Shippers’ Council charges Port Police on security at ports

Segun Oladipupo |

Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has charged the Maritime police to live up to its responsibilities by curtailing the influx of persons into the common user areas of the ports.

The Council gave the charge on Thursday at a training programme organised by the economic regulator of the Port.

The training has its theme as “Understanding the Role and Impact of the Maritime Police in Cargo Clearance in the Nigerian Ports.”

Mrs. Ifeora who represented the Executive Secretary of the Council, Barr. Hassan Bello at the event, made the comment as a response to the request of one of the policemen in the training who was asking what the Council could do to stop the influx of persons into the ports.

She stated that the situation is so bad in Tincan Island Port so much that drunkards are found around the Port common user area even in the morning.

Her words, “When the ports were concessioned to terminal operators, they started to run it the way they want to run it.

“In terminals, you don’t get influx of people, go to APMT, can you enter there? You can’t. So, the area where we have problem of influx of people is the common user area which of course is the work of the Maritime police.

“It is good you brought up this matter, you should do something and that is why we are working with you.

“Recently we made a report and I reported to management that the number of persons we see around the Port especially in Tincan is unbelievable.

“People selling all kinds of drugs even ogogoro and some of them you see them drunk during the day time and they are around the Port.

“It is left for the Maritime police, we have been working with then and I think you people are up and doing but for those who don’t know that the Maritime police is already doing something, when you get back, tell your people to do something,” she reiterated.