Strong indications have emerged that touting and other criminal activities within and outside the Port Harcourt ports in River state has been reduced to the barest minimum.
Shipping Position Weekly investigations confirmed that the drop in activities of touts in the Eastern port is unconnected with the stiff security measures that the Port Police and Port Harcourt Ports Management have put in place to make the Rivers Ports inhabitable for touting and other criminal elements that may want to operate in the area.
Our correspondent who visited the area learnt that the Ports Police and the Management of the Rivers Ports; prior to the last Christmas and new year celebrations destroyed all shanties and batchers within the premises of the Ports that are suspected to be harbouring touts and other criminal elements within the Ports.
Our checks within the Ports Police reveal that frequent surveillance and patrols by the Ports Police during the Christmas and New Year helped to ensure that there were no major security issues encountered.
Although efforts to speak to the Port Police Authority at the Port Harcourt Ports management proved abortive, we however confirmed that officers and men worked round the clock during the yuletide to ensure adequate security of lives, and property belonging to the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and other Port users in Port Harcourt port.
Contacted for comments, the Port Harcourt Ports Manager, Mr. Dele Alabi expressed satisfaction with the security status of the port, noting that there has been a lot of improvement.
However, it could be recalled that early last year during the visit of Commissioner of Ports Police to the area, Mr. Alabi Commended DPO, Port Harcourt Ports Police, Mrs. Chika Obiyom for her quick response with her team, any time there is a distress call.
Meanwhile, the Ports Manager, Mr. Alabi has assured users of Port Harcourt Ports of efficient service delivery at the Ports in 2011.
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