The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has commended members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) for shelving their proposed three-day warning strike scheduled to start on Wednesday, December 9.
The withdrawal of the strike followed several hours of deliberations between the union and the management on Tuesday.
In the course of the meeting, NPA management assured members of the union and other stakeholders that the problem of congestion and rent-seeking on access roads to the ports will soon become history with the scheduled deployment of an electronic call-up system for trucks in January 2021, a statement by an NPA spokesman Ibrahim Nasiru read.
The management said it 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, the NPA said it 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.
It also said it is partnering with the Lagos State Government to deploy law enforcement officers for the maintenance of sanity along the Port Logistic Ring.
The NPA reiterated 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,” the statement read.
“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
“Management therefore calls on all stakeholders and Port users to go about their businesses as ports operations will continue unhindered,” the statement added.
