Tension Heightens As Congestion Hit TCIPC, Port Manager Faults Construction Firm

There are palpable tension at Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over issues bothering on congestion for about two week, investigation by Dailyfocus Nigeria has revealed.

The congestion has affected vehicular movement in and out various terminals at the Port Complex ,even as the combined traffic personnel deployed to the access road are yet to proffer solution to the perennial gridlock.

Investigations by our correspondent also revealed that backlog of vessels discharged of consignments at the seaport during the lockdown on COVID19 can be attributed to the current gridlock and congestion at TCIPC.

 

 

Checks by our correspondent further revealed that one of the Port concessionaires, Port and Cargo Handling Service Limited owners of terminal C and D is currently over stretched against the backdrop of post COVID19 lockdown in Lagos.

It was gathered that the SIFAX – owned facility has been affected with high volume of consignments which in turn led to the bottleneck along the access road.

Port users lamented that the gridlock and congestion at TCIPC has affected trade facilitation in the last two weeks, thus calling on relevant authorities to proffer solution in tackling the anomalies .

 

 

Primarily, the NPA Port Manager in charge of TCIPC, Alhaji Bello Abubakar who spoke to newsmen on the development, confirmed that the congestion can be attributed to the ongoing contruction along the common users area of Apapa Oshodi expressway but reiterated management commitment to address the perennial traffic.

According the him, the construction company Hi-Tech Nigeria Limited has failed to carry along management of the NPA as part of efforts to control traffic along the access road.

The Port Manager explained that the port access road is the only source of vehicular movement due to construction along the common users corridor but assured that bottleneck would soon be a thing of the past.

 

Abubakar who admitted that the situation was not conducive for trade facilitation and smooth flow vehicular movement, commended management of SIFAX owned terminal operator for the accommodation of cargoes during the lockdown era, saying the situation would have been worst then expected.

He further assured that the management team of NPA at TCIPC will continue to engage the construction company to expedite actions in furtherance to clear the backlog of cargoes trapped at the terminal and ease the flow of gridlock along the access road.

While lamenting on the gridlock along the port access road, Secretary, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), TCIP Chapter, Comrade Godfrey Nwosu told our correspondent that several letters have been written to the terminal operator , hence no solution have been made to decongest the facility.

Nwosu alleged that “the system currently obtained at the terminal is that freight agent will do the job of a terminal clerk who embark on sourcing for containers at that terminal. .”

He said the agents would take their time to check for containers number with their bill of lading at the quay apron saying that the issue had started before the pandemic.

 

 

He described the situation as a bitter experience for agents and shippers adding that the backlog of about three vessels unattended to led to the congestion at the port.

He alleged that the terminal lacked the needed equipment to discharge cargoes from the facilities adding that importers are lamenting on the current situation at Tin Can Island Port.

The NAGAFF Scribe alleged that it is the primary responsibilities of the NPA to control traffic along the port access road alleging that the traffic unit has allegedly conspired to frustrate shippers and the freight agents.

Similarly, the President , Advocacy for Maritime Development, Oluwasegun Alabi stressed that the problem at Ports and Cargo Handling Limited can best be described as “biting more than you can chew”.

Alabi said the facility has been overstretched , adding that the space are limited for both loading of import and export .

He alleged that stacking of containers at the facility has been filled to capacity pointing out that with the limited space available at the terminal has led to congestion.

He accused management of the terminal for receiving high volume of cargoes with limited capacity that can absorb such consignments.

Alabi a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents urged the relevant authorities to engage management of the concessionaire in finding lasting solution to the current gridlock at the Port.

Responding, the Manager, Public Affairs of SIFAX, Muyiwa Akande said if anyone was going to accuse Ports and Cargo of anything, it couldn’t be on handling equipment because according to him, the terminal just invested about $20 million on handling equipment in December, 2019.

“After that one, we have taken delivery of terminal tractors. So, we have enough equipment to work,” he submitted.