Adelanwa Bamgboye
14 October 2008
Lagos — The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday formally handed over its Ikorodu Lighter Terminal to the Nigeria Customs Service with a plea by the Comptroller General of Customs, Hamman Bello Ahmed, that the terminal be developed to a full ports status.
Receiving a ceremonial key to the terminal, the Customs CG who was represented by Deputy Comptroller General, Mrs. Rhoda Akor, said if the terminal is fully upgraded to a full port, the congestion at the Apapa Port will be reduced drastically.
According to him, the area could also be used to offload cargo which will be an additional commercial service to the maritime sector.
He commended the Federal Government's wisdom to set up the terminal for receiving overtime cargo, noting that it was a veritable means of easing Lagos metropolis of traffic congestion.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Abdul Salam Mohammed, pointed out that the use of Ikorodu Lighter Terminal (ILT) for the relocation of overtime cargoes, detention and seizure in the Lagos zone, was recommended by the erstwhile presidential committee on port decongestion and was approved by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.
He said since then, NPA had worked with the customs towards the realization of the desire by government to ensure the use of ILT as a specialized area for the storage and delivery of overtime and other related cargoes.
Abdul Salam Mohammed who was represented by the General Manager, Security, Col Samuel Folorunsho (retired), recalled that the advent of concession of port facilities to terminal operators made the Nigeria Customs Service to lose all its warehouses that were used for the storage and administration of seized, detained and overtime cargoes that were previously located at the ports in the Lagos area.
According to him, efforts by the erstwhile presidential committee on port decongestion to decongest the ports necessitated the use of ILT as the most suitable facility for the relocation overtime cargoes.
"This measure enabled ports in the Lagos zone to be free from overtime cargoes, allowed for increased operational capacity and facilitate the implementation of ISPS code", he said.
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