23 November 2015, Lagos – Two master mariners on Monday advised the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to visit the Lagos Ports on an–on-the-spot assessment of them .
The master mariners: Capt. Tajudeen Alao and Capt. Adewale Ishola, gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
Capt. Alao said the minister would understand the multiple factors causing congestion at the ports.
He said, “The minister should ensure that cargo is moved out of the Lagos Ports freely.”
According to him, this can be achieved by decongesting the ports, decongesting the roads and making the roads motorable.
“Of course, the minister will instruct on what should be done but sincerely, a visit to the Lagos ports is necessary, ” Alao said.
Also, Capt. Ishola called on the minister to put a new mechanism in place to ensure a free-flow of goods in and out of the ports.
He said as a maritime nation, Nigeria should understand and appreciate that the trade cycle was only complete when goods were delivered safely to their destinations.
Ishola said the minister’s visit to the Lagos ports would help the situation to improve than when he merely got reports.
He condemned the perennial gridlock along Apapa/Oshodi Expressway and along Ijora-Apapa Road.
“This is the gateway to Nigeria’s economy and nobody is happy about the stand-still situation there,” Ishola said.
- Punch
