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By Paul Williams
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, has stressed the need to ensure that containers, already cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), are allowed “seamless exit” from the Onne Port.
This, he pointed out, is aimed at ensuring smooth operations, as well as preventing the incidence of container-congestion at the Onne port, which he described as a port “of the future, given its boundless potentials.”
Bello Koko, while on a tour of facilities at the Onne port on Friday, noted that such seamless exit for cleared containers will not only help decongest the port, but also promote the ease of doing business there.
Bello Koko, who expressed surprise over trucks trapped within the port premises, said “I have seen almost 20 trucks within the premises and this does not support the ease of doing business, every cleared consignment should not be stopped at the gate.”
The Area Controller of Customs, represented by DC James Garuba, noted that “there is seamless exit for containers that are compliant,” adding that the NCS is not interested in delaying containers, but insists on ensuring that they meet required clearance before they can be granted exit.
Among issues raised at the port stakeholders’ meeting, which the managing director noted will be tackled, include the provision of security at the port.
Responding to the request from Deputy Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika, representing CP Tami Evelyn Peterside (commissioner of Police, Eastern Ports), for the provision of a patrol boat to enhance their operations, Bello Koko promised that one of the patrol boats presently available would be deployed to the zone.
He said NPA is interested in improving operations and efficiency at the Eastern ports, particularly in a bid to provide an alternative to the congestion at the Lagos ports.
Stakeholders at the parley with the managing director, made up of representatives of terminal operators, ANLCA, freight forwarders, shipping agents and others, commended the manager of Onne Port, Stanley Magaji Yitnoe, for the effective and efficient operations at the port.
They however called on the managing director to wade into issues affecting vessel turn-around time, the signal station at Bonny, the state of the access road into the port, computer error in the billing system, among others.