Congratulatory messages and felicitations have continued to pour in for the re-elected Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, with the latest from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The NPA Managing Director, Mr Mohammed Bello Koko, in a letter personally signed by him and addressed to the governor on Friday, congratulated Sanwo-Olu on behalf of the Board, management and staff on his “well-deserved victory at the gubernatorial elections held on March 18, 2023’’.
It stated: “Given your demonstrated commitment towards the ease, security and continuous improvement of activities around the maritime logistics ring, your reelection is certainly a boost to our relentless efforts at supporting the national economy through trade facilitation.
“Whilst pledging our continuous support and partisanship, please accept as always, the assurances of our esteemed regards.’’
Persecondnews recalls that the NPA under the helmsmanship of Bello-Koko had strengthened its synergy with the Sanwo-Olu-led administration to rid Apapa of gridlocks which had lingered for several years.
In February 2021, the Lagos State newly constituted Traffic Management Enforcement Team saddled with the responsibility of resolving the intractable traffic gridlocks in Apapa, the Nigerian Ports Authority Security Team and other stakeholders expressed their readiness to collaborate and devise a strategy to solve the issue occasioned by the loading of trucks and trailers at the port.
The Special Team will also enforce the zero-tolerance of the State government on traffic offenders in order to achieve a seamless traffic management system, while restoring sanity in and around Apapa towards creating a cohesive system that would aid the resurgence of business activities and a conducive residential environment devoid of traffic-induced stresses.
The Chairman of the Team who is also Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Oluwatoyin Fayinka, explained that the Team, in consultation with others, has been able to design a road map and the strategy to be adopted.
Also, Bello-Koko management had introduced some strategies including Electronic Call-up System (ETO) which harmonised all the structures already created.
The successes of ETO, which was inaugurated on February 27, 2021 are unmistakably glaring and self-effacing in addition to the liberalization of barge movement on the waterways through LICENSING BARGE OPERATORS, which allows cargo evacuation from port terminals and led to a reduction in the number of trucks on the road corridor.
The NPA also introduced an EMPTY CONTAINER POLICY, requiring shipping lines in the container handling space, to build holding bays for at least 50-65 per cent of their monthly landed containers and removal of at least a 80 per cent equivalent in empties or laden export in return voyages.
