For shelving its three-day warning strike scheduled for December 9, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has commended the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) for the gesture.
The suspension of the strike followed several hours of deliberations between the union and the management on Tuesday, December 8.
In a statement by Mr Ibrahim S . Nasiru, Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, the management assured members of the union and other stakeholders that the problem of congestion and rent-seeking on access roads to the ports would soon become a thing of the past.
“It will become history with the scheduled deployment of an electronic-call-up system for trucks in January 2021.
“Management is working with the Lagos State Government to provide truck holding bays as part of the implementation of the e-call up system.
“In the interim, management is liaising with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for the immediate commencement of remedial works on failed portions of the port access road.
“Management is partnering with the Lagos State Government to deploy law enforcement officers for the maintenance of sanity along the Port Logistic Ring,’’ said the statement given to Persecondnews.
The NPA management restated the directive to all shipping companies to ensure that the size of their respective empty container holding bay is commensurate with the volume of containers they bring into the ports in line with NPA policy on empty containers.
“Failure to adhere to this will attract sanctions. Shipping companies are to be responsible for the movement of empty containers from their holding bays to the Port. Consignees are to drop empty boxes at the designated empty container holding bays.
“Failure of shipping companies to remove empty containers at the holding bay will attract sanctions.’’
NPA called on stakeholders and port users to go about their businesses as ports operations would continue seamlessly.
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