Jime lauds PSTT members for commitment despite threats to lives

Segun OladipupoThe Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) has viewed to commence a sting operation on the roads leading to the port to clear the menace of illegal checkpoints and all forms of corrupt practicesThe Coordinator of the Team, Mr. Moses Fadipe said that the team had started collating all the reports it is getting from officials of the task team of the various atrocities committed by people on the road at night.According to him, the sting operation would commence in no distant time to nab the perpetrators even as he noted that when the actors are removed, the illegalities would fizzle out.“We have been hearing different stories of what happen at night and remember we have our surveillance team too on ground to give us reports of happenings at night and the stage we are now is trying to collate those happenings “In no distant time, we are going to commence targeted sting operations at night.“When you remove those actors there, everything will fizzle out because everything you see is not a free for all, there is a control for those who carry out the menace, we are working on it and there are certain things we cannot put on camera.“For the first phase, from port to SIFAX, it did not just stop until we nabbed the actors and perpetrators. So,we are already fishing them out in this corridor and in no distant future, we are going to nab them.” Earlier, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Hon. Emmanuel Jime lauded members of the PSTT for putting their lives on the line to achieve the objective of the team.Jime gave the commendation while on the tour of Apapa, Tincan, Orile, Ijora on inspection of the achievements of the team on Tuesday on ability to clear the roads of traffic.

To him, within three months of the inauguration of its expanded team, the team has made enormous achievement stating that even though some people did not believe that the team could achieve this much, it has beaten the imagination of stakeholders.According to him, the factor responsible for the success of the team is its avowed commitment and refusal to compromise.

He said, “The journey that started about three months ago, a number of people were cynical whether or not this effort was going to be successful owing to the fact that such efforts in the past obviously failed woefully.“So, we started this and some of us unsure ourselves whether we are going to make success out of this venture.“Three months down the road, I think everybody can say with some satisfaction the work of the Task Team is progressing satisfactorily.“I want to use this medium to commend the Presidential Task Team and to pour encomium on the stakeholders especially the Lagos State government and I am talking here about the state actors, Customs, Immigration, Road Safety, Nigeria Police and all the other agencies that are involved in the maritime domain.“This is one team that we can say that no one has been able to compromise and that has been the problem.

” Government will set up an agency with a very good intention but usually, implementation has always been part of the problem with implementation is the lack of sincerity, lack of trust and lack of commitment and greed most people bring to bear.“There are real challenges that some of them have their lives threatened, that is the extent to which the men and women of this Task Team are working.