…As stakeholders calls for automation of Eto call up system
The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA has said that unless the confusion created by petroleum tankers along the Mile 2 – Tincan Island road are brought under control, there maybe no end in sight to the perennial traffic witnessed every year along that axis.
The Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Mr. Charles Okaga who disclosed this in a goodwill message at the breakfast meeting on Eto Call Up System put together by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN in Lagos today, said, “If we can bring the issue of petroleum tankers within control and sequential call up to the respective tank farms and depot, it means that we are halfway through the problem of solving the chaos in the Mile 2 – Tincan axis.”
Okaga also said that the issue of non-state actors from Okokomaiko area of Lagos to Mile 2 and from Mile 2 to Tincan Island Port posed another problem as according to him, “If we can resolve those issues plus the tanker issues, then we are 90 percent good to go.”
He argued that since all stakeholders and port users alike were contributory to the situation, they all should also be contributory to the solution saying, “If we are prepared to have improvement to our situation, there will be improvement.”
“And how would that happen? The man who should provide the right environment should provide it, the man who should comply with the principles and procedures of engagement should comply and the man who should enforce, should enforce in the right manner. If we have all of these in place, I am sure that the problem with the road corridor will not be as bad as it is.
“But be that as it may, between the introduction of the electronic call up system and today, we have witnessed tremendous improvement. At least, 99 percent of the people in this hall are witnesses to where we were in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and if history does not fail us, we will be able to know that today is a far departure from yesterday.
“Can we do better? Yes! The issue of traffic along this corridor is multifaceted and I won’t want to preempt the discussions proper but I will leave just one point which I will want the media and every lover of the national economy to pay attention to and it is the fact of the confusion created by petroleum tankers along the Tincan road”, he added.
On his part, the representative of the Managing Director of NPA, Mr. Ayodele Durowaye recalled what the situation used to be in the last two to six years and what made the NPA to deploy policies to address the issues saying, “Today’s engagement is about an appraisal of what has been happening overtime. We believe that we are going to have different perspectives but facts don’t lie.
“We are ready for the engagement that today brings with the mindset that we can improve what is already on ground and also create an environment that will lead to the efficiency of our port. On behalf of the Managing Director, I would like to welcome all of you. I know we will have a robust engagement.”
Also speaking, the President of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi who recalled his worry over the past years following increase in population and vehicles without a corresponding increase in infrastructure, submitted that the only way to get the problem solved was automation.
He said, “By ten to twenty years ago, if you are going to visit a bank, you are going there to spend the whole day or half of the day because they operated manually but since banks embarked on automation, hardly do any of us, I cannot even remember when last I visited the banking hall. I do all my transactions with my phone.
“So, automation is the solution, there is no other way around it. I want to also commend the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority for bringing about the automation system that is helping to address the traffic that we were experiencing about two to five years ago. However, because of human interference, I wish to appeal to NPA to see how it can improve on what it is doing so that we remove totally anything that has to do with human interference.”
Contributing, a representative of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council at the meeting, Ese Egbosimba underscored the role of automation in solving the traffic challenge along the port corridors adding that when processes were automated, one was bound to eliminate many hindrances to ease of access to the port.
“I want to call on all critical stakeholders to speak up. NPA, our elder sister is here and we are here too to look into these issues, to address the issues and to proffer solutions and to bring about a better logistics activity in this Lagos logistics environment”, she stated.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President of MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere observed that the association was worried about the current challenges bedeviling the transportation sector of the port operation and the challenges facing the electronic call up system.
He pointed out that despite its positive impacts, the electronic call-up system had faced criticism, with some operators alleging that it had worsened the traffic crisis and facilitated corruption and extortion. “Critical stakeholders have raised concerns that the platform had deviated from its original purpose and turned into a source of revenue generation and that the port environment has returned to the pre-Hadiza Bala-Usman era.
“Furthermore, truckers and industry experts highlighted preferential treatment, infrastructure inadequacies, and deep-rooted corruption as major hindrances to the system’s effectiveness. These issues have led to congestion, gridlock, and increased operational costs, undermining the system’s intended benefits. This not only affects the shippers who are made to pay more but also you and l, the consumer, who is the end user because the shipper will simply pass on the extra cost.
“It is in light of this and in fulfilment of our agenda-setting function for the industry that we have organized this breakfast meeting to discuss workable solutions to rectifying these anomalies and ensuring that the platform delivers on the mandate for which it was created to the benefit of the industry at large”, he said.
The MARAN President remarked that the issues associated with the e-call up system had pushed up haulage cost to between N300, 000 and N700,000 at Lagos ports namely: Apapa and Tin-Can Island to Alaba International market; thereby having a spiralling effect on prices of goods at not just Alaba but other markets as well.
He went on to posit that the problems linked to the e call-up system, to a great extent; was caused by activities at some of the terminals, the truckers that were always working at subverting the system, some officials of some government agencies feeding fat from the crisis and especially Lagos state government that had all the power to effect the needed change but will not for reasons best known to it.
“It is not a surprise that you hear the phrase ‘Apapa Pass Yahoo.’ This is because the kind of gratification gotten illegally from the crisis is why some believed that the benefit from Yahoo is a child’s play compared to what is gotten in Apapa.
“Gathered here today are critical stakeholders in the industry who will be deliberating and proffering workable solutions to these anomalies but, we expect the truth to be told here today.
Topical issues that would be discussed here today include the efforts that the government, through agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority, has taken to combat these challenges, the need for full automation, reduction in human intervention, eradication of corruption along the port access roads amongst several others.
“Trust me, with the array of experts, stakeholders present here today, the resolution arrived here today will go a long way in addressing these challenges”, he assured.
Photo 1: Representative of the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mr. Ayodele Durowaye delivering his goodwill message at the Breakfast Meeting On E-call Up System organized by Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN in Lagos today.
Photo 2: Mr. Charles Okaga, Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Lagos delivering his goodwill message at the event held in Lagos today.
Photo 3: (L-R): Representative of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, Ese Egbosimba, Chairman, Nigerian Ports Consultative Council, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, President of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria, BOAN, Hon. Olubunmi Olumekun who doubled as the Chairman of the event, President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, Mr. Ayodele Durowaye, General Manager, Managing Director’s Office, NPA and Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Mr. Charles Okaga during the breakfast meeting in Lagos today.
Photo 4. Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, President, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON delivering his goodwill message during the MARAN’s Breakfast Meeting in Lagos today.
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