The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has expressed frustrations over the existence of 20 extortion points along the Mile 2- Tin Can Island Port access where illegal monies are collected from truck drivers before entering into the port.
The NPA Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex and Chairman Eto Project Implementation Committee, Mr Charles Okaga confirmed this at the breakfast meeting organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos last week.
He assured that the NPA is set to embark on a demolition exercise to remove all shanties and illegal structures along the Tin Can Island Port corridor this week in collaboration with the Lagos State Government.
According to Mr Okaga, the activities of non-state actors collecting these illegal monies from truck drivers has caused the drivers to divert to using the Ijora axis to gain access to Tin Can Island Port.
This development, he said has created pressure on the Apapa axis, and the Ijora bridge is now in need of rehabilitation due to pressure.
“We have gone into collaboration with the Lagos State Government, we did some clearance of shanties and areas obstructing port movement last week along the Apapa area to Ijora side, we are embarking on that of Mile 2 area to Tin Can Island Port by next week (this week)
“In the advocacy efforts in encouraging people to comply and conform, the first thing is to provide the right environment for business to thrive. If you cannot drive freely in and out of the ports, businesses cannot thrive.
“The pressure on the Apapa-Ijora axis is as a result of the activities of the non-state actors along the Mile 2- Tin Can axis, there are more than twenty points that trucks and truckers are meant to part with money before getting into the port.
“The preference to avoid these things, both Tin Can bound trucks and Apapa bound trucks are now plying the Ijora corridor in order to reduce cost of access.
“Right now we are having rehabilitation works on the bridge, so the volume of traffic and pressure has increased, and because of this, there is more pains” Okaga said.
