No Security Threat At Eastern Ports – Okoroafor

There is no security threat at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Eastern ports as normal port operations are going on uninterrupted.

The Public Affairs Officer of the ports, Mr Nwachukwu Okoroafor made the assertion  in a chat with The Tide maritime correspondent in his office in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Mr Okoroafor said security has been beefed-up in all the ports with the Ports Police, Marine Police, the Joint Task Force (JTF) and other security agents fully at alert to ensure smooth operations.

He said apart from host communities issues in some ports which had been resolved amicably through dialogue, there was absolute peace and security at the various ports.

“As you can see, the port here in Port Harcourt is busy, terminal operators are doing their work freely, and in short, there is no security challenge for now,” the Eastern ports spokesman said.

On the sack of some agencies at the Nigerian Seaports, Mr Okoroafor said the move was quite laudable as it would enhance clearance of goods at the ports, jettison the multiple cargo clearance exercise, which he said been cumbersome.

According to him, the step taken was highly accepted by the ports users and all stakeholders as most of the agencies had nothing to do with cargoes at the ports.

“The action by the Federal Government was widely accepted as it would minimise time to clear goods at the Nigerian seaports,” he said, arguing that the claim by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) the withdrawal of the agencies would encourage the infiltration of fake and substandard goods into the country without their presence at the ports was baseless, saying that even with their presence, sub-standard goods did come through the ports into the Nigerian market. “The Federal Government action will afford the ports to achieve or meet the 48 hours cargo clearance at the ports,” he noted. The agencies allowed to operate in the ports include the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Services, Port Health, Immigration Service, Port Police and the state Security Services (SSS).

Collins Barasimeye