Sanity at Lagos ports as e-call up begins today
. Operators want port roads fixed
. Urge shipping firms to build holding bays
By Eniola Idris
As the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) kicks off the electronic call up system in Lagos ports today, stakeholders are optimistic that the scheme will herald a new Dawn in ports operations.
Already, the truck owners have ordered immediate removal of trucks from the ports access road ahead the take off of the scheme, while NPA has registered scores of them on the Eto platform.
The President, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Remi Odugbemi said in a notice to all truckers tagged: “Operation move your trucks away from roads and bridges. Go to your garages and wait until you are called to come”.
He stated: “In preparation for the commencement of NPA/TTP “eto” automation system of admitting trucks into the ports, you are advised to remove your trucks away from the roads and bridges to your garages until the system authorizes you to come.
“Every truckers in the maritime industry is expected to cooperate by keying into the new arrangement as a way by which all the stress, bribery, extortion, fatigue, priority, extortion, suffering, etc associated with manual call up system can become a thing of the past,” he stated.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has declared that trucks not registered under ‘Eto’, the electronic truck-call up app, would not have access to the ports from today February 27, 2020.
Speaking during a webinar, Bala Usman said that trucks found parking on any part of the ports access roads when the scheme takes off would be impounded. She explained that all trucks are expected to be parked at designated truck parks from where they would be called into the ports when their cargo is ready for pick.
As part of the operation of the ‘Eto’ app, the NPA boss said that the Authority, in conjunction with the Lagos State Government, has licensed seven parks, where trucks could be stationed and invited into the ports when their cargoes are ready for pick up.
“I have always had the idea that removing human intervention in calling up trucks into the ports is key to solving the truck congestion problem. I am confident that this step, combined with improved rail access in the ports and the use of barges to move cargo will solve this problem,” Bala Usman explained.
Apart from calling up trucks, Bala Usman said that the ‘Eto’ app would also be responsible for the return of empty containers to the ports by shipping companies. This, she said, means that cargo owners are not allowed to come to the ports to drop empty containers, which must be taken to the holding bays of shipping companies.
According to her: “With Eto, we have made sure that the registration of shipping companies is tied to having empty containers holding bays. This is where consignees will drop empty containers henceforth. It is the responsibility of shipping companies to arrange how to transport empty containers to the ports through the Eto.”
“We have had pushbacks from shipping companies in the past, but what we have now is to deny their 2021 registration unless they provide empty container holding bays and log on to Eto. We are happy that they have complied.”
“Bala Usman explained that the NPA is working with the Lagos State Government and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure full compliance with Eto operations and that trucks found around the ports without being called to the ports will be impounded and their owners made to face the law”.
Entrance to Apapa Port complex
Vice Chairman, National Association of Transport Owners (NARTO), Dry Cargo Section Abdullahi Inuwa said, “if started in good faith, we assure that we (stakeholders) should cooperate and allow it work then we will get good result. Actually, if it take off successfully, it will eradicate corruption, no human contact and other artificial bottleneck so, NARTO wishes the authority a successful takeoff.
National Vice president, Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto urged the NPA management to be steadfast in enforcing the call-up system.
According to him, the ongoing construction of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway must also be completed in good time because no call-up system without a good road.
His word, “The road should be put in adequate place because there is nothing the call-up can achieve without a proper port access road.”
Farinto said shipping companies must be compelled to have a functional holding bay for return of empty containers.
His words, “Also, shipping companies should put up a holding bay for empty containers because without an efficient holding bay, is there a way the policy can be achieved?” he asked.
He continued, “NPA should also decisively take over the system and prevent the security agencies from hijacking it. They must totally remove human contact but how to achieve that I still don’t know because Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) will still be generated manually.
“Also, there is nothing on ground to show that it will be electronic and like I said, human contact must be completely eliminated because what is happening on port access road is an eyesore that is giving stakeholders sleepless nights,” he concluded.
