…Says only inter modal transportation can solve port congestion
In a bid to prevent the spread of the much dreaded Coronavirus,handshake between port users in the country have been banned while berthing ships have been restrained to specific are as in the ports for examination and quarantine of passengers from foreign countries.
Hadiza Bala -Usman,MD NPA
Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority,Hadiza Bala-Usman made the while featuring in the Your View programme of the Television Continental(TVC) on Monday morning in Lagos.
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She said that to prevent the spread of the diseases,Ships coming from countries like China,Italy have been on the spot to prevent their passengers and crew from mingling within the ports until they are allowed to birth in some designated areas within the port and quarantined before they start the process of clearing the ships for dislodging their contents.
Speaking on measures to reduce congestion in the Lagos Ports,he agree with the suggestion that corruption among and between the various agencies has contributed to measures like the call-up of trucks for clearance adding that building of truck terminals is not the responsibility of the NPA but other stakeholders like Lagos state adding that a memorandum of understanding(MOU) would soon be signed between stakeholders to address the issue.
She however said that only an Inter modal transport system that will result in the development of rail,road,inland waterways and the airport will remove congestion at the ports.
Bala-Usman disclosed that efforts to extend the new Lagos-Kano rail line to connect with the Lagos port is part of on going efforts to solve the port congestion adding that,”the transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi has given assurance of measures to also extend the linkage of ports by rail system all over the country.
In answer to a question,the ports helms woman said that while other ports are been developed in Warrior and other places”the choice of destination belongs to the importers as they would want to ensure that when their imports berthed would be easily connected to there choice destinations by thee means of transportation.
On the state of the roads linking the ports ,she said that roads will continue to be bad however much repair work is done because,”90% of our transport to and outside the ports are done by road”adding that the situation could only be reversed by developing other modes of transportation like rail,inland waterways and air.
On female education and mass illiteracy in the Northern part of the country,she agreed with a caller that the problem has to do with mindset and culture adding that steps must be taken to address such issues in tune with the changing circumstances.
