NPPM To Beam Searchlight On Consignees Of Cocaine Laden Ships At Apapa Port

 

By Roland Ekama

 

The Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM), has disclosed that plans are afoot to uncover  consignees behind the recent vessels laden with cocaine that berthed at Lagos seaports .

 

Recall that some labour workers are under the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with drug trafficking.

 

The labour workers were arrested onboard MV Cha Yaree Naree and MV Karteria;  both vessel berthed at Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL) at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC).

 

 

 

But the National Coordinator , NPPM, Mr. Moses Fadipe who stated this in Lagos on Wednesday, during a press briefing put together by Maritime Anti Corruption Network (MACN) and Convention Business Integrity (CBI) stressed the need to unravel those behind the illicit drug importation into the country ,even as he expressed interest on how the vessel sailed from Brazil to Nigeria without due process.

 

Fadipe who is a director at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council called on the federal government to reintroduce the use of  Advanced Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) in port operations saying it’s a tool that is need based on the rising cases of illicit drug importation into the country.

 

 

Speaking on what role the task team would play in containing the rising incidences of drug importation into the country, Fadipe stressed that NPPM would take a stand and get to the root cause of such Import.

 

 

The Coordinator reaffirmed that, “NPPM is quite working very closely with the NDLEA in Apapa port. You know, in this clime, we are quick to make statement when such thing occur but on the second one that was seized on a Sunday, that is 13.6 kilogramme, you might see that it was only announced, some people have been picked up but you are not hearing anything anymore. You must get to a point before you make statement.

 

“The vessel comes from an origin, even from that origin, who are the owners of this vessel? We are only concerned about the Nigerian side but we are not talking about the other side, those are where things are going on.

 

” At the appropriate time, statement will be made in that direction is what I can assure you. But we are working closely with all of them and the government too, the practitioners, I will still implore them to let government know that this Advanced Cargo Tracking Note is a tool that we need in this country. After 9/11, a lot of countries have adopted it all over the world.

 

” Even the West African neighbouring countries are using Cargo Tracking Note, why not Nigeria? Because these are things that will help us know things as they are coming from origin and it makes the carriers liable.

 

” The present arrangement that we have now does not make the carrier liable, said to contain but the cargo tracking note will make you liable of what you have taken from origin and when you get there and we discover anything, you are going to be liable. So, there is need for us to push for this Cargo Tracking Note. With that, government will have it good.”