigeria that we are ISPS- compliant so how come the federal government is introducing the anti terrorist and anti bomb squad now if we claim that we are compliant, when chief Adebayo Sarumi was still the MD of NPA, we held a lot of meetings and conferences on ISPS and at the end of the day Nigeria claim that it is compliant, the question now is why are we introducing this squad? So the truth is that if we claim that Nigerian port is compliant to maritime security, then we don’t need this squad, the introduction of this squad means that we are not compliant; so let’s stop deceiving our self.
Automatically, it will lead to multiplicity of agencies in the port because already we have the police there, we have the navy and other agencies and it still remains a problem. All the containers coming out of the ports will have to be screened and this will increase the dwell time of cargo because cargoes will be mandated to pass through this anti bomb unit and they will introduce all sorts of equipments into the system.
Chris Okeke (Clearing agent)
I believe the anti bomb squad are just here temporarily, maybe its because of the incidents that has been happening at the PTML where recently some group of people burst into the compound and used axe to cause damages to the place, so I believe its because of these that the squad is introduced.
Anti- bomb squad does not disturb anybody from carrying out their duty, they are secret people which you don’t know and so they cannot stop your work because they are not Customs, sometimes if examination of containers is being carried out, they can be there as an observer, watching without disturbing anybody, so I am sure they are just here to observe things and not to disturb anybody. I have never had of any bombing at the port before so there is no cause for alarm.
Barrister Ogbonna Chinedu (Customs PRO, PTML)
We have to look at the global practices, especially in most secured environment like the western countries that have much security facilities and like America for instance, we look at what is applicable in those places, are anti terrorist squad inside the ports? And what are the criteria for deployment of anti terrorist squad? A smooth check within the IMO convention and the ISPS code says that anybody who is entering the port must have an identity card, when you look at the water ways, is there any policing of our waterways to ensure that nobody for instance use a patrol boat to the ship and plant bombs by the side? It all depends on the profiling approach because you can be rest assured that goods coming from America and Europe because of their security system can not have terrorism probability because it is not imported from there, we have to profile and look at where the likelihood of terrorism lies, is it coming through air, sea or land bothers and is it internal or external terrorism.
There is need for us to do some profiling and check if we have had any of such incidences at the port in time past, do we have immediate threat of terrorism at the ports? If not, then what is the anti bomb squad coming to do, let it not be that it is now that they are introducing it that such incident will start to happen.
Celestine Okafor (Clearing agent)
Government always want to introduce one thing or the other in order to just show off in the media and prove that they are working, meanwhile what is happening to the citizens and who are they protecting, they should allow the citizens to live and give them good welfare conditions so that they can appreciate what government is doing It is a good policy but what is its usefulness to a hungry man or a dyeing man on the street who is not making any money. Of course the system is also obtainable in the US and some other countries but here I hope they will not say because they are introducing this and bring arbitrary bills into the clearing process because we are paying taxes and the taxes are meant for that.
Abdurasaak Fadahunsi (importer)
The primary role of any government is to provide security, we have to look at what is happening all over the world and in respect to the US, introducing this squad into the port is not bad but it only depends on the way they discharge their duties, we hope it will not be a form of extortion or to create bottlenecks in the clearing of consignments.
The fact that it might not be obtainable in other countries does not mean we cannot practice it here but it will depend on what is put in place before they do it.
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