Even as foremost indigenous terminal operator; Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited owner of terminal C' at Tin Can Island port is trying to make its terminal become world-class, it has also cried out about the need for the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA)to provide public electricity supply to the expansive terminal.
The terminal operator said last Friday that it has been powering its operations with generating set in the last six years, even as it pleaded with the NPA to take steps to address the problems of power supply.
Even as foremost indigenous terminal operator; Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited owner of terminal C' at Tin Can Island port is trying to make its terminal become world-class, it has also cried out about the need for the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA)to provide public electricity supply to the expansive terminal.
The terminal operator said last Friday that it has been powering its operations with generating set in the last six years, even as it pleaded with the NPA to take steps to address the problems of power supply.
Managing Director, Ports and Cargo Handling Services; Mr. John Jerkins told the media last week in Lagos that the NPA should expedite action on the connection of its terminal to public electricity supply.
Jerkins said that public electricity is one of the major challenges the terminal is faced with, adding that repairs of the quay apron and the quay wall are equally important and begging for NPA’s attention.
According to him, the contractor that the NPA awarded the contract to has not shown serious attention and that the contract is facing undue delay.
"One of the major challenges we are facing is that of non-connection of our terminal to public light"
"As a result of this, we have being relying on generators in the last six years to power the terminal. We have therefore invested so much in the purchase of generators along with the associated costs of diesel and maintenance ", he lamented.
"Even though the NPA has started taking steps to correct this abnormality, we humbly urge you to expedite action on the connection of our terminal to public electricity supply" he pleaded.
He further stressed that "another serious challenge to our operations is the obstruction of our own portion to the common user access road by the Nigeria Customs Service.”
"Containers, trucks vehicles and other cargoes that are seized by customs from other terminals are always kept on the access road leading into the terminal ".
"As a result of this, our portion of the common access roads is always reduced to a single lane; as a result the bottleneck, entrance to our terminal becomes a night mare and this also create an impression that our terminal is heavily congested’, he added.
Jerkins noted that merging of traffic leaving its terminal and that of Five Star Logistics terminal before the NPA main entry and exit gate has also pose a major headache to the terminal.
He however called for "a study /review of the existing port entrance with the view to modernisation could ensure a smoother entry and exit from and to the terminals".
He added that the huge scrap of equipment that have been abandoned since the pre-concession era is an eyesore and an embarrassment to the firm ,which detract from the improvement that has been made , urging the NPA to assist in its urgent removal.
The Ports and Cargo boss, seek the assistance from the NPA construction of a new exit gate onto service lane and a training and conference centre with additional offices.
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