
– Charges CG to enforce use of scanners
Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — As part of efforts to ensure ports’ efficiency and competitiveness, the ministers of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi met on Monday and agreed that physical inspection of cargoes at the ports must be phased out.
They also agreed on the use of modern technologies like scanners saying that it was important to address the issue of port congestion, so as to ensure efficiency and competitiveness.
The Customs boss Adeniyi was charged to enforce the use of scanners at the ports, just as they encouraged private investors to come in and invest in the deployment and maintenance of scanners at the nation’s ports.
In a statement jointly signed by the spokesperson to the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Ismail Omipidan and the Customs spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Monday.
According to the statement, the meeting, which was held at the ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and which had the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria attending virtually, also resolved to ensure a new construction that will bypass the fixed scanner at Apapa, so as to ensure the unhindered progression of scanning process during crucial infrastructure developments.
Part of the resolutions reached at the meeting included the fact that priority should be given to scanning over physical examination just as it was resolved that the leadership of the Nigerian Railway Corporations should continue its commitment to freight cargoes to Inland container depots/dry ports, a strategic move to alleviate congestion at major ports.
Plans were unveiled for the efficient evacuation of containers from Port Harcourt to Aba, with future extensions envisaged for Onne Port.