Coronavirus: NAQS, Customs, others to ensure vessels well sanitised before contact with port workers.

Segun Oladipupo |

The Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Services (NAQS), has said that all agencies in the port are working hard to make sure that vessel crews are well sanitised before contacts with officials.

Apapa Seaport Coordinator of the Service, Dr. Stephen Ekoro, told our correspondent last week that the agencies were not lacklustre in their efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

Dr. Ekoro stated that the service had taken proactive steps in the area of collaboration with relevant agencies at the port towards ensuring prevention of the virus.

Making reference to the case of Ebola in 2014, Ekoro said that NAQS was at the forefront of educating port users on how to embark on safety measures to prevent the spread of the dreaded disease adding that the Coronavirus is not an exception.

According to him, port health officials and the NAQS alongside other relevant authorities are working harmoniously to provide the necessary items needed to prevent any form of spread of the dreaded disease.

He noted that officials of the service while on board vessels ensured proper sanitisation mechanism before dealing with foreign crew members of the vessel.

Dr. Ekoro stated that the collaboration with other agencies at the seaport applied technical approaches in dealing with foreigners and joint examination of consignments, which in turn has been successful since the outbreak.

“The Customs, Immigration, NDLEA, Port health and NAQS no doubt have been up and doing in the port about preventive measures on the Coronavirus issue. We are working assiduously to sensitize port users about the virus and the synergy has helped us a lot.

“We take precautionary measures during joint examination and boarding of vessels. The issue at hand is not what a single agency of the government can handle and that is why all hands must be on deck to prevent the spread,” he said.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele