Bala Usman: We’ve started an e-call up system at the ports to decongest traffic

Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, says it is not the duty of the NPA to build trailer parks.

Speaking on Television Continental (TVC) on Monday, Usman said it is the responsibility of the local government as they are the ones in charge of building motor parks and the likes.

She said many of those trucks are on the road because they have no designated place to park.

She, however, noted that the NPA has started an electronic call-up system to track the trucks coming into a park and make the process of decongesting the roads faster.

“The trucks are on the road because they don’t have a designated place to park but we have started an e-call up system to be in the ports and park locations,” she said.

“A truck that is not linked to the call-up system and goes to the park has no business there. You cannot enter. They keep coming back and getting into the port because they are bribing someone and getting into the port.

“On the issue of corruption, when people are paying…collecting N100,000 to allow a truck in, the electronic call-up, where you can’t circumvent the process, is the solution to it.

“And one of the issues is asking the Nigerian port should buy a park but I don’t see why because it is not our responsibility; it is Lagos state..it is even a local government responsibility, trailer parks, motor parks.

“We had a manual call-up system and what we sought to do at the Nigerian port is try to do things transparently. So we did three adverts inviting owners of trailer parks to come and register so that we can put an electronic call -up on designated truck par, but they responded that they don’t have the land, Nigerian port should come and buy land to build a truck park.

“For me, truck park is a commercial business and if NPA compels all trucks to go and park in their park, it is a money-spinner. The government should not be made to go into a business that is not their responsibility.”

She noted that there is a need to have inter-modal transportation for linking the ports which include rail, inland waterways, and pipelines for liquid bulks to reduce the congestion on the roads.

On coronavirus, she said the NPA has developed a standard operating procedure relating to the outbreak of the coronavirus on when a vessel comes in.

“When a vessel arrives, if there is any patient on board, the vessels are directed to put two yellow flags on it and when it comes,  it is giving a designated berthing location where port officials will berth the vessel and seek to determine the state of health of the person on board and with quarantine measures taken into place,” she said.

“In addition, flagged vessels coming from China, additional mechanisms have been put in place for those coming from Italy, we have also asked that a no-handshake policy is instituted in port locations. So any crew member disembarking will require no handshake.”