NPA affirms lull in vessel cull at the nation’s seaport

Segun OLADIPUPO

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has confirmed lull in cargo vessel traffic into Nigeria’s seaports owing to the global raging COVID-19 pandemic.

The Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC) of the Authority, Abubakar Garba Umar confirmed this in a chat with newsmen in Lagos.

He explained that the novel covid-19 was not peculiar to Nigeria saying it has affected international businesses.

He however quipped that vessels are still coming to the ports on daily basis, but that it is not as it used to be.

His words, “It is not just at Tin Can, shipping is an international business.

“It is true that there has been a reduction in ship traffic, even though ships are still coming on daily basis, but when you look at it even internationally, the traffic has reduced and it is because of this COVID-19 pandemic, so, it is not just about Tin Can Port alone, on daily basis vessels come, but the cargoes have reduced.

“We cannot get cargo without linking it to the human beings doing the trading, people are not travelling, so, the goods are limited, vessels are coming but the cargoes have dropped”, he said.

Umar assured that there is a control of the coronavirus pandemic at the port as every port user’s temperature is observed before being allowed into port premises.

According to him “The port health men are trained officials, the people coming to take delivery of their cargoes do not stay at the port, so someone comes to pick containers and go, you cannot call NCDC.

“Nobody is seen either lying down or showing these symptoms, it is not every sickness you call NCDC, the port health are on ground, and you should know that the port health is a major member of the NCDC team” he said.

“You cannot call NCDC to come and seat down, it is when it is observed that someone shows symptoms that you call them to pick the person.

“From Mr President’s speech, the port health has been asked to move and operate more inside the port, so, already, measures are being taken”.

“Because of the importance of this, officials from World Health Organisation (WHO) do come to the port for assessment; at a time, we invited them here to do sensitisation for our workers, so we are not resting on our oars,” he stated.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele